The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

principle of the evacuation, stated that he would
refer to his Government before fixing the precise
date.

LORD PANMURE AT FORFAR.
LORD PANMVRE was entertained on Tuesday at a
public dinner at Forfar. Upwards of eight hundred
gentlemen sat down, Sir John Ogilvy taking the
chair. Viscount Melville, the Earl of Kintore, Sir
Houston Stewart, and the Lord Advocate, were
among those present. In proposing the toast of the
evening, the chairman eulogised Lord I'anmure's
conduct as Lord Lieutenant of the county and as
Minister of War. Lord Panmure had not displaced,
but had simply succeeded the Duke of New-
castle :
No political intrigue, such as tco frequently precedes
the fall of one Minister and the rise of another, marked
his accession to office My lords and gentlemen, Lord
Panmure succeeded, he did not displace, the Duke of
Newcastle. No one regretted the necessity fur t, e change
more than Lord Panmure ; and so far from courting office,
I believe I am correct in saying that he assumed it with
much reluctance, and that it was only after urgent and
repeated solicitations from his Sovereign, and his col-
leagues, backed as they were by the voice of the whole
country, that he was induced to give way.
Referring to his management of the War Department,
Sir J. Ogilvy alluded especially to" the quiet, busi•
ness.like, clock-work regulatity" with which all was
performed proved that a master mind presided over
the whole.
Lord PANMURE, in reply, first acknowledged the
compliment in his capacity as Lord Lieutenant of
the county, particularly alluding to the prosperity of
the county. He then came to his public services.
Now, he had simply done his duty. He did not seek
the office, but when offered, from the circumstances
of the times, he never hesitated a moment from
accepting it
I saw, as others did, the state into which, from circum-
stances over which no man had any control, the army in
the Crimea had unfortunately fallen ; but I saw, too, that
that army was rallying from those circumstances. And
I had such reliance on the British soldiery, and on the
intelligence and the energy of the officers of the British
army, that I was quite sure any responsibility I might
have with regard to the army itself would be light, if I
would only trust to the army and those who composed it.
There were some circumstances, however, which
called for immediate and active measures :
There were circumstances certainly connected with
the army in the Crimea which called for immediate and
active measures. I have stated to yoa, and Sir John
Ogilvy has repeated it, that that army in the winter of
18-54.55 had fallen into a condition which aroused the in-
dignation and excited the deepest sympathy of the British
nation. No man seemed well to know to what circum-
stances
to attribute so heavy a disaster; and I made it my
duty, with the consent of my colleagues, to send out two
gentlemen to inquire into the nature of these circom•
stances—not for the purpose of seeking victims fur public
indignation to punish—for I think that has been some-
what misconstrued as to the intention of the appointment
of Sir John M`Neill and Colonel Tulloch—but to gain
information, so that we might know the errors which had
been committed, and be able to avoid them on all future
occasions.
He trusted, now that the circumstances of that
period has passed away, that justice would be done
to the officers of the army :
I trust that justice will be done, for I believe that every
one of the disasters in the Crimea arose from circumstances
over which no man bad control ; and I do hope, now that
they have passed, and that we have read the lesson, and
studied the lesson, the people of England will let the
matter drop asleep, and not avenge on a single individual
that which was the result of a system rather than the fault
of any single individual.
The noble lord begged to express publicly the appro-
bation of the Government of the Crimean Commis-
sioners' report :
The information in the report was accumulated under
many difficulties, made with great fidelity, made not with
the intention of injuring the feelings of any British officer,
but of telling the truth. And neither Sir John BPNeill
nor Colonel Tulloch, in placing the statements in my
hands, and before the British public, had the slightest in-
tention of injuring the feelings of any one.
Lord Panmure then briefly alluded in general
terms to the origin and conduct of the war, and
admitted the inefficiency of the old War-o'fice system.
He would give one word in regard to the future :
Peace has now returned ; but although peace has re-
tained, she is like a bird flying back at present to her
tree, and although she may have alighted on the branch
her wings are not yet fairly settled to her side. I would
hope and trust that this country will not be in too great a
hurry to insist upon returning to what are called peace
establishments, and not only to clean the sword, but to
insist upon hanging it up to rust against the wall. There
is a medium in all things, and I believe we may study
economy and at the same time preserve efficiency. I
believe we may look forward to the maintenance of good
efficient forces both in the army and in the navy, but at
the same time consideratle relief from the taxation of the
war. But I believe at the same time that it would be the
i most ll•timed economy suddenly to cut down that which
you have so efficiently raised up, and to bring back the

SATURDAY,

country into a state from which, when war lately occurred
it cost millions to rescue it. When my hon. friend who
represented me in the House of Commons moved last
year the army and navy estimates, they amounted to no
less a sum than thirty-four millions ; but to give you some
idea that I am not exactly talking without book, when I
am saying that great efficiency may be maintained and
yet relief from taxation achieved, I can promise you that
these estimates this year will not come within twenty
millions of what they did las: year. And all I ask, arid all
I hope for is, that this country will well consider the ne-
cessity of maintaining is these unsettled times a navy
sufficient to defend our coasts at home, and our posses-
sions abroad, and an army fitted to send troops to the
field, as well as perform the duties of those vast and exten-
sive foreign possession,.
His lordship concluded by again returning thanks
for the honour done him, and assuring the meeting
that he should never cease to remember this occasion
as the greatest and the highest compliment which
during his life he had been fated to receive, and he
could not conceive that it was in the power of man
to pay to him a higher compliment.
Among the remaining toasts were, " Our Allies in
the Field," proposed by the Earl of Kintore ; "Those
who have fallen in the war," "The United States of
America and permanence to the friendly relations
between the two countries," " The Health of the
Lord Advocate," "The House of Lords," "The
House of Commons," and several other toasts of a
local and personal character.