The Express.
London, England, 1856-04-05 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 6.

w

ritiai, but

Tin inquiry now in progress at Chaim Hospital,
though of great practical interest, is te a certain ex-
tent a mere episode in the great dismiss of Army
Reform. Whatever be the merits se demerits of
Lords CARDIGAN and LOGAN, Sir R. AIRLT and
Colonel GORDON, it has been proved beyond a doubt
that our military system is in argent need of a
thorough retoere. This is proved by the M`Nitiu.-
TuLtoen Report, the facts stated in which remain
unquestioned, with the solitary exception of the jus-
tice of attributing part of the sufferings of our
Crimean Army to the four officers whose conduct is
about to be investigated. Indeed, the necessity of
Army Reform may be held to have been proved,
even without the aid of the Itliem.-Tutwor Re-
port. It is for Government and the Legislature
to decid3 what that reform shall be. The
work has already been begun; it cannot be arrested,
whatever be the decision of the Chelsea Commission
regarding the officers whose conduct hes been sub-
jected to their scrutiny. At the same time, the
inquiries and the judgment of the Commission cannot
fail to be productive of important results, not only ae
regards the inculpated officer., but as regards the
future of the British army. The demand for inquiry
by the inculpated officers, and the granting of that
iequiry by Government, is a concession to public
opinion which will form • precedent for all time
coming. It is for the administration of our army
what the impeachment of WARREN HASTINGS has been
for our Indian government. It may be that WARRRN
HASTINGS escaped by dexterous chicane, perplexing
and procrastinating the inquiry into his delinquencies
until every birly grew tired of it, and it was allowed
to drop; or it miy be that he was unjustly singled
out to be the victim of an ex poet/ado law; in either
case it is beyond • doubt that the conduct of English
officials in India, the whole policy of the Aoglo-
Indian government, has been materially changed fee
the better since the arraignment of WARREN HAS-
TINGS, and in consequence of it. And the effect of
the investigation by the Board of General Galen—
ist it terminate how it may—will be equally felt in
the whole future history of the British army.
The initiatory proceedings of the Chelsea Commis-
goners appear to justify the expectation that the
inquiry in which they ere engaged will be properly
and effectively conducted. They seem determined to
go into the whole case. They have decided that at
present the only parties before them are the incul-
pated officers who have called for Investigation into
their conduct ; they have resolved to hear these
officers and their witnesses in the first place; but
they have at the same time resolved that an official
intimation shall be served upon Sir lonic id'Nxu.t.
and Colonel TuLtocli, to the effect that the incul-
pated officers have demanded an investigation into
their conduct, and that the inquiry is in pro-
gress. We cannot for a moment doubt that
these gentlemen will feel it due to them-
selves to attend to watch the proceedings,
and justify their Report. The whole case is
thus opened; it mast of necessity be examined in all
its bearings. There are already many officers in this
country who are cognisant of what took piece in the
Crimes. The war being at an end there can be no
reason for detaining any officer abroad whose evi-
dence can be of any moment. The Commissioners
have it in their power, they owe it to themselves,
to insist upon every individual being made forth-
coming whose testimony can contribute to the
full elucidation of the truth. If they think it neces-
sary for the purposes of their Inquiry to have the
power of examining the witnesses upon oath, let
them apply to have this power conferred upon them.
The Crown cannot give it; bat a short bill to that
effectimight be introduced into parliament, and passed
into law in a few days.

But the ends of public justice require that the
inculpated officers shall have a fair trial. To ensure
this there ought to be an abstinence from impas-
sioned appeals to ropalar prepossessions so roof
as the inquiry is pending. It is not mash for
this purpose that all vomiters a:premien of
opinion regarding the merits or demerits of the
inculpated officers be refrained from. Nothing
ought to be said that can bias the Court of Inquiry
one way or another. We feel it necessary to draw
attention to this in cosseqoesee of an article
which appeared in the Diem of yesterday.
The sole drift of that article is to im-
press the public with the belief that if the incul-
pated odious are exonerated from the charges of
which they &wapitis, It will be is soneequeses of
influence brought to bear upon them from the Horse
Guards and the War Department. It is tweeted
that "there is net an officer holding a British com-
mission, and involved in this inquiry—from Biz
ALIMANDIR WOODFORD. the President of the Dam
down to the humblest witness for sr against the
accused—who is not dependent upon the War De-
partment and the Horse guards for his profsesional
advaocement* Tejo, over it is explicitly stated
that Lords HARDINGI and PAII7IOII have shown
themselves " partisans of the officers accred.' What
Is this but to tell the Board of Officers that
if they absolve the inculpated takers, all the world
will believe that they do so in submission to miss
Influence! What is this bat to bully the Osumi
Moons into prommocing a verdict against herd
CARDIGAN end his associates! To natter such reek.
lees insinuations and averments broadcast at the very
select of the inquiry is an outrage at ease on justice
and common decency. And what is more, we have
every mason to believe that the msertioas are efts/1y
destitute of foundation. Every man who's:lows any-
thing of military matters lisows that Bir Autumns

_—..vaspective of Ms stainless repots-
tioa—is by ►is position onkel/ indepeadent
of the had or favour of the Horse Osiris
se the War Daps:taint. Ha has bees living
in retirement : bet seeks for so advascamenh
As regards the War Department and the Hans
Guards we have taken the trouble to make
inquiries in various quarters, and wo are convinced
that both have left the matter entirely in the haulm
of
the Board of Offio6fll. The Horse Guards haws
remained posies throughout the whole affair; they
have neither promoted nor opposed the inquiry;
they have simply acted ministerially whoa called
spos to act, and in ossformity to sedan. As to
Lord PANNVEZ, after referring tM inquiry to the
Gommiseioo, he too has remained passive, leaving
the whole to their own discretion. We state these
foots, not out of any regard either for the
inculpated officers or of the military author
simply that the truth may be knows.
way to defeat say important reform
It upon untenable ground,. When.

I 'Thera i;;; turegwil
than by advocating ii