The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-23 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, JUNE 23, 1851.

THE WAR MEDAL DINNER TO THE DUKE
OF RICHMOND.

On Saturday evening, the dinner given by the
war officers, subscribers to the testimonial to be presented
to his Grace the Duke of Richmond, in token of the high ,
and grateful sense entertained by them of his successful ex-
(Wiens on their behalf, took place at Willis's Room, King-
street, St. James's. The day was the 38th annivenary of
the battle of Vittoria. The chair was taken by Lieut.-
General the Right Hon. Lord Bauncle, K.C.8., G.C.H. ;
and:the vice chair by Admiral Sir G. Eden Ramona, Bart.,
K.C.B. Among the company present were the guest of the
evening, his Grace the Duke of Richmond, l.
sat on the
tight of the ettert=l:: ins zee' of Cart, gan, Sir Hugh Ross,
Bowater,Mr. Guthrie, SirW.Burnett, Sir IL lialkett,
Major-General Sir J. Rolt, Sir R. Murchison, Sir W.
Byam, Sir J. Wilson, Colonel Allis, Sir E. Belcher,
Gen. Llewellyn, Major-General Herring, Col. Love, Col.
Dixon, Admiral 0. Falcon, Dr. Thompson, Inspector of
Hospitals; Sir Charles Forbes, Rear-Admiral Sir W. H.
Dillon, Major-General Gordon, Sir T. Falcon, Captain
Scott, R.N., Captain Weatherley (late 60th Rifles), Lieut.-
Colonel Fitzmaurice, Captain Sweny, R.N., Captain Kites
and, Rifle Brigade, der. Most of the guests wave d& end
worn out veterans, and appeared in uniform, weeds( •
number of crosses and decorations, indicating the length
and variety of the services upon which they had been en-
gaged.
After the cloth had been removed, and the routine toasts
drunk,
The CHAIRMAN rose, and after a highly eulogistie
speech, said, turning to the Duke of Richmond, I have now
the greatest satisfaction in presenting to your grace this
testimonial of the affectionate esteem and respect of year
fellow soldiers. (Enthusiastic cheering for some minutes).
The testimonial, which is as yet unfinished, some of the
figures in relief being at present represented by plaster
models, was then displayed. It was placed on a triangular
pedestal of ebony in a recess behind the chairman. The
whole is to be completed by Messrs. Hunt and 'Waken is
solid silver, the value of the plate being somewhere abase
fifteen hundred guineas. Art apology was made by the flem
for presenting it in an incomplete state, but it wassailed
that it would be completed by the 4th of August.
The following is the description of the testimonial:-O•
the summit of a quadrangular pedestal is an allegorical
group, representing his Grace the Duke of Richmond
directing the attention of Britannia to the merits of her
military and naval powers. His grace is represented in the
centre in the costume of a peer of the realm, and has in his
left hand the memorial to her Majesty, while with his right
he directs the attention of Britannia to the figures of Mars
andNeptune,the representatives of militiryand naval prowess,
sad in the hand of Britannia is the war medal which she is
about to distribute. At the angles of the pedestal
are grouped military and naval trophies, between which are
panels for the inscription, which is to be as follows : " Pre-
sented on the 38th anniversary of the Battle of Vittoria to
his Grace the Duke of Richmond, K.G., by the recipients
elthe war medal, in grateful remembrance of his long and
unwearied exertions in their behalf, as a token of admira-
tion and esteem from his humbler brethren in arms, who
auccessfuhy aided in defending their island home through-
out a long and arduous war, in which they gained a series
of resplendent victories that led to an honourable and last-
ing peace." The second panel exhibits the interview of his
grace with her Majesty in relief; and the third and fourth
the names of the engagements in which the troops worn
engaged to whom medals had been given. On the base are
four groups—viz., two naval, consisting of marines, sailors,
and boys, and two military, the first consisting of 'a
Light
Dragoon dismounted, Light Infantryman, a Rifleman, a
British Grenadier, and a Hussar mounted ; the second of
a Royal Horse Artilleryman mounted, a Foot Artilleryman,
a soldier of the line, a Highlander' and a Heavy Dragoon
dismounted, the attitudes selected in these compositions
being those of applause for the action of the duke pot-
trayeil on the summit. Between each group are panels con-
taining the arms, and the lower base is empanelled with
two ntilitary and two naval subjects—viz., the battles of
Vittoria and Orthes, and those of the Nile and Trafalgar,
which arc placed beneath the appropriate eraups. The
testimonial stands about four feet high, and will be exe-
cuted in dead and burnished silver, in the highly-finished
style of art for which the firm of Hunt and Roskell is so
distinguished.
The Duke of RICHMOND rose, and was received with
renewed cheering. In the course of his address he said—l
never could understand the reason why the officers of her Ma-
jesty-a navy,who in aingle ehip action—in capturing privateer%
at the hazard of their lives—in defending our convoys, or in
their heroic and hazardous achievements of cutting out
ye. eels in boats from the muzzles of well-trained and well-
manned guns in batteries, displaying a chivalry acid heroism,
permit Inc to say, which few but British seamen colds' ever
be found even endeavouring to attempt—l never could un-
derstand why these brave men, and the gallant spirits, the
officers, non-commisioned officers, and privates, who in
every part of the world maintain the glory of our arms,
should be debarred from participating in the rewards they
had so justly earned—l ask, why should any difference fie
made between the advanced and the rear guards, between
skirmishes usually preceding our greatest victories, when
many were struck down by the bullets of the enemy and
earned to the general hospital iu the rear, and thereby pre-
vented from sharing a few days afterwards in the glories
of the general battle—l ask why should they not bear on
theirbreasts the proof that they had been in personal conflict
with the enemy, and cleared the way for their more fortunate
fellows, thereby doing good service to their sovereign and
their country. (Cheers.) I have made these remarks at
the hazard of trespassing tee long upon you, because I feel
that you will think the light infantry soldier should be my
quick in his movements. (Great laughter.) Nevertheless,
I do deeply regret, gentlemen, that it did not happen that
these medals were given some 15 or 20 years since. (Hear.)
There is not a single individual whom I have now the ho-
nour of addressing who cannot call to his mind some of the
best and bravest men of all grades in the two professions,
who now lie cold in their graves, hastened perhaps by pri-
vations, and their hearts not gladdened by wearing the tes-
timonial, to which they were entitled, of their sovereign's
approbation and their country's gratitude. (Loud cheers.)
In the name of the recipients of the war medal, and ou my
own behalf, I can only say that I feel deeply grateful to her
Majesty for the favour we have all received. (Great ap-
please.) I feel proud, gentlemen, in wearing this medal
because it enableakne to address you as one of yourold com-
rades. (Applause.) I will not detain you further than to
say that I beg you to receive the most heartfelt acknow-
ledgements of a grateful heart, and the best thanks of an
eld veteran addict. (Loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then gave the health of the Duke of
Wellington, and afterwards that of the Allies of the British
anny.
The toasts were drunk with enthusiastic cheering, and
acknowledged by Sir Hugh Heiken and Sir John Wilson.
The Duke of RICHMOND rose to give the health of one
=Saltoun) who inherited the military reputation of a
line of noble ancestors. He might have enjoyed the
sports of Leicestenhire (which he liked very much indeed),
bat he felt the time was one which called on everyone to do
his duty, and he joined while yet very young one of the
Highland regiments, with which he shared the dangers of
the field.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks in • brief and ener-
gde speech, and then gave, " The Memory of Lord Nelson,
of R. Abercrombie, and all others who fell in the war which
lb, medal commemorates."
W. HARRY DILLON returned thanks for the navy,
sad rr J. BALT for the army.
The Duke of RIC HMOND proposed " The Medical Offi-
cers of Army and Navy, and the Civil Department of both
aerials," sad in doing so paid a tribute to the commissa-
riat in connexion with the surgeons. Brave as was the
British soldier, he could not fight on an empty belly and
but for the care of the medical department, he would have
often lost the number of his billet. No one who bad served
could deny that better men never existed than the surgeons
of the Bntiah army in the last war. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. GUTHRIE returned thanks, and in doing so alluded
to an occasion when, in the last war, one of our regiments
faltered before a tremendous fire from the French, and the
Prime of Grano, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, and the Earl of
, Hsieh (now Duke of Richmond), were sent to restore
their confidence,
_and brought them into action with the
spirit. Mr. Guthrie concluded by drawing a flat-
Itcooetrut between the resent position of the medical
men the service and that in which he stood during the
war, when he was sneered at and despised.
"The Warrant Officers of the Navy, with the Seamen
and Marines, and the Non-commissioned Officers and Pri-
vates of the Army," was next given and acknowledged, and
atat the gallant company separated soon after midnight.
cold.

ALLEGED MURDER OF A POLICE CONSTABLE.—OD
Saturday Blr.Wakley, ALP., held a lengthened inquiry in the
Middlesex Hospital, on Enoch Masters, a police-constable of
the D division, aged 21, who, it was alleged, was murdered
under the following circumstances:-John Allsop, 653 A,
deposed that on the 29th of May he arrested in Salisbury-
street, Limon-grove, a man named Bailey, who was rescued
by a large mob at the time. That deceased, who had been
only ten weeks in the force, was passing to his home.
Witness called upon the deceased to assist him, which he
did, when the mob assailed them with stones, and every
species of missile. A labouring man knocked down the
deceased with a blow on his mouth. A body of police
arrived at this juncture, when the deceased and witness at-
tempted to arrest the labouring man, whom the mob de-
fended, striking deceased • blow on the back of his neck,
which felled him to the ground and quite stunned him.
The police arrested two men, but the party who assaulted
the deceased escaped. Mr. George Corfe, resident-surgeon,
I said that deceased was brought to the hospital on Satur-
day, and was treated for apoplexy, produced by a blow or
tall. Everything was done for him, but he gradually sank,
until Thursday, when he died. Witness made a post-
mortem examination. There was no external violence on
the body. There was a large abscess on the lower part of
the spine, which was wholly diseased, and had been so for
at least twelve months. The spinal cord was inflamed. and
the dimmed state of the spinal marrow caused death, which
was hastened by the violence deceased bad endured. Mr.
oeletant-surgeon to the police, saw the deceased
the mertung after the violence was inflicted. His
lire were bruised and smashed, and he complained
of =in his head. He never before complained
e•
He was kept on reserved duty until the
sth d him, when he got so bad that he was re-
leased from all du and on Saturday last was font to the
hospital. Re . Wilson) assisted at the post-mortem
examination, agreed in opinion with Mr. Corte as to the
cum of death. Inspector Porter gave deceased the highest
tesratere discipline and hqsaanity. The Coroner
ennenied and the jury remrned the following verdict—
" Deeeama died from the mortal effects of inflammation of
the narrow, but how the said inflammation wa
eaami there Is no evidenee to prove." Deceased was to
boo bees loseeied the MIN week.