The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-02 00:00:00

LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR DE LACY EVANS.

Yesterday, at oue o'clock, a deputation of electors
of the city of Westminster waited upon Osneral Sir De
Laity Evans, by appointment, at hie residence, in Bryan-
one-square, for the purpose of presenting that gallant
officer with an address, ezpressive of their admiration of
the heroic servicra he hu recently rendered to his country
in the Crimea, and of their gratification at his safe return
to hit native land.

The deputation, in which the leaden of the liberal party
in the city of Westminster were most honourably repre-
sented, was headed by Mr. Thomas Prout. The address,
presented by Mr. Prout in a neat speech, declared that its
subscriben regarded with pride the various mllstery ser-
vices which the gallant general had rendered in pest wars,
and especially in that now proceeding, and esprs ',sit their
joy at his return, with a prospect of an early rtstori.tion to
health.

Sir Ds Lacy Evans having received the address, said,—
Mr. Prost and Gentleman,—l eaa assure you it is impos-
eible for me to express the feeling of thankfulness and gra-
titude which the presentation of this address and the tenti
manta it contains impress on my mind. It would be
impossible for me to receive any compliment more grateful
to my feelings—(here the gallant general's emotion for •
moment overcame his utterance)—than this address from
gentlemen who have known me for nearly a quarter of •
century, and who supported me during a long period when
I was an object of calumny. (Here Sir Ds Lacy became
again much affected, and, recovering himself, he continued)
—Yon will forgive my weakness, because I certainly do feel
more gratitude to the people of Westminster than any men in
this kingdom eau do to the constituents who have tent him to
parliament. It was both under evil and good report that I
have been supported by this great constituency for now
nearly, as I have said, a quarter of a century. (Hear, hear.)
I felt very grateful indeed to you on various occasions far
sending so:comparatively undistinguished a person as your
representative to parliament. I was always impressed in
the highest degree with your consideration for me, but I
felt it still more on my return from • former service which I
thought was an honest and honourable service—(hear)—a
service in support of those principles which you profess and
act upon, and in support of principles which throughout
ray political life at least I have done my best to promote
. . _

(Hear, hear.) This service was represented by ration
powerful persons as a dishonourable service, but you,
by your verdict, on my return home from that
campaign, pronounced it an honourable service. (Hear,
hear) Your sentiments towards me were best evinced
before the country by the triumphant majority of 1,100 by
which I was returned over a most distinguished general
officer of the Peninsular army. That was certainly a proud
test of your approval of my conduct, and I feel to this hour
moat grateful to you for it. (Hear, hear.) But I remained
under the ban of those high authorities for sixteen or seven-
teen years ; notwithstanding which, you still continued to
retain your good opinion of my humble services aid your
approval of my professional career. (Hear, bear.) Cir-
cumstance' of • most momentous character required this
country to send an army into the field about a year back,
and on that occasion also I found that generous good feeling
again evinced on your part by giving me leave of
absence from my parliamentary duties. I believe there is
hardly an instance on record of • constituency giving a sort
of carte blanche to its representative to absent himself on two
separate occasions from the discharge of the important
duties devolving upon a member of parliament. That leave
you did.me the honour to grant. I recollect in this very
room a portion of these whom I have now the pleasure of
seeing around me cams to me to express their satisfaction
that I was going on • service with which the best interests
of the country and humanity ware identified. Gentlemen,
I have had a humble command during the operations that
have subsequently taken place, and I confess I consider
myself most abundantly and unexpectedly fortunate in the
reception which you have kindly given me for any services
I may have rendered to my country. Ido not in any
manner wish to have the presumption to attribute to myself
this strong manifestation of your kindness. I believe in
doing so you are not merely exemplifying your kindness to
me personally as your representative, but also your strong
feelings of sympathy for my comrades who are now strug-
gling in that contest from which I have recently returned.

(lieu, bear.) Ido not heaitate to say there is no instance
on record of a young and inexperienced army that have
shown rester bravery and devotion to their country, thaw
that which landed some few months since in the Crimea.

(Hear, hear.) I may be permitted to say that of my com-
rades, but it would be presumptuous in me to attribute
more than a very small share to myself. This is not an
occasion, aid really my feelings will not permit me, to
speak with entire ease on this subject. We are indeed
engaged in a most arduous struggle. It is not for me
to offer any opinion on the conduct of the war. I had only
• particular share in the transaction, and I do say, for the
portion of the army placed under my control, I shall never
cease to feel the greatest admiration for the officers, non-
commissioned officers, and soldier, that belonged to the
second division, which I had the honour of directing.

(Hear, hear.) lam sorry to say that many of them are no
mote, but such is the fate of war. I earnestly hope that the
noble sympathy evinced by onr countrymen at home for the
sufferings and privations of the army will have the effect or
alleviating the hardships and difficulties they have been
enduring, and such, indeed, has already been the result.
(Hear.) lam certain that that sympathy must power-
fully contribute to sustain the spirit and courage of our
army, evinced as it has been in every public meeting and
every social circle in this country. Ido not think anything
diatom be referred to in put times can equal that fine,
generous, patriotic expression of feeling that has prevailed
throughout this country on the present occasion. What-
ever the difficulties we have had to contend with—whether
we went to the right place or not—or whether we went at
the right time or not—considering the power of this coun-
try, morally, numerically, financially, military and naval,
for my part I have very little doubt—particularly with the'
'Diana et that loyal and brave people, the French,
who are acting with us—l have not the slighest
apprehension of the ultimate result. (Cheers.) Deeply
sorry I am that many distresses may be endured and many
losses sustained bye prolongation of this struggle ; but it Is
quite possible—probably it is but the truth—and in my opi-
nion it is our duty and our policy, that we should look to a
prolonged contest. This is one of those great epochs of which
we read in history, where a great power endeavours to
muter and put down the liberties of other nations ; end it is
indispensable to those who value liberty, national inde-
pendence, and the progress of human society, that the con-
test should be pursued—whatever the sacrifices may bs—
to a victorious end. (Cheers.) I have only again to assure
you that I feel the deepest gratitude for this additional
mark of your kiadnees ; and I shall ever bur it in memory
to the last hour of my life. (Chun.)
Sir JOUN SHILLIT, 'cr., begged permission to express
his high gratification at the return of his gallant colleague,
from whom he had at all times received the kindest assist
Ince and on-operation. He felt it a great honour to have
been permitted to accompany the deputation upon the occa-
sion of the graceful welcome they had accorded to Sir Di
Lacy Evans, with whom it had been his good fortune
to have had any difference, either of opinion or of feeling,
since the day when he was first honoured by being returned
u his colleague in the representation of Westminster.
Sir Ds LACY EVANS was glad to avail himself of that
opportunity of expressing his warm acknowledgments to
his excellent colleague for till great kindness he had shown
to him during his absents, and for the friendly interest he
had entertained for him. He thought it was most fortunate
that when he was obliged to absent himself from their
service that their remaining representative was a man so
young, active, and devoted to his duties. (Cheers.) Be-
fore he eat down he would avail himself of that
opportunity of referring to a matter which had
escaped him is his previous observations—he meant
the duties appertaining to generals of division.
Thus officers stood next to the commander of the
Inn% whose functions were perhaps of a more intellectual
shataster, but physically *sty were not so urgent as those
inroad upon a general of division. The duties of the
Idea were more arduous than even those of generals of
brigade and the inferior officers. However arduous the
duties of colonels of regiments, for instance, they had none
of the responsibility attaching to a general of divisiony
where the whole rested on one head. It had not unfre-
quently happened to himself to have been oa horseback
three or four times in one night, which, at his time of lila,
as they would readily understand, was not a convenient or
agreeable thing. He had been five months under a very
indifferent teat, and although he had borne it to
the last, he ultimately broke down ; and he now
found that his successor, who was ten or twelve
yeah younger than himself, General Pennofather, one
of the finest officers In the whole army, bad within a very
few weeks after his scardon to the command, been obliged
to be absent from *knew (Bur, hear.) Hs had him-
self seen mush et war, hat he never before knew a cam-
paign in whisk general of had been exposed to such