The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY RYEN'ING, MARCH lb,

LINES I4BASED ,T FIXED EtEN'iALS.

ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL COM-

Leasing ,:tosine Prices Mistress
bhr. raid. RATLWATIP. compans. yesterday this day.
50 all Bedford and London &
Blotchley N. West.
St. 1.00 Bnckghamsh. L.&N.W. 5 97
St. 100 ClydesdaleJc. Cal. '''on 7 99
25 24 Col. Stour Vy. 3. Un.
Sud. and EC. . E.
St. 100 E. Lincoln gr.
6 per cent. Gt.Nrtlin. 134 136
St. all Glas. Barr. & Caldonian.
Neils. Direct •••
St. all Do. New. Do
25 all Glstr.dc Dn. Gt. Wesu
100 all Hrtlpl. Dk. E Ik. New.
Railway.... & Berw.
50 all [lull & Selby Y. &NM, 104 106
25 all Do. Shares. Do
12i all Do. Shares. Do — •.•
12i all Lon.&Greenv S. Easter 121 134
20 all Do.Prefcrene, Do 23 —24
10 all Lon., Til., & S Peto &Co. 101 114
St. 100 • Lowestoft gr.
4 per cent. Morfolk —
St. ittO Do. 6 per et. ••• •••
5 all Manch. Bxtn L.&N.W
and Matloel & Midld. 2 -21
50 all %tiddlecbro' 8 Staten &
Redcar. Darlingt.
l 0( all 4idld.Bradfd Midland 9O 92
50 all northern an
Easternsp.c. E. Count. 57 59
50 all Do. 6 per et. D 0... • • •••
r"? all Do. Fixeds p Do •• •••
25 all Brest. & Wyr, L. &N.W
& Ln& Y 1
12i all Do. A Shares. Do —
St. 100 Roystn.&llit. GtNortht 130 133
25 183 Shcf•Roth an, Lancash
Goole g. 5 p.c. Yorksh.
12 9i S. Staffordsh. 51.MClear 2i 2 (.1
50 all WearValleygt Stockt. &
6 per cent... Darlingt
25 all Do loo 3l 32
RI. 100 Wiltskr,omrst GtWestn 9O 92

MI2'TEE - (THIS DAY.)

-
The inqu4.32vas reaumel this morning at the usual
hour.

The public were as usual numerous.; but a great and
much needed improvement has been made in their ad-
mission ; the doors being thrown open some time pre-
viously to the hour. Much inconvenience has been
thereby remedied, and the fearful crush into the room at
thelast moment avoided, The confusion occasioned by
the former practice of not throwing open the doors until
Vie proceedings were about to commence render4d-Aii

very difficult for the members of the press to catch Ail
was said for several minutes.
The Earl of Lucan was the first witness called, and
was examined by the Chairman. He stated that he
commandel the cavalry division, and-arrived at Scutari
in May last. There was gi eat facilitifor landing horses
at Kululee, so that no preparatiodin particular for their:
disembarkation was needed. ;The horses were supplied.
with plenty of forage, except hay, Ailst there. The".
Commissary was frequently changed*. Thy Counnissarie.
were very inexperienced, and tWO of them were young
gentlemen from the Treasury.
The Chairman—When did you start from Vttijot I
Lord Lucan—The cavalry were- only partially em-
barked at Kululee—those which were not were kept on
boar.), and the others were re-embarked. He arrived at
Varna in June. A t Varna, there was always great diffi-
culty in getting their forage supply. They were en-
camped about two wiles from the town. He
thought his men had fresh meat the whole time.
The men suffered from cholera to a fearful ex-
tent. On the 22d of July they changed their
position, and moved three miles further up the country,
where the cholera became very virulent indeed. To all
appearance it ought to have been the healthiest spot in
the country. The 4th Dragoons lost ten per cent. of
their men.

PREFERENCE SHARES.

The Chairman—When did you embark for the Crimea?
Lord Lucan—The embarkation of the Light Brigade
commenced on the 31st for the Crimea. About the 18th
he had written to Lord Raglan, asking him to send
home for reinforcements, as he had lost at that time
nearly 150 men. In reply, Lord Raglan informed him
Viat he would apply for the men, but not for
the horses. The troops disembarked at Old Fort
on the 16th September. The weather had changed
very much about thin time, and a heavy surf was break-
ing on the shore, and it became a question whether the
cavalry could land there admirably—and he received
orders to proceed to Eupatoria to land. Iu an hour
after this determination was come to, the weather calmed
and the disembarkation was commenced. There were,
however, several casualties in consequence of the boats
being very unfitted for the operation.

Chairman—When you arrived at Balaklava where did
you take up your first encampment ?
Lord Lucan—We took up our position in front of
the town.

Chairman—What was the strength of your division
then!

Lord Dican—About 1,100 horses. During the
passage fearful sickness broke out amongst the men,
and be could not state the number of dismounted horses
on bis arrival. Under his immediate command 4 regi-
ments ; and at the battle of the Alma he had something
under 600 sabres and lances. Lost no men in that engagt-
ment. Though there were plenty of forage stores he could
never get a supply of more than was necessary for one day
—so that they lived from baud to mouth. There was not
sufficient barley on shore, and he did not recollect one
occasion when any hay was served until very late in
October. He had frequently to send his own dragoons
to the ships to fetch barley—because the Commissary
did not send it up. The horses deteriorated in condi-
tion from the time they,left Constantinople until withia a
month of his leaving. Ho had great difficulty in keep-
ing the horses in condition at all during the heat of
summer and the cold of winter, but he was quite srtisfied
they suffered from want of forage. He was highly dis-
satisfied with his commissaries, wholwere totally incom-
petent to their duties. He had a letter in his possession
addressed to the Quartermaster-General, a letter
dated the 29th of September, complaining of the
commissary department. That officer etas the proper
person to complain to, and he presumed he could lay the
matter. before the Commissary-General and urge him to
a better performance of his duty.

His lordship here read the letter referred to, in which
he very strongly complained of the short supply of food
and forage to his division, and stated that he had re-
monstrated in vain with the Commissary-General
Filder.

Mr. Ellice—Hail your lt,raship occasion to repeat
those complaints ? _ _

Lord Luc an—Constantly. His letter-book was full of

Chairman--Was the evil remedied ?
Lord Lucan—Oh dear no ! He did not recollect
whether he received any reply to that letter; if he did it
was in his letter-book. Indeed he scarcely ever got a
reply to any of his communications.
By Sir John Peking ton—During all the winter
months he never received any forage in advance from
the ships.
At the desire of the chairman the noble lord here read
another letter addressed to the Quartermaster-General
referring to the pressing want of rations, and especially
forage.
Chairman—What was the tenour of the replies you re-
ceived. Did they admit the justice of your complaints
Lord Lucan—Undoubtedly. They could not deny
that ; but the inconvenience was never altered.
Examination continued by the Chairman—He had
had to complain of the supply of provisions to his own
division, it was true—but as far as the army generally
was concerned, no army, he believed, was ever, on the
whole, better fed. That remark, however, applied to
Bulgaria. Tile supply was not so regular in the
Crimea. They had fresh meat up to the sth of
November, but subsequently to that date it was nearly
always salt. In the Crimea his men suffered very much
in their feet for the want of boots and shoes, and their
clothing got thin and scanty ; but in the middle of Dec.
fresh clothing began to be eerved out. Amongst other
articles was a jacket which was very warm and comfort-
able. .On the 18th October he requested Lord Raglan's
permission to send seine of his non-commissioned officers
for certain articles which the men required ; but they
did not get any, in consequence of Captain Christie
being unable to find them a passage until after the
storm. They then proceeded and fulfilled their mis-
sion, but then they found that Admiral Boxer
could not send them back, and consequently they did
not return for a month. This occasioned the mea much
unnecessary suffering and hardship.
The Chairman— Did you complain respecting this ?
Lord Lucan replied that he did not, for he thought
there would be no use in it.
By Mr. Layard—He had inspected the French cavalry.
They had depots of forage until lately, when they bad
to go to Kainiesh Bay for it. They were short of forage
at the end of January.
Mr. Layard—Did you hear what was the reason of
that I
Lord Lucan—Tbey complained that it arose from the
fact that the English Commissary-General did not fulfil
his engagement in repaying theta the forage they had
lent to ur. When he first went to Balaklava there were
stacks of hay there, which were made use of.
Mr. Layard—Were nose bags, clothing, and similar
conveniences supplied to the cavalry for the use of the

horses ?
Lord Lucan replied that in these respects the difficul-
ties he had to encounter were continual, as nothing of
the kind could be got. A vast quantity of forage was
wasted from the fact of there being no nose bags, and the
horses, of course, materially suffered from the want of
clothing and exposure. He did not think the cavalry
ought to be dependent upon their own exertions for for-
age when-beyond three miles of the stores. When en-
camped on the heights from the 14th day of Novem-
ber, the heavy brigade drew the whole of their
forage. The horses suffered much from that kind of.
work, and especially from being kept waiting at Bala-
klava, in consequence of the men being unable to find
forage. The town was three miles and a half from their
position. The division horses were only employed at
first in fetching up ammunition and forage--but at one
time every available horse was called into requisition to
o trry provisions to the front of the Camp.
Mr. Layard—Can you t .11 the committee what was
the effective strength of your division in men and horses
about the beginning of October.
Lord Luean—Toe heavy brigade had on the Bth Oc-
t )ber, 884 horses fit for duty,and 23 sick or lame. The
Light Brigade lad about 1,000 horses ; but that
brigale was very sickly.
Mr. Layard—Can you inform, the committee what
effective force you bad on the Ist January ?
Lord Lucan—l had 1,153 horses, including both bri-
gales. Ho lost 1,100 horses between those periods. A
number were killed in the action at Balaklava, and
others he considered were sacrificed to overwork and
short forage. He represented to Lord Raglan the pro-
priety of obtaining baggage mules from Asia Minor.
In reply to Mr. Layard, his lordship said he had ad-
dressed a letter to the Adjutant-General on the subject,
and, at the request of the same gentleman, he proceeded
to read it, In this communication the noble lord cony