The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-23 00:00:00

THE ARMY AND GENER tL M

On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Colonel NORTH adverted to certain charges against
the officers of the army, which the hon. member for
Lambeth was reported to have urged in a speech ad-
dressed to his constituents at the late election.

Mr. W. WIT.LIAMS denied that his observations
bore the meaning that had been attached to them.
He had always believed and said that the regimental
officers of the British army were better and braver
than those of any other army in the world. Of the
military system, and of the commanding officers, be
might possibly have expressed a different opinion.
Sir W. CODRINGTON admitted that election speeches
should not be too minutely criticised. They were
spoken amidst scenes of much excitement, and often
incorrectly reported. He was therefore ready to
accept the explanation offered by the member for
Lambeth. But a letter had recently appeared in the
Times, signed by a staff officer, and containing a
most unjust and scandalous attack upon General Ash-
hurnham, not only affecting his public character as a
general, but his private character as a courageous
officer. The hon. and gallant member tben read the
following letter from an eye-witness, describing
General Ashburnham's conduct at the battle of
Sobraon

lie (Sir IV. Codrington) had received the letter from an
officer who was well qualified to write upon the subject,
and whose name, if requested, he should be happy to fur.
nish to any hon. member. That letter exonerated General
Ashburnham from the charges brought against him by his
auonytaous accuber, and lie would, with the permission of
the house, at once proceed to read it. It ran thus :

Winchester, May 4.
You have seen the attack on General Ashburnham. Well,
with a soldier that part of it about taking the outposts is easily
disposed of. General Ashburnham had received his orders from
the Commander•in.Chier, and obeyed them in preference to the
suggestions of two junior officers, who must have had no small
share of in pndence to go to him with their opinion after being
told he had received his orders and intended to obey them.
Now, I will state on my honour what I saw of General Ash.
burnharn on the day of Sobraon. He commanded the Queen's
9th and 62nd, as also a native corps. After the flank companies
of the 82nd had got into the outpost which they were ordered
to take, the remainder of the regiment was ordered to remain
about 200 yards in rear for the protection of some artillery.
Gonna Astburnhain then left the regiment, and went to the

498

9th Regiment and the native corps-48th Bengal, I believe—
soma 3i30 yards in our left rear. The 62nd were in a nullah, which
ran nearly perpendicular to the batteries, but it afforded some
cove". and it was taken advantage of. There the regiment re•
mains I nearly two hours, losing some fourteen men from round.
•hot. firmer& Ashburtifiam was with the largest part of his
.)rigale We received au order to join him, which we did as
juickly as we could, and found him forming line. When all
were in line—three regiments and a company of native rifles-
-he 3ricratle advanced, and as we approached the batteries,
//bleb w re being well served and blew up one of our tumbiils,
3stn2i a Aehhurnharu rode out in front about thirty paces with
Jilitfulti pointing upwards at arm's length, and could be, and
as seen lo the whole brigade. In this way he led us to the
. attiry, on arriving at which he tried to leap his horse through
.one of the embrasures, but the horse failed. lie then
.urned his head, tried again, and went in. We found him
between us and the enemy, and he continued to keep in front,
nearly looking into the muzzles of the enemy's muskets. How
he escaped being hit is a marvel to me to this day. He was, I
believe at least he was, the only mounted officer of his brigade
who rode into the intrenchrnents, all this time under a most
destructive tire. A more gallant deed or one showing more
determination or coolness I never saw ; and this was seen by
both officers and men of the ;2nd Hegiinent. and was the admi•
ration of all, from the late Lieutenant•Colouel Short, who coin.
mended the regiment that day, down to the private. One soldier
rushed to the front to the brigadier and kept at his stirrup all
the time. When Colonel A shburnham was forming his bngade
• staff officer did ride up and tell him to advance; indeed, the
brigade was advancing at the time. Colonel Asliburnhant could
never find out who the man was or who had sent him, although
he tried to do so. I inclose • rough draft of a conversation
that took place after the battle. I was present and heard it, as
was the writer.

To this he would without further preface add a letter
from Colonel Short, which was in these words:—

I always had the highest opinion of Ashburnharn ; but, if it be
possible, my admiration of him is much increased by what I
saw him do today. lie rode in front of the brigade in the ad-
vance up to the enemy's battery, and in the teeth of a moat de.
structive tire endeavoured to jump his horse through one of the
embrasures. Finding, however, owing to its steepness, that he
was unable to effect his object, he coolly turned his horses head
and rode parallel to the battery fora considerable distance, until
finding an embrasure more suited to his purpose, he spurred his
horse, and in one instant was among the enemy on the opposite
aide, followed by us. A more gallant deed, and one exhibiting
more coolness, I never witnessed.
I have to Apologise to the house for having trespassed so
long upon i:s time, but I thought it right to offer to it this
defence of a brother officer who has been attacked—but let
it be remembered attacked only anonymously—in a news-
paper. (Loud cheers)

The motion that the Speaker do leave the chair
wact then agreed to, and the house wtnt into com-
mittee of supply.

NAVY ESTIMATES.

The house then went into committee of supply on
the Navy Estimates, Mr. FITZROY in the chair.
Sir CHARLES Woon explained to those members
who had not seats in the last Parliament that the
present estimates were the same as were submitted
to that body ; and that the vote now asked for was
the supplement of the vote already taken on account.
The fact of that vote having been taken did not pre-
clude discussion on any items. The estimates, how-
ever, were fully considered in the early part of the
year ; and nothing had occurred since to make alter-
ations necessary, except with regard to the transport
of troops to China, on which head new estimates
would have to be submitted. These, however, did
not affect the navy. In the course of last summer
he had commissioned a number of ships to relieve
those on the China station ; and, piracy having in-
creased to a considerable extent in the shallow waters,
he had ordered eight gunboats to China. With that
exception no boats had been sent to China till the
receipt of the intelligence of the war ; but Sir Michael
Seymour had very properly detained the vessels
which were to have returned home, except one sent
home with invalids. On the ground of naval expen-
diture, therefore, he should not ask the house to vote
any new sum for the war in China. The estimate
for last year was 19,600,000/. ; the reduced estimate,
10,298,0001.; the estimate for the present year
was 8,109,000/. The reduction, therefore, as com-
pared with the first estimate, was 111 millions—as
compared with the second it was 8,188,0001.; being
a reduction or more than one half of the reduced
estimate of last year. No doubt a very great part of
the reduction was owing to the cessation of the
demand for transport; but confining attention to the
navy only, there was a reduction of 3,430,000/., or—
including the coastguard, formerly a separate esti-
mate, but now included in the navy—a reduction of
nearly three and a half millions on the naval service
alone. In some respects, he would have been glad
not to have carried the reductions so far ; for the
house and the country were properly jealous of the
efficiency of this arm of the public service, and would
have condemned, if he had allowed himself to be
influenced too much by feelings of economy :
I cannot, however, hold out the expectation that we
shall be able to reduce the estimates below the level of
former years. We have learnt many lessons during the
war, and one of them is that we were not adequately pre•
pared when war broke out. I hope and trust that we
have now a long period of peace before us. No one can be
more anxious than myself that this should be the case, but
we can have n 3 better security for the permanence of peace
than the knowledge that we are now prepared for war.
That we were no adequately prepared for war when war
broke out was just as well known to other nations as to
ourselves, and I remember a shrewd observation made by
an intelligent foreigner that if he had to give advice to any
foreign country that was going to war with us he should
advise them to strike a blow during the first two years of

THE PRESS.

the war. At the end of the first two years of the last war,
when other countries felt the strain and pressure of the
war, we were better prepared, and had a larger army and
fleet, and were more able and willing than at first to carry on
the war. Let us, then, during peace put on the appearance
of preparedness, and let foreign countries know that they
could not strike a blow at us during the first two years of
war. This will be our best security for peace. Another
consideration deserving of attention is that in all probability
any future war with Russia will lie a more serious war than
the last. So far as their navy was concerned the Russians
did not venture to send their fleet to sea, but we know
what exertions are being made to equip them. The Rus-
sians get their lines of ships and a great deal of machinery
made in this country, and they have many Englishmen
employed in their manufactories at home. In a few years,
therefore, it is probable the Russian navy will be in a very
different position from what it was during the war. We
are, happily, in a state of intimate alliance with our nearest
neighbours; and long may that alliance continue, for the
benefit of both countries. Nn man can foresee what may
happen at any moment. France has been paling the
greatest possible attention of late years to the efficiency of
its navy. NVe have recently seen the efforts made in the
same direction by our transatlantic kinsfolk. And, though
I trust that peace may long be preserved throughout the
world, yet I think we—the first maritime power in the
world—should be greatly to blame were we to neglect those
preparations which we find other nations taking, and which
wo•rt.t enable us to meet any adversary who may be opposed
to us should hostilities unfortunately break out.
Sir C. Wood then entered upon copious and detailed
explanations with reference to the separate votes,
concluding by moving that 53,700 men—seamen,
marines, and coastguard—be granted for the remain-
ing eight months.

Admiral WALCOTT urged the necessity of keeping
twelve sail of the line in constant commission, and
fully equipped, and also to the keeping up a squad-
ron of evolution.

Sir CHARLES NAPIER would not consent to reduce
the estimates. On the contrary, he thought
that, in many respects, the effective force ought
to be increased. It was true that we had forty-
two sail of the line, but France had forty sail,
and could at any moment put her hand upon 40,000
trained seamen, which we could not. Our 33,000
men should be raised to 50,000. He was no alarmist,
but he wished it to be distinctly understood, both
within and without the house, that it was his convic-
tion that the naval force was not sufficient for the
right protection of the country, in the event of a war
suddenly breaking out.
Lord CLARENCE PAGET thought that in building
new ships smaller vessels should be preferred to line-
of•battle ships, as more efficient in action. Upon this
point the Admiralty should take the opinion of a
committee of naval officers.
This vote was agreed to, after a discussion of some
length.

The following votes, to complete the estimates,
were likewise agreed to, after discussion :-
1,349,3331. for wages of the men ; 533,9221. for
their victuals; 84,2171. for the Admiralty office ;
118,1501. for salaries of the ccastguard and volun-
teers ; 33,091/. for the scientific branch; 91,2241. for
establishments at home ; 15,4231. for establishments
abroad; 584,390/. for wages of artificers at home;
33,3831. for the same abroad ; 895,4501. for naval
stores and steam machinery; 378,4151. for new
works ; 20,0001. for medicines.

. .
The CHAIRMAN was then ordered to report
progress.
The Bankruptcy and Insolvency (Ireland) Bill
was read a second time ; and the house went into
committee upon the salaries, pensions, dce., under
the bill, which gave rise to a short discussion.