The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-08 00:00:00

.------ _
THE COMMITT EE ON
STO THEL ARMY BEFORE
SEBAPO

-.A.

On the re-aseembling of the committee yesterday,
Mr. Roebeck in the chair, and the usual members present,
Major.Geueral Banana was the first witness crannied—
$e deposed that he had *thing to find fault with is the
popply of provinces at Scutari, sad that the Vaasa by
steamer, is his opinion, was remarkably well condobied.
When they arrived at Yarns tin simmart "go,
teams, eta they mete toleeobly well supplied with pro.
Thant' there. Tte smog* of his (the Major's) divides was ,
1,500 strong when he left England; but unfortunately,
they landed, and encamped upon a spot which was produc-
tive of much sickness, sad the natives espreseed their un-
prise at the eireounstancei of their having so encamped there,
as it was well known to be unhealthy. The ethempessat
wee oa high ground, overlooking the lake, sad be het the
handfed men there. Landed in the Crimes between
Rapateria and Old Fort, but took no teats with
them a first: they were left behind for watt of
truss**. When his, the general's, division landed they had
***mg is the shape of clothing bat what they steel up
Marched to the Alma without knapsacks, having reeeived
peremptory orders toles* them behind. Be was of Minion
that the weight of the knapsack, bleats*,an s
ad greatcoat
combined, was altogether too heavyontreaeat.
The men converted their blankets into a species of keep-
meek. The commissariat marched with them, and they were
pleatifully supplied with provident. Soon after the action
at Alma the men were taloa on rd to be attended to
sad cued for by the midmost men ,ands the last nth was
dews within twelve hours alter the battle. There were sitt
medical seen is attendance on his brigade, and the medial
service was performed as well as it could be. The medical
Men were overworked, and kept up all night; bat in reality,
es it turned out, there was not a sufficient staff of them. lie
shield hare been very glad of more on board: hip. On the
marsh from Alma to Sebastopol the baggagwent by the
read, while the troops went throng h the woods,
sad formed there at the end of the day. Tee commissariat
went by the road. The
the d
with them a day's
provisioa, and at the end of the day bivouacked. The am-
minutiae was conveyed en animals' backs. Tee troops saf
fared more from hard work than saything else, sad were
supplied four times a week with fresh meat and blush up
to the time of his departure from the Crimea, bat they were
went of vegetables sad tabu*. They did not anticipate
at first teat they would have to waiter it in the Crises, and
the winter Clothing bad not arrived when he left. Ha
brigade was sot in want of food, though it was fa went of
fuel ; and in consequaes of the men being overworked in
the treadles sad on pieket, they could not eat fuel for
themselves.
By Sir J. Paklagton—The men had no teats ea first
arriving, bat they obtained them about fourteen days after.
Oars noun why the knapsacks were not taken was that the
eombined weight of them with the great coats was too much
for the nes, together with asunissitiou, to earry. The
troops did nut get their knapsacks again until late in Octo-
ber. The men landed with a change of everything; bat
the officers had none for four weeks. The men carried •
'hangs of linen, and an extra pen of boots. They did net
suffer hum want of cleanliness or comfort, but some of the
diem did.
By Mr. Layard—Tke camp wee involved is mast he
wasatly night and morning. The sanitary enemehlem if a
comp depended very much on the distance of the meetesses
the from smaller, and so far the chance of dhow was
diminished. Generally speaking, ao doctor's egad* was
takes oa the subject of pitching camps. Typhus sad theism
broke out while they were encamped, and thou= Weft Me
weak to carry their haversacks, but they did mettbegi awake
read. Could not say whether the Freath treasperes were
capable of taking more than the English; and difi net see
that many of the English troops were leaded in lthesh
boats. The ambulances were very isseausigat. The
weft were shoved in upon a sort of dellf. where the
sperm ee confined that they Mold sot move,
and the process was very painful. Sums
the men were carried upon stretchers. The *eh
supplied were very fair, but they might ha* less
improved upon. Re bad sat on • committee of the Roam
of Commons in 1853, on the subject of tents for the army.
This was before the reviews that took pia*, at Chelthess;
but he had net seen any of the tents in tee army smith se
those that had been reoommeaded by the sessmalles. Me
believed that they bad many of the old *Me used in the
Peninsula, and some old linen tent. also. see* net say
howimata,
many carts would have beim required to carry the
teats of the entire army. In his brigade it would have
taken 25 carts to carry the tents. The Duke of Cambridge
had one cart allowed him, end Sir Colin Campbell amilhim.
self one between them. Looking at all the circumstasiessof
their pcoitios, there was not sufficient transport for the
army. They had no bands of music, but only drummers
and fifers, though they were not allowed to play. Coffee
was preferred to either cocoa or tea. The cocoa was thought
nasty, and when the tea became wet it was spoilt, and
Commissary Filder in cineequenoedirected that the supply
should be entirely of coffee. What's was supplied with
ries at Balaklava, bat not in the Crimes, and be was
very much satisfied with his eissualsearist, and the efficient
way in which they oondui•ted badness. Be did not know
the comparative prim between fresh and salt meat, as that
was a matter of contract between the government and'
certain persons. Did not attribute the illness of the army as
mach to the over supply of salt meat as to exposure and
work in the trenches. The officers did not miry a greater
weight than the men: The peculiar cap introduced into the
Gouda a year ago, and abolished, had been found very
useful in the Crimes. The flap in front and babied was'
found a useful protection. Witness did not think the new
cap so convenient as the old, or that the health of the troops
depended on head gear Thought that the sanitary con-
dition of the camp before Sebutopul was quite satisfactory
when he left it. Ho did not see any dead horses lying
about. The usual clothing used every year fur the brigade had
arrived at Constantinopleoand the only difference between
*tater sad summer clothing consisted in the white trousers.
The ordinary clething would not be sufficient for wintering
fa the Climes, and he had not heard of any @piths' arrange-
ment having been made for supplying the troops with
winter clothing. Attributed the mortality chiefly to the
exposing of the troops under canvass, and to hard work on
pickets, as the men after they came off frequently had no rest.
There were constant alarms and alerts requiring them to be
on the eu4 vivo. They bad no blankets, nothing to lie apes
but what they could get. The hospital tents were as geed
as they could be, but no tents were sufficient for a sickmee ;
and considering Selektive was so near at hand, perhaps the
sick were not so well cared for as they might have been.
When they first landed in the Crimea he understood that
the total of the British army was 23.000 strong, and the
French army 20,000 stroag. There was great inconvenience
in consequence of the state of the roads, and he could not
sunny see with what materials they were to be mended.'
The only thing that would have answered was either •
plank road or a railway, but there was no lobate to spare to
get planks. The French, with fewer men, built more re-
doubts than the British, but the French line was not soma/I'
exteuded u the British, who had no reserve. It wu a rext
lanais that no soldier should go a mile beyond the camp, as
there was a risk of being cut down by the Quack..
The further examination of General Bentiack's evidence
was here adjourned, to enable him to attend the Levee.
Mr. Owen, connected with the engineering department of
the Resolute, a sailing vessel, auxiliary to the Golden
Fleece, was next examined, and des .ribut the state of the
traaspoet vessels at Balaklava. The coast about Balaklava
was iron-bound and belted with high cliffs, and the water
was 14 fathoms even alongside. There was no shelving
*set. The corgo of the Resolute was all ammunition, and
the vowel was ordered out of the harbour, with others carry-
lag similar cargoes, by Captain Christie, and they anchored
outside in thirty-five fathoms. Probably, had any
accident happened to th, es ammunition ships, it
might have endangered the safety of the other vessels.
They had not a safe anchorage, and Capt. Christie was fre-
quatly remonstrated with. There were 2b transports.
The harbour would have held 50. A greet gale erase on
the 14th September, and there were no sasses *seedily off
the coast or into harbour. The weft very
destructive. Several of the treassepe=l:ll/ antUsai-
ties, supplies of warm clothier:, rad dither apparatus. It
woe a miracle that lives were saved, ewlsf *the yrecdpi-
less charge.* of the cast, and it took 80 a /QIN to
haul them up the cliffs. All the ships weeedriven together
in a heap. Red they been properly mewed, it would net
have taken place. Bslaklava halm* Was 400 yards ta
length. Bad the vessels been leg in the harbour theme
wield set have been much danger of lose of life.
Captain Roberto, of the Royal Eagineers, stated that he
was attached to the army in the East, with °ther .
sad preceded it to Gallipoli and Yarns, to gash*
preparations for the reception of the troops. Great
isseavenionas was ocessioath in all their moungsale
sad openness, from the want of edam* transport.
There was great difficulty in consoling both the tents sad
the estimate' tools to the linos. It wu better at Couto*
UNION when the troops were better supktied. The
shamus at Gallipoli were well supplied too. bought the
cootrost system of the British army bad. There was se
mesas se enforcing penalties. Preferred the Preach
system. There was an **ohne want of horses all over the
Crimea's's& gagers were seat to Syria, Burgos. Bhomla,
and ether plessello obtain them, but without effect. They
emild arty get melee--viedeas brutes that had sot been in
hems balhae. There was plenty of medicine, but it was
met preps* applied. All the medicine.eheste, and chests
I* Web, wire twirls* large se was requisite, and the e
le** woes sailed spin le semlnst them all anew. In kis
Waist Arad sassed 1121 b. Geserally **king
Lt es were too large. The seems mid velem
were net sufficient for the military feels NB-
The contract mom of supplying She my
was bed. The French haraht their ems alive, wilds the
British hosed them reedy le he ate.. The rememer of
the Main WOO 'my deedtate. It wee Mod
to Tares meads hen tbs walls of the blipMeitrarat,
semi ArthisTerks. eves by whilewashirp
=1:2111 and obtaialeg seal et Oseellenthess
pie ire the mesh. embehmes wins oak
fee the bem. sad elm of the Meese ismosped, sad a
posed led le be pat ever them. trader maims, el maim
tam bwater they decamped. The Sub demobbed by dm
Mimes were geod, hat those fuealdMl t. the *mew
woe had. It was the hclgimmsw if tie semmimedea that
emideaed a Map pwpmtfia of the diembee end been►
mines that sesamed. The Niro Via was mat out MIMES
=Levees le deep 4.lbemphit seashard of gam ref lunge
AI Pomba. brim am wen sew mat oat Whew
Dr.• rt, sae of the medal std, was shoat to be or
k.Aft the seetaittee sdlesemed Mli day OW*.
e'elee

MUSIC.

.--

HARMONIC UNION.
This society bad their secoad concert of the !gluon
last eveni.„g, at the Hanoverequare Rooms. It was
much :eon successful than the previous concert, not-
wO:astanding the guinea disappointment caused by
' the inability of Mr. Sims Reeves (from the united
effects of indisposition and a domestic affliction) to
go through the labours of the evening. He sang,
with effort, through the Labium, bat, in tha
sewed piece, the Stabat Mater of Rossini, was re-
placed by Mr. Herbert.. Mrs. Sims Reeves, ales.
was unable to appear, and her place was supplied by.
Madams Weiss.
The Lobgeeattg, which (as our musical readers are
aware) is a work of a singular form, being an instru-
mental symphony blended with a vocal cantata, was
extremely well performed, is far as, the instrumental
portion was concerned; the orchestra being very
good, and most ably conducted by Herr Molique.
But the indisposition of Mr. Reeves had the unavoid-
able effect of marring the vocal part. The Stave
Mater wu, on the whole, effectively around.
Mr. Herbert. very properly and modestly omitted
the arduous tenor solo, " Cujus Animam," conscious
that he could not adequately supply the place of Mr.
Sims Reeves, who was to have sung it. But he did
ample justice to the fine opening quartet and the
ether concerted pieces. Madame Weiss esag ad-
mirably. We have scarcely ever heard the duet for
two soprano voices more beautifully performed than
it was by her and Miss Lan:elks, a young lady who
boo made great progress since we last heard her. Mr.
Weiss gave much effect to the bus part, especially
du grand air "Pro peccatis," the most remarkable
merreas in the work. In this piece, as in the former,
the band acquitted themselves well, and did justice
te Rossini's brilliant instrumentation. The choruses
were sting with laudable correctness, but were some-
what weak. The room was well filled; and the per-
formances seemed to give general satisfaction.

%HALL.