The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-26 00:00:00

THE ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL.

would have hese very dedrahle if adequate attention mild
have been paid to the matter.
The Chairesee then read a estantanication relative to the
supply and eoestructlon of the huts Mr the (WWII, by
Messrs. Price sad Cotter, representing that they sent la
their plans and speeilleatiOns to the anthoritioe, but received
no communications for several weeks, and that when they
applied to the Ordnance their plans and specifications were
lost. and they were requested to furnish fresh ones. That
the Duke afterwards ordered them, on his own personal re-
sponsibility, to sake the huts, bat that • peremptory order
afterwards acne from the Ordnance telling them to step the
works. That the Duke agile ordered them togo on on hie
own verponsibility, and that the huts were finished and
reached the Crimea only wt en they ceased to be wanted,
and that thousands of men and horses were lost owing to the
delay.
The Dale—That statement, as is too often the awe, is a
very highly-coloured ono in many respects, no doubt. I
heard that the plane bad been Jost; but that the

MR. ROEBUCK'S COMMITTEE.
On the re-sesembliog of the committee yesterday,
in pursuance of his appointment by the house, Captaia
Gladstone took his seat at the committee table.
His Orson the Doke of Newcastle was first examined by
Lord Seymour in amplification of points in previous day's
evidence, and said that on the breaking oat of the war he
(the Duke) became immediately responsible to the public
fur the persons who were appointed to commend ; mad
although he thought that the selection of all officers for
command is the army should be made I. the first instant:*
by the Commaaderin•Cbief, be was of opinion that where
it was summary to take the opinion of the Secretary of
State, the Seeritary of State was the proper person to

submit shoat appniniumints to her blajesty rata.; than the
Clmmander•in•Chief. There was an iacongrui y is tits
present arrangossant which was not to be found in any other
political system. The division of the two departments
of war and ordnance did not materially diminish

nonce sent word to stop the works is trio. o,llrerentesof
opinion atom se to the proper form of their constrnetnia, and
the Ordnance sent to stay the works until that point wan
determined; but that tne delay, which was only one of two
or three days, entsiled disasters, he (the Doke) utterly
decied. It wee true the huts 11,17iTOJ late in the Crimea,

the amount of correepondiace. One Tay important
change would be the concentration of the whole
of the war departments under one building, and
mane Cu, permanent head, as in the French system. This
would provost th. perpetual correspondenee backwards and
forwards, and enable the various heeds of departments to
cansunicate with treater facility with one another, if the
whole were slider one roof. He (the Duke) told Dr. Stabil
that the ommisaariat would be responsible for the supply
of stores and medical comforts ; but be authorised Dr.
Smith to make purchases of them, end to suable him the
better to do so allotted him a purveyor for the purpose.
He thought that to give him a permanent power of
expenditure in the medical departmert would be in-
expedient, and a proper responsiility was thrown
upon him, but not an unlimited power. The an•

but in ample time to save the troops from disaster. lie
(the Duke) was not in the habit of contradicting th•
thousand and one falsehoods that were frequently promul-
pled publicly, but the statement that Mown. Price and
Co. did not supply the English government betore they had
fu filled a similar contract with the French government.
was altogether erroneous; the !al being. that the French
did not contemplate placing their troops in huts, but only
in the tents d'alori' and until such time as :the Brithh huts
were made, and he (the Duke) gave Messrs. Price and
Co. a letter of introduction to the French Emperor with •
view to their tarnishing a supply of them for the French
army. He was not sure whether the decision that caused
the delay arose with Sir Frederick Smith or the Ordnance
and some farther delay arose in consequence of the break
of gauge in conveying the buts from Gloucester to South-
amptoo. The smhessador at Constantinople wee required
to supply information as to the fortress and force at Sebas-
topol, but did not. Admiral Dundee stated in a letter to
's . -

yr. see the War-affix what he believed to be the effective forme of
_ . .... -•
satisfactory state of the hospital at Scutari was first em,buteietn for manydidnottues oat tote
cilat in
corrtth
Russia
irs.n C
wr tit
bad b
brought to his grace's notice, though not officially. in the A
u in
.. the
middle of the month of October. When complaints were Sobestopol—Mr. Upton, who, with his years road
dent
bad eon-
soner, but he did not know what became of him. He must
made in the public press, and by private letter, be sent for infected a greater portion of the works—was taken pet.
Dr. Smith, who ex; revved his iseredulity en the subject.
..
...
____,,_.
officer ,_
supreme
command
_, positively contradict the statement that say propowl wall
sonar
ta'nfei medical
dwumenot
the mesas of
corr 6 7: made through Admiral Dundee to the government to supply
abases, and of placing the hospital In an efficieunti anyeach
any l hinpfroorpoznaestion l
wasnmelelltbadee ambassador any
would have
state, it was his duty to report it to Lord Raglan. communicatedated it to the government et home ; bat no doubt
He (the Duke) was convinced that to a considerable extent it was to be classed among moray other visionary scheme, of
rttarociwtoas some round g
theyr onnwd
efroer
etkiagesegenciotemdp.lainitsh,e b
commandantbe had such, amongst others, as the taking of &beam I b
be kind that were made to the ambeseador et the period—
ballo..ns ; indeed, he believed that he (the Duke) had aty
and too absurd to be communicated by the ambassador to
of the hospital was responsible for everything, but no tom. least 100 suggestions of the sort, but they were too monstrous
the government at boom. Salt pork and salt beet were
plaints were made that distinctly implied that blame rested
selected as the principal food of the army, of course because
with the commandant. Steps were taken at • subsequent
they could not always depend upon the supply of fresh
period for sending oat another commandant, sad this was
rdendforbythibee waggons and dzieovedrelltallyintp.ookf
only cancelled on its being ueertained that Lord Raglan meat. No doubt, when the men were suffering from drat-
had taken on himself to appoint Lord William Poole, tory, salt meat was the very wont Mod that could be gives
whom Lord Raglan spoke of highly. The responsibility of
authorising expenditure was conferred on. Lord Stratford them.
ttnlin contracts
o
pleas in the eontracta for the Miniii rifles, but gr d
bosom he bad the moths of obtaining all requisite supplies occurred in the execution of th °comets Oneeat
of the
from the Turkish government that others had not, his in- first subjects to which he turned his attent'on on becoming
Santee being considerable, He could obtain things from Minister for War wee the supply of the Miele rifles end
the Turkish government that be could sot obtain in the other small arms ; and in consequence of the delay in the
manufacture
of thee' she ordered 2.5,000 rifles to bis
market ; and he had other facilities besides thine connected manufactured at Liege, arwmhich had the effect, among others,
with his position. It was not intended, however, that Lord of precluding the manufacturers there from latitude g a
Stratford should penonelly interfere with the hospital, but large order for rifles for the Russian government, which wan
th the should obtain everything that was requisite on the I'ven just after winless had ordered them teacake the 25,000
er the Esglieh troops. (A laugh.)
representation end requirement of the medical autbori- rifles t
By Lord Seymour—He found suck olffiealtles getting
Sal. It would not hive been a fair thing to have the bir
called upon an ambassador to attend to the wants of a smell elms, that he was obliged to go to Liege for them.
hospital of 6,000 or 6,000 person*, but Lord Stratford was There was no department in which the w fermi" were more
authorised to draw upon the government at home to any cumbersome then in the uedicel department; and we tied
all the inconvenient* of the complicated and cumbrous
amount of fends that might be requisite for the hospital. forms without any of the regularity which these forms
were
When the expedition was preparing in August rm. Smith meant to ensure.
iaioreted him that • large amount of accommodation, and By Mr. Roebuck—Generally speaking, as he had said on
stores, and medial comforts, had been provided, in 'epee. the preceding day, he had no reason to complain of the sub.
tattoo that the army could not enter the Crimea without ordinates of his department. They were all exoeediegly
festive,
lo ; but the system under which they worked was de-
mos great action. The necessary orders were sent by the and did not ensure that hearty cooperation
u with
War-office, and if after the engagements at Alma sod the chief which was so highly desirable;
fehmessan there was • waist of aceommodetion end sup. By Colonel Lindsay—Whoa parliament voted the money
plies, he (the Doke) did not think that any blame attached for increasing the army, be was undoubtedly of e pinion that
the bounty given to men entering the army would have
to him in that respect ; though, generally speaking, he was been greatly increased. He thought the spekm of army rh
dissatisfied with the organisation of the medical department, °Tufting, through the militia, as at present condscted' was de-
and of the ordnance, end of the commissariat, being under teeny*, and that many parts of the country were entirely
the control of the Treasury. At an early period be anti. oeglaeted, and he had stated that opinion in the proper
ciliated that the system of sea transport would be found quarter. lie was not very strongly of opinion, he must
say, that it would have been desirable, ea the de aratioo of
defective in its working in time of war, and he was con- war, to call out the whole of the old disembodies, militia.
firmed in this opinion by the fact of the Admiralty having The bounty for the militia was need twice, once after the
given it up, and he felt confident that in such • war as news of the ha the of Inks-raison strived in this country.
this the NM treasport system would not work well unless it mu and mice before that, after the breaking out of the war.
placed entirely under the mat moment of tbe Mininer of War. The militia, however, was not under his department. The
. government had not the power to embody the militia unit
The transport board would have to work for the Admiralty the act of parliament was pared, and that act did not receive
as well as the War Department, and would have to convey the royal swat till the let May.
notes and provisions for both the army and navy ; but as isy General Peel—The selection of Lord Rastas, and of
the army was so much more depsedent on it, be thought two or three other general., were all submi- tad by hies to
it ought to be under the Dews-910f the Minister of War, to the cabinet. He did not think it necessary to submit the
whom it should be responsible He consulted Lord Her. names act several subsequent appointments; but all inn.
dingo cad other militery •uthorities as to keeping up the portent metiers connected with the campaign were by him
expeditionary form of 26,000 men first sent out to Turkey, portent
either the notice of the cabinet; and although,
not merely ones, bet repeatedly. It had been frequently nomirmhy, he was the Wainer of War, every member of
rid that there was no reserve, 'be fact being that Sir G. the cabinet shared with him the responsibility attaching tO
C ethcart's division, of between 6,000 and 7,000, subst quently the direction of the war.
sent ow, in reality formed a reserve ; and the War Depart- By Mr. Lays-re—There was rip meeting of the cabinet
meet immediately set about preparing another reserve of , ill August, after the prorogation of Parliament, or in Sep-
10,0P0 strong, a large portico of which consisted of ogi ten.ber, although that was an exceedingly important period
menu celled from the colonies in January. The total num- of the campaign. There were one or two irdividual members
ber landed on the 14th of September et Old Fort amounted of the cabinet shoat from Lonoon daring the whole of that
t. 27 600 men, and it wee subsequently increased to between period ; bat be thought it was unfair to ask him who they
33,000 and 34,003 strong, and 1,100 ...airy, wbe• Lord were. Besides, if he endeavoured from his imperfect recol-
itaglan landed in the Crimea. Lord Herding. drew up a lection, to state exactly which of the eth.ost ministers were
memorandum es to the reserves, and it was in con- absent from Loud. n during that period, he might run the
sequence of a communication with him that the re risk of doing injustice to individuals. He himself never
serves were made. In some instances Lord Reese'. left hie poet in London, except for a very short time,
despatches were not communicated to Lord liouinge, when he was called on to attend Prince Albert to the camp
hut he (the Duke) always communicated to Lord Harding. at Boulogne. It would have been no doubt more
[hoes despatches he thought it was desirable he demist egree..ble to himself if the whole of the cabinet ministers
see ; end latterly be communicated to Lord Harding. not bad been in London during that time, and it would also
only despatches but private letters. He was apprehensive have relieved him of some personal responsibility which
of so many women being wet out with the army ; but the otherwise attached to him. He believed Sir James
military authorities thought the soldier., being accustomed Graham remained at the Admiralty Curing the whole
to a certain number for wa bias ant other purposes, would of the time in question, except when I e was visiting the
be disaa`i-fled if they did not go with them. He believed oulPorlc, or when he was in attendance on the Queen at
that is this Menthes fewer women went oat than had eirdi• Balm -cal. He necessarily undertook, on bit own personal
airily been the case. It was impossible to have any flied responeibility,thveralliMMlTlS in reference tothe campaign
idea as to the arrangements *teaser, for the wintering of when his colleagues in the cabinet were out of town. Had
'be army in the Crimes, so long as the result of the siege the events or the campaign, however, taken ouch a tore as
of Sebastopol was unknown ; but admirable winter qu.r. to make it necessary to change the whole character of the
tees, Sebastopol being takes might hews been bad in the cempaico, or to take any ocher important step, he should,
meth of the Crimea, or the liosphonts, And he provided fur oleos++, have summoned the whole of his &Teague. to
bosh coon- genefee. town by telegraph. He had already explained in his
The Chairman—How did you provide for the contingency speech in the H- use of Lords, on the let of February, to
of wintering in the Crimea ? what extent Lord John Russell communicated to the calif.
The litike—lf they had taken Sebastopol, that Conan. net his opinions es to the mode in which the war was being
rosy would have provided for itself. carried on, and he should not like to go into the matter
The Chairman—Did you provide for the contingency of Maio. The army was well supplied with fresh meat up to
not taking Sebastopol t—l nnnnn t say. the battle of lokerinann ; and after that, except f+ a &tort
The Chairmen—Because that contingency has happened, Period, and that exception only applied to a portico of
(A laugh.) the army, the troops had supplies of fresh meat
The Duke—But that is not the contingency I allude to. as often as twin a went. Barring accidents by
Prom the moment I apprehended that a winter campaign storm in. the have seek Boa, be thought tise army in the
in the Crimea was inevitable, from that moment I made Criss-le ormolu have been supplied with a larger prop errion
provision for the supply of warm clothing end ether things. of fresh meat. The formation of del Gli for live animals
He (the Duke) was not aware that the efficiency of the must have been a work requiring much labour and iime,
service was impaired by say forms or vouchers required is end when Colonel /damned° undertook the rood net of
communications with Lord Raglan. Great complaints were the land transport he made the success of it to depend very
made es to those conseeted with the commissariat, end he much on the establishment of such deport at interval. all
appointed two officers to prepare new forms of • less Dorn- along the shores of the Black Sea. Wiverproof clothing
Plirateed character than tbose that went out with the army. bad been supplied by himself to the troop. to a very large
He thought the present system of audit, without reference extent; be thought that was done in September, and even
to expenditure, was necessary, as ealcalated to check die. in August a number of waterproof watch cats had been
honesty. There were inconvenieneies attaching to them, ordered by him for the sentinels.
but he was afraid that if they were removed greet abuses Mr. Leyard was proceeding to interrogate his grace on
would be introduced, and that the public would be et the the subject of army promotion, when, at the request of
mercy of dishonest servants. The maps of operation sent Lord Seymour, the room was ordered to be cleared. Alm,
from the Crimea were not so good as those drawn by the an interval of nearly half an hour, the public were again
French engineers; not for want of good Ines is the British admitted.
engineering corps, which contained some of the first in the By Mr. Layard—He
world ; but the fact was, the maps were lot well done; stripe's to Lord Hardioge on the subject of appointments in
not because he supposed the government had expended a the army in the Crimes. but he hod expressed his opinion
large sum is mapping during peace. The circumstance privately and verbally to his lordship on some of those ep-
os. to be debited to the Board of Ordnance, hut it was loointmetsts. Riot certainly no suggestion was made by him
°mu lair to m 7 that the eye...cram officers were fully eh. to Lord Hardie:we in reference to any appoir.tment which
see in the °penmen. of the siege ; and that it did not was not acted upon. Be would have tolerated such a
arise from any deficiency of West in the corps. He (the thing. If his suggestions as Secretary for War had not
Duke) hod recommended that the appointment of legal ad- been immediately ateended to he should have resigned his
viser to the Ordnance should not be filled up ; bat +thee. office. His opinion was that the whole staff system of the
uad, he [owed it necessary to withdraw the nommen army in this country was erroneous His belief was that
dads.. He was not aware whether Lord Eaglet, sent an we ought to have • staff of the army something like that of
officer to Lord Stratford to make afraegements with refs- the continental armies; without that the evils of the exist.
reuse to supplies for the army ; bat Lord Raglan comma- iog system would be removed. He stated to Lord
ideated with Lord S ratford on all requisite occasions. Al Harding@ at the time that he had cm tted to c insult him
Roemer, steps were taken, by means of weereuitii.g mid before appointing Lord LUC= to the command of the
reserve, to maintain the army a effective strength, under cavalry brigade, but not in the way of remonstrance, that
redaction by loss in beetle and disease. having been done inadvertently.
Biz 3. Balliegloo—Did you call the attention of govern. By Lord Seymour—He found on the 17th of November,
ment to the necessity of embodying the militia ? War wee twelve days after the bottle of 'akin:Kann, there were in the
declared on the 29th Diarth, but no bill was introduced Crimes trader sums—efileient, of course, and 'nerd. ducting
seal the Ist of May. all the sick, absent end preeset-12,806; in °mem red end
The Dake—Stepe were takes to embody the militia, to batmen, 4,647; and non-commissioned of c. re, 2,194:
the 'Meat or 16,000 men, as soon es the act waspassed ; making • total of *Herne men, deducting ail the WI,
mbrsced every effective man, and
ing' this amber was subsequently increased. There was 26.644. That •
artillery, and infantry. That was the earliest
no power thee to call out the Irish and Scotch militia, but eluded cavalry,
return he could give the committee after the battle of
an set was afterwards introduced. The despatches of Lord
leglan were sot regularly communicated to Lord Hardier, Inkenisthe. The lowest state of the army was OR the 19th
WO they were ossimuniested to hi see soon as the eablset January, when the
°total effective force of all arms. inchoate'
had NM them. The more 'tansies Wiese of organinition rank and file end gi
_ cep
_end_ Ison-commiesio
,eal ipere,
la Mae War Departments proposed by him as Minister or .ataaa"d ta2b. _U° the3fd v. ces3l,r, •he t•.•at e •ctive
Wee 11011 everraled by the cabinet. It was determined by force. including °moan end Dell'eleateissiosed officers, was
the miliset that nothing should be dose beyond the opens 29,921.
By Lord Seymour—He bad reason to believe considerable
else elf the two secretaryship, and the removal of the Coen
i_
ilideserist from the Treasury. It woeld have been of the advantage would be obtained by an 'lamination elf the
greatest importance to the public service if those afrange,
French military system, and
h from the aseisailation of our
OM' had been made before the breaking out of the war, owe to tas much as 1 essi is. Some time ago, with t at
view, he appointed a commission, composed of tires officers,
hat be was of ordains that Use greatest difficulty and ap-
to Doke inquiries into the eubjeet upon the spot, and re
poshesslos el mischief might be entertained if extensive
eltemsdese were mods at a period when it was necessary believed those gentlemen had made their tenon-to his sac-
OM ••illeybody to be wicking as bard as he amid. Although aeon, in office, Lord penmen,.
resoden might be faulty, then memento when it was With this the examination of '
einalest preferable to onetime, for a short time • faulty three day., terminated, and this e
rather than to adopt • bitter ego, which would take past three, half aitonew (ths houris day) earlier
toe et three months er a Wager lime to let late gear.. It • clock half

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(Us gram, which had lowed
committee adjourned at beli-
ef Ulan anal, until twe:,•