The Express.
London, England, 1865-05-27 00:00:00

Neste, Mr. Hush, Mr. Blake, and Mr, 0.
Stanley oonseeted
to postpone their respective makes.
Yr. D. GRIFFITH then rose to move an Waren for •
espy of all correspondence relates to the firet evert of
biquigy oe Lieutenant-Colonel Dateline is or shoat July,
1844. inoluding all commustiestions which bad bees mede cm
the subject from the Field Marshal Com -in-Chief
to the major-swivel commanding the brigurdedi2
daring the interval between the first and sewed op=
inquiry whieh bad bees held on Lieuthunt-Oolonl Daw-
kins, sod up to the melte time. He manned there
wild be no quangos that, SI • wart of eat resort, that
hems was ass to which this subject might properly be
referred. The case of Lieutenant-Coleeel Dawluns was
set only extremely herd, but it we unprecedented,
foe he believed there was so instance where
sa officer had bees suddenly placed on ball
whist his remonidneess and without • court-
Tle charge span Colossi Dawkiea we
of •
nature which it was impassible to disprove. The
only charges against him infirmity of temper
and unpouilerity—oharges so vogue, that of serious
per
ought to attach to them. If hin members
in that bowie depended for their seata upon their
populenty, bow few would remain in them. (Laughter.)
Is order to meet this charge of unpopularity, Colonel
sent a brief circular to all the offioere of his regi-
ment, in which be said, "The proceedings of the Court of
Isquiry render it neciessery far me to oak that you will he
so good as inform me if I have ever quarrelled with yea?"
(Laughter.) Of the answers be received, fifty-two were
favourable. and only id: usfavourable. With In permis-
sion of the house he would reed • omen. and satisfactory
letter which Colonel Dawkins received from • noble
lord is that bones. It was dated Muth 26,
and was in them terms. "Dear Dawkins,—Yon
and I sever quarrelled while I was in the Coldstream,
nor did even en unfriendly word ever pass between us."'
The writer of that letter was the noble lord the member for
Daltrey (Lord Duniellin), whom they ell appreciated for 1,
his courteous demeanour and talents. There was also •
letter from a soble lord not now in the house, • brother
officer, who said, " la reply to your letter of the 21ith inst., I
I beg leave to state that to the best of my recollection no
quarrel ever occurred between us while I we in the rest.
meat." There wen others which were mach more favour-
able. (Cries of "Red them all," and laughter.) Then
were six that were untavourable. (" Read them.") One
of them was as follows :—" I cannot say that we ever',
quarrelled, because it takes two to make • quarrel, and I was
not willing to be one." (Load laughter'.) Another officer,'
the Hoe. Percy !Wain', made use of precisely the same
words. He supposed those two officers had talked the
matter over, and had *greed to give the same anew
Another offic;or, in on portion of his letter, said, "Bosse
°Moen said, we should not speak is terms of diereepost
et
the sewed in command in presence of shopkeepers and ea-
one of the line." (Loud laughter.) The rest of the six
letters were of a general character. (Cries of "Moue) He
now came to the charge of &mind illegality. As be
had already stated, after this inquiry an Wrens
was made to Coined Dawkins by as offer of
the hand, whichh was dallied. But surely it wee
no pert man's duty to take • MY'S
hand when it wee offered. Why • man's hand might to he
as sawed to him as a maiden's heart. (Roue of laughter.)
For that offence, which was not • breech of military duty,
Colonel Dawkins was put under illegal arrest, and kept to
arrest for eleven days, when be suss est at liberty, sad •
court martial was refused to him. The hon. member men I
chided by moving the resolution.
The Marquis of lIIARTINGTON protested against the
extremely liable. mad scumely courteous, manner in which
this subject had been brought before the house. The
question, he observed, was whether they thought this
power ought never to be exertion at all. and that appoint-
ment to the command of a battalion was to go entirely by
seniority ; or whether they were prepared to relieve the
Commander-in-Chief from the responsibility of placing •
veto owe an officer's sweetmeat, and wen themselves
reedy Mamma the responsibility of deciding when as officer
was or was not fit take the command of • battalion. He de-
diced to disease the question of Dolma Diwkines theme
or =Stags, but said that from the year 1859 there had
been constant misunderstandings between him and his
brother officers. He was not ejected from the regiment on
the ground of say discourtesies, but because throughout •
long merespooduce with the military authorities it bed
been proved to the complete mtisfectioe of the Commander-
is-Chief that, with his ideas of military discipline, and COD.
sidering the terms upon which he was with his own offing,
it would be highly injurious to the public service that he
should be *unwed with a command. He contended that
no owe of 'apnea had been made out to justify the house
in taking the responsibility out of the hands of the Com-
mandwie-Chief ; and believing the house was not a proper
tribunal, be declined to produce the papers.
General PEEL agreed that it was neither proper, nor
convenient for the house to interfere in question of mili-
tary discipline, cr to constitute itself a court of appeal
from the decision of the Commander-in-Cbief. At the same
time any person who bad a reel grievance possessed the
right of owning to the house for redress ; and in that case,
and if than had bees • grass violation of the rules of the
service, • vote of censure should be moved upon the re
sponsible department. Thinking, however, that in
thin
instance there was no necessity for the action of the hone,
he trusted they would refuse to interfere or greet the

ATM
fter After some observations from the Judge-Advocate,
Colonel Dickson, and Mr. O. Stanley, the motion at Mr.
Griffith was negatived without a division.
THE BRITISH COLONIES.
Mr. MARSH directed attention to the past of the
protection of the colonies, and the advantages which the
mother country derived from them. After taking
rapid view of the military requirements of the different
colonies, and the extent to which these were met. he
contended that the poessesion of colonies was India.
peamble for the circulation of the coannerna of this
country, for without them we should be compelled to '
established garrisons and coal depots and maintain post
naval stations all over the world.
Observations were also mule by Mr. BAZLEY, who
signed that the eolooles were bound t rely for protec.
tin chiefly upon their own resonreee.
Mr. CARDWELL said that the polricy adopted of late
years towards the colorise had established ass pelmet*
that they were to be self.supporting, sad that, with regard
to the civil service especially, if any vote were taken for
them, it must be justified apes strict/7 exceptional pomade.
In eoefnemity with this principle, troop. had been with-
drawn from several of the tolanies; bat the government had
made a distiation between such places as Gibraltar, Malta, end
Bermuda, which might be termed satirical strongholds, and
such places as New Zealand, Australia, the West lodise,
Hong-Kong, Mauritian, sad Ceylon. The govern:east highly
valued the connexion subsisting between the Wallies and
the mother country, and were fully sensible of the advan-
tages to the latter of those pest, free, enterprising, and in.'
dustrious populations ; and, so long as they manifested a
spirit of self-reliance, they might confidently rely ape so-
couragement and 'import.
Subsequently the borne wort into enmities on the
navy estimate, and dimmed the vote of 527,9851. for new
works, buildinp, machinery, and repairs, which was amid
to.
Certain votes were also taken for the civil service.
Oa the order for going into ocentnittee on the Dockyard
Extensions Bill,
Sr J. ELPHINSTONE moved that the expense of the
contraeta for dockyard extensions to be authorised by this
bill would be best defrayed by terminable annuities, as in
the con of the fortificatimis under the act 26th and 27th
Vic., asp. 80.
The motion was opposed by the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, on the ground that its object was to defray
the one of dockyard extensions, not by annual votes of the
house, but by having resort to the ignominious expedient of
misting the border upon posterity, sod making it an addi.
ties to the publio debt. The proposal was a futile one, and
he hoped the house would reject it.
Discussion followed, Mr. Cony, Mr. Bootjack, and Mr.
Lygoe, supporting, and Lord C. Paget opposing the mottos,
which, having at length been negatived, the bill wee
passed through committee.
The other orders of the day and notices on the paper were
then disposed of, and the house adjourned at 23 minutes
past 1 o'clock.