The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-20 00:00:00

THE SUN) LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 20, 1855.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
There was an unusual attendance in their lordships'
house this evening ; the galleries on either side of the
house were filled with ladies. The neighbourhood of the
throne was densely crowded, as also were the galleries
devoted to the members of the House of Commons,
among whomlwe observed Sir de Lacy Evans.
The Earl St. Germans appeared in the house this
evening for the first time since his return from Ireland.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
mayor and corporation of Kidderminster, in favour of
summary jurisdiction being given to magistrates. The
noble and learned lord said that, seeing his noble friend
the late Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in his place, he
begged to give notice that tomorrow he should ask him
a question. relative to the liberation of Mr. Carden, who
had been convicted of the abduction of Miss Arbuthnott.
THE RECALL OF DORD LUCAN.

The Earl of LUCAN said,—l rise, my lords, in pursu-
ance of notice, to move for a copy of Lord Raglan's report
_of the Battle of Balaklava. I consider it due to your lord-
ships and tomyself not to forego this, the first, opportunity
which has occurred to me to make a statement of what
was my conduct on the day of that battle, and at the came
time to show what has happened since in reference to it.
Up to the present moment I have most scrupulously ab-
stained from saying ono word in this house upon this sub
jest. Having applied for a court-martial, I considered
that court the most competent to deal with charges exclu-
sively of a professional character. As long as I could hope
to have such a tribunal it best became me to be silent in this
house, but, my lords, tkis has been resolutely refused me,
and I am told as a reason for this refusal that there is no
precedent for stick a court-martial, and therefore I cannot
have one. My lords, I believe that it is equally unprece-
dented that an officer of high rank should be summarily
recalled from the army in the field, and that ho should
have charism of the greatest severity reflecting on his pro-
feasional character brought against him four months after
the event, he having in the meantime commanded his divi•
sion before the enemy. I believe it to be equally unpre-
cedented on his arrival home—these charges being brought
for the first time against him—that he should not be al-
lowed an opportunity of meeting or refuting them. Having
failed in my application for this court.martial, when
come to make my statement in this house I am met by the
Minister of War, who warns your lordships against allow-
ing this house to be made the arena for the discussion of mili-
tary discipline. He also warns you against trenching on the
prerogative. There is no noble peer in this house less inclined
than myself to trench on the prerogative. I freely admit
that her Majesty has the power to recall from the army
and the service any officer she thinks fit, but I tell the
Minister of War when he, as the adviser of the Crown, nal
advise the exorcise of that prerogative, he must not allow
himself to accompany that recall with charges discreditable
and disgraceful. As in the else of a person in the noble
lord's employment, be would undoubtedly have a right to
dismiss him, but he could not snake charges of a disgrace-
ful nature against him without affording him an oppor-
tunity of proving their inaccuracy. I cannot believe that in
this house, however your lordships may be disposed to pay
attention to precedent, or however sacred you may be
disposed to 'Aoki the prerogative, you will prefer either
precedent or prerogative to justice. It will be necessary
for me to trouble your lordships at seine length, and in
my endeavour to exculpate myself it is my intention and
my wish not to inculpate others. (Hear.) It is now
my intention to make this matter as clear as I can, and I
shall now have to take your lordships to the Battle of
Balaklava. At about eleven o'clock on the 24th of October
that excellent soldier Sir Colin Campbell—l cannot allow
myself to mention in this house the name of that officer,
with whom I was acting in concert for four months, with-
out stating that a more gallant or useful soldier never
edged; in the army- (cheers)—forwarded to me a letter
stating that a spy had arrived with news of the approach
- of the Russian army. I immediately joined Sir Cohn
Campbell. We ex smined the spy, and we thought the re-'
port he brought so deserving of attention that Sir Cohn
Campbell wrote a letter to Lord Raglan, which I thought
of such importance that I ordered it to be conveyed by my
aide-decamp, who happened that day to be my son. The
spy reported that 20,003 infantry and 5,000 cavalry were
marching on our position ut Balaklava from the south and
south-east. My aide-de-camp told me that he delivered the
letter to General Airey, who made no reply, and that he
subsequently met Lord Raglan, who only said that, if any-
thing new should happen it must be reported to him. At
this time we were accustomed to be mounted an hour before
daylight, and immediately at dawn I proceeded to the fort
No. 3 on the plan. (A plan of the position had been fur-
nielied to all their lordships, and the noble earl continually
referred to it.) This was the extreme fort of our position.
I then found that heavy columns of infantry were advanc-
ing from Tchernaya river and from the Kamara range.
Sir C. Campbell prepared his troops and battery on the left
of No. 3 fort, and I brought my cavalry in position and
posted my battery on the left of No. 3 fort. The engage-
ment commenced very soon afterwards, and Nos. 1, 2,3,
and 4 forts were attacked by the Russians. No. 1 was
driven in after a very respectable resistance. I am anxious
to state this, because the Turks on the occasion got lees
credit than they (1,33 c rvecl. No. 2 fort was then driven in.
Tnere were in these forts in all 9 English guns. After
these forts wore evacuated by the Turks I, by previous
concert, with Sir C. Campbell, brought my cavalry close to
No. 5 fort. The cavalry were particularly well placed in a
position to receive in flank any Russian force which might
come from the east. To my great discomfiture, I received
an order from Lord Raglan to take the whole of the cavalry
and take ground on the second line of the redoubts occupied
by the Turks. By this order all the cavalry were moved
in a mass to the westward of No. 6 fort. They wore standing
in a mass according to Lord Raglan's order, when through
the orchard, I saw some Russian cavalry coming over the
hill. I ought to mention, that just before, I had received
an order that part of the cavalry just moved should go
back to Balaklava ; and eight squadrons of heavy dragoons
had just gone a-quarter of a mile on their way when I saw
the Russian cavalry advancing. I rode at speed, and just
succeeded in joining the cavalry as they rounded the or-
chard, and had just time to wheel up the Greys and Ennis-
killen Dragoons and to order-a charge under General Scar-
lett. As the Russian cavalry advanced with wings our
cavalry only covered their centre, and, their two wings
outflanking them, wheeled inward and enveloped our
force. Having the sth Dragoons disposable, I took the
opportunity of attacking the Russians in the rear. This
shook their column, but did not break it, when I
ordered the 4th Dragoon Guards to charge. They did
so, and this enormous column of Russians, consisting of
five times as many as their assailants, and amounting at
least to 3,500 men was repulsed and touted. (Cheers.) I
should do little justice to the heavy brigade if I did not
take this opportunity of stating bow they had distin-
guished themselves. (Cheers.) I believe there never was
ea action in which the English cavalry more distinguished
themselves than in this action, and what were its results?
They were most important. Lord Raglan has told you
that the Russian infantry amounted to 25,000 men on that
occasion ; and that great masses were moving up the centre
valley between Nos. 1,2, 3,4, and were marching on
Balaklava, but when that large mass of routed cavalryfeli
back on the infantry, it induced them to retire. This
cavalry charge was not only a wonderful feat of arms, but
its results were of more importance from this fact that no
infantry had come down to oppose the Russian infantry,
excepting a portion of the 93d Regiment, under Sir C.
Campbell. Ido not think there is a disposition in this
country to do fell justice to that charge. The French,
than whom there are perhaps no better soldiers in the
world, and who understand the science of war to a greater
extent than any other European army, did full justice to
it, for they looked upon it as one of the greatest feats of
arms in military history. It has been asked why there
were not more men present at the charge ?—why I did not
take advantage of the light cavalry ? My answer is, that
Lord Raglan had placed them in a position in which they
,were altogether out of my roach. After the charge we
dismounted, and the prisoners were being taken away
when I received- an order (No. 3) from Lord Raglan, which
I think will create much discussion. At that moment the
heavy dragoons were very much in the position which had
been occupied by the Russian columns. Tho order put
into my hands was—
" The cavalry to advance and take advantage of any oppor-
tunity to recover the heights. They will be supported by
infanty, which has been ordered. Advance on two fronts."
The original order did not say " to advance," but it is pos-
sible that the word " to" may have been inserted by '
-mistake in the copy which I furnished to Lard Raglan,
asxl I therefore wish to impute nothing to his lordship
with respect to it. There was a full stop after the word
" ordered," there was no " to," and there was a large A
to " advance." •It would have made a great difference if
" to" had been inserted and " advance" had commenced

with a small " a," so as to make the whole one sentence.
• Bat 013 sentence, " Advance in two'fronts," stood by it-
self. Immediately on receiving this order, I took up a
position to the eastward with nine squadrons of cavalry,
the heavy cavalry, being in the rear of the front marked
No. 5 on the plan, which was merely a sort of breastwork.
When we first mounted our horses the infantry were com-
ing down the hill from the Sebastopol heights, and there
were no infantry in the valley. I was anxiously waiting
their arrival, as I had been told that they wero to support
Die in endeavouring to recover the heights. I had been
• waiting here for 35 or 40 minutes, when Captain Nolan
galloped up. with what I considered, and what I think
your lordships will consider as a fresh order, quite inde-
- pendent of any previous order. The order was to this
effect :

" Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to
the front, follow the enemy, and try to prevent the enemy
carrying away the guns. Troop of horse artillery may
eL"°l3l, Pany.- French cavalry is on your left."
"""1
—"rci.-B•aglan when he gave this order-was upon very high
see
gt.bout
couldhet quarter of a mile to my rear, where he
an the itifaunt,:tussien cavalry to the north and east, and
ship also fanci
Yetimtlise other side of No. fort. His lord-
ntniho saw—autl hew, s not the only
man who laboured
antler same impression—although,
in fact, I did not se
Nos. 4 foTtrifteemy taking our guns ont of
sent this order to prevent tr .moving off, and therefore he
duce half-a-dozen men, all or,ting taken. I could pro-
-I:Xmotlan that I disap-
the same impression. I tam l'lilnsay they were under
sthere was great
proved very much the rneve'ralt
passed. wLnallow um I
danger attending it ; but if your lore
will read my letter explaining what
" In your lordship's report of the cavalry action of
klava of the 25th ult., given in the papers w 1,1,1, gala-
genernai
arrived from England, you observe that, from „,mue"nvas.trt
ceptiou of the instruction to advance, the lieutenant-
considered that he was bound b attack at all hazards, and
he accordingly ordered Lord Cardigan to move forward with
the light brigade.' Surely, my lord, this is a grave charge,
and an imputation reflecting seriously on my professional cha-
ract.z. I cannot remain silent. It is, I feel, incumbent on me
1 to state those:facts which I cannot doubt must clear me from
what I respectfully submit is altogether unmerited. The ca-
Talry was formed to support an intended movement of the
infantry, when Captain Nolan, the aide-de-camp of the Quar-
• termaster-General, came up to me at speed, and placed in my
bands this written instruction."
(The noble earl then repeated the order and proceeded.) I
certainly understood the order to be an imperative and
positive order to be taken per se, even before anything had
been said by the aide-de-camp, but when I spoke to the
aide-de-camp he told me something that Lord llaglan did
not say in tho order—namely, that his lordship intended
that the cavalry should attack immediately.
" After carefully reaching this order, I hesitated and urged
• the tirelessness of such an attack and the dangersattending it.
The aide-de-camp, in a most authoritative tone, stated that
they were Lord Raglan's orders that the cavalry should attack
immediately. I asked him, Where, and what to do 1' "

' I think it is right that I should now read to your lordships
what an aide-de-ow is. The general orders of the army,

which no officer can violate with impunity, say,—" All or-
ders sent by aides-de-camp are tobe delivered in the plainest
terms, and are to be obeyed with the same readiness as if de-
livered personallyby a general officer." I ask any military
man—l ask the noble duke near m e (the Duke of Richmond)
who has been aide-de-camp to no less a man than the Duke
of Wellington—whether an aide-de-camp is not the organ
of his general, and whether an officer who took upon
himself not to receive an order brought by an aide-de-camp
would not risk his commission ? If this were not so, why
could not an orderly dragoon deliver an order as well as
an aide-decamp? An aide-de-camp is chosen because he
is an officer of more education and intelligence than a
dragoon, and is therefore more likely to convey an order
correctly; he is also supposed to be in the confidence of
his general. I shall be told that Captain Nolan was not
in the confidence of his general. Was he not? General
Airey told me this.—" I first of all cemmunicatep the
order verbally to Captain Nolan. Captain Nolan turned
his horse and was galloping away, when I called him back
and put it in writing." Under such circumstances, I
would ask any reasonable man whether I am to be told
that any mistake was committed on the part of Captain
Nolan ? The words of Captain Nolan were that the ca-
valry should attack immediately ; and I may here quote
from my letter to Lord Raglan what passed between my-
self and Captain Nolan

" I asked him, Where, and what to do ?' as neither enemy
nor guns were within sight. He replied, in a most- disre-
spectful but significant manner, pointing to the further end of
the valley, There, my lord, is your enemy ; there are your
guns.' So distinct, in my opinion, was your written instruc-
tion, and so positive and urgent were the orders- delivered by
the aide-de-camp, that I felt it was imparativo on me to
obey, and I informed Lord Cardigan."

My lords, I here wish to bring another matter trader your
consideration. Tho words of the order were these
" French cavalry is on your left." Now, the French ca-
valry were not within my reach—in fact, they were fao/i
reason to suppose that they were much nearer l
to Lord
within three-quarters of a mile of my position, u( I
Raglan than to me. They were entirely out of sight,my
'
and out of my reach; and what was the meaning of
the words " French cavalry is on your left," but to
inform me that I was to receive support from that
French cavalry, and that the French cavalry were to
act with me in a combined movement? Had I failed in
performing any part of the duty intrusted to me, I felt
that I should have placed the French cavalry in a position
in which it would have been difficult for them to defend
themselves. (Hear, hear.) I felt perfectly satisfied as to
what my duty was, and that I could not hesitate under
the circumstances. I accordingly desired the light brigade
to advance, and your lordships are well acquainted with
the brilliant character of the charge which was then made
by Lord Cardigan. (Cheers.) It is impossible to exaggerate
the gallantry of the British troops on that day, and, from
all that I hive witnessed, I believe that a more brilliant
charge was never made. (Cheers.) I may now tell your lord-
ships what arrangements I made when I found, as I con-
sidered, that I had no choice left in the matter. I thought
that a senseless atta ic was about to be made, and lendea-
veered to take measures to render it as safe as possible. I
formed the cavalry in three lines, and I brought up, not,
my lords, two regimouts of heavy dragoons, as it has been
supposed, bat every heavy dragoon I had. It ieunlonetedly
true that in zny letterof the eoth of November .1. only men•
tinned having brought up two regiments of heavy cavalry,
bat everybody knows that I had in support, in addition to
those two regi vents, the 4th Dragoon Guards, thesth Dra-
goon Guards, and the Enniskillen Dragoons. I mys,lefol-
lowed the light brigade up to near No. 3 fort. It is
a mistake to suppose that I ever imagined the charge
could be successful by the mid of one brigade alone. I
thought that the services of the whOle divine-a were called
for, and the only reason why the whole of the division was
not in the same difficulty as the light brigade is, that when
I found the perfectly hopeless nature of the charge, seed
that any further advance of the hoary dragoons would
merely lead to their destruction without rendering assist-
ance to the light cavalry, I prevented them from a I van-
cing, and placed them in a position where they would be
enabled to render the mos; effective support to the light
brigade. (Hear.) Tho consequence was that they wore not
pursued; and can any man assort that they would not have
been pursued if the enemy had not seen that the heavy ca•
valry were watching their movements? (Hear, hear.) It
is right to tell your lordships that at this time the first di.
vision, commanded by his. Royal Highness the Duke of
Cambridge, and the fourth division, commanded by an
officer *hose death your lordships must much lament—Sir
George Cathcart -advanced, and it is also right that your
lordships should recollect that both these officers were my
seniors, and were, therefore, my cemmanding officers.
Having gone so far, it is now proper that I should deal
with the letter of Lord Raglan. Oa the night of the ac-
tion at Balaklava I saw Lord Raglan, and the first remark
made to me by his lordship was --" Why, you've lost the
light brigade.' I denied that I had lost the light
brigade, and I said —" I folt myself obliged to carry
out your lordship's orders." Lord Raglan made no further
remark upon that occasion, except to say that I, being a
lieutenant-general, ought to have exercised my own discre-
tion. Notwithstanding that Lord Raglan, as commander-
in-chief, was upon the spot at the time, and far better able
to see what was going on than myself, his lordship said to
me that if I disapproved the charge, as a lieutenant-gene-
ral I had a discretionary power and ought not to have
made it. He maid, " Yon did not advance far enough in
the movement before," but he never attempted to show
that one order had the least connection with the other.
The day but one after the action at Balaklava Gen. 'Airey
oalled upon me in my tent. The moment he came in I said
" General Airey; this is a most serious matter ; you may
depend upon it, it will create a great deal of talk and dis-
satisfaction at home." General Airey's reply was, "Oh !
these sort of things will happen in war; its nothing to
Chillianveallah." (Hear, and a laugh.) I said, "I know
nothing about Chillianwallah ; but I tell you, Gen.Airoy,
that, this is a most serious affair; and what is more, I tell
you that I do not intend to bear the smallest particle of
responsibility. I gave the order to charge under what I
, considered a most imperative necessity, and I will not bear
l the blame." General Airey then tried to convince me that
the order was not imperative, and after some conversation
with bins upon other matters, I said, " Now be careful,
General Airey, that no responsibility is placed upon me,
for I will not boar any." His reply was, " You may rest
quite satisfied, Lord Mean. Yon will be pleased with Lord
Raglan's report." Perhaps I had better here call your lord-
ships' attention to the fact that throughout the whole of
this conversation General Airey, though he had signed the
two orders which I received from Lord Raglan, never gave
me any reason'to suppose that there was any connection
between the two. Had the last order been in any way
connected with the first, would he not naturallyhave called
my attention to the fact ? But he did no such thing.
He never pretended that the last order had the slightest
or _ remotest connection with that which preceded it.
Now, my lords, I did not expect that any injustice would
be done to me at home. In my simplicity I even omitted
to supply the English public, who do not appear to deal
very justly with their absentfriends, with a copy of the
order I received. I did nothing until Lord Raglan's re-
port arrived at the end of November; and I beg to cell
your lordships' attention to what then happened. On
the 28th of November I , read Lord Raglan's report in
the riewsasper, and I felt exceedingly hurt and grieved to
receive at the same time several letters from my friends
asking what I had been doing, and saying that my conduct
had been strongly censured at home. I considered what I
should do, and I thought the most moderate course I could
take would be to wait upon Lord Burghersh. I accordingly
waited upon Lord Burghersh, and said, " I come to you
more as a nephew of Lord Raglan than as his aide-de-camp.
'feel greatly grieved at the report Which: his lordship has
made, but Ido not `wish tar say anything which can give
Lord Raglan the slightest pain. Will you ask Lord Raglan
to see me, eo that we can telkthe matter over in a friendly
way ?" Lord Burghersh came over to nee the next day, and
said, "If you particularly desire to see Lord Raglan he
will see you, but he is very much occupied at this mo-
ment." I replied, "I can very well believe that Lord
Raglan would rather not have any conversation with me,
but it has occurred to me that it would not be objection.
able to Lord Raglan if I were to write a letter to him
explaining the facts, sad requesting him to send it
to England." Lord Burghersh immediately brightened
up, and said, "Lord Raglan can have no objection to that,
if that is all yox require." I replied, " I require nothing
more on earth than that the English public should know the
facts of the case ;" and I added, " If in my letter there
should be anything offensive or annoying to Lord Raglan,
if he will be kind enough to point it out I shall have great
pleasure in altering it." Now, my lords, I don't think that
was either au unfriendly or a disrevectful communication
to make to my commander-in-chief. I wrote the letter that
very night, as the post was going out on the let or 2d of
December • and I delivered it early next mornin,g in the
hope that Lord Raglan would have sent it by that post.
Ent I heard nothing more of the letter until the 4th of
December. On that clay an aide-do camp of General Airey
called upon mo and began to talk about the hutting of the
horses. At last he said, " General Airey will be glad to
speak to you upon that subject." Well, my lords, I went
to General Airey, and he began in a rambling manner to
talk about the hutting for the horses ; but after some
time ho produced my letter, and said, " The real
object of my wishing to see yon is with respect to this
letter,", I said, "That letter ! I believed that letter to
have been half on its way to England by this time." He
replied, "No ; Lord Raglan thinks that this letter is very
unnecessary. Ton have received the thanks of her Majesty
and the thanks of the Minister of War; surely you ought
to be sat'sied." I said " General Airey, I don't know why
lamtobe so particularly grateful. I think both her Ma-
jesty and the Minister of War have said quite as much as
Lord Raglan's report would have warranted ; but if you put
the question to me whether I am charmed with this report
of Lord Raglan, I' Rey I think my Lord Raglan was exceed-
ingly scanty when he came to my praise. I wanted nothing
more than justice in that. report, bat when I recollect that
with 700 men I have successfully repelled the attack of some-
thing like 3,000 or 4,000 men, and I repelled it undertho most
disadvantageous circumstances, I do not see in that report
anything with which lam very much enamoured. But I
have only touched upon this subject in consequence of
your having sent for me, for if you had not, I should never
have mentioned it either to you or any seal living." I
also said, "I am very much annoyed by the word ' miscon-
ception f there was no misconception of the order." Gen-
eral Airey answered, " Lord Raglan is very much annoyed
by this letter, and says that no power on earth shall in-
duce him to hange his report." My reply was, " I have
not expressed any wish that he should change his report ;
it would be moat unreasonable that I should ask him to
do so, for I take it for granted that when he made that
report he believed it to be true, and I have no right to
ask him to change it. I only ask him to carry out what I
uuderstood to be agreed upon—namely, that my statement
of facts should be sent with it to England." General Airoy,
not a very unskilful diplomatist, then thought ho would
take a higher tone, and threaten; he was sure that Lord
Raglan would be so annoyed about it that he would wish m 5
to be sent back to England. I said I was very sorry, but I
could not help that. Lord Raglan had not objected to the
letter ; it was written by agreement, and I did not ask
bun to change his report. Upon that Gen. Airey changed
round all at once. " Oh," said he, "if you don't ask
Lord: Raglan to change his report he had no objection to
s .no. the statement," and upon that we parted. On the
9th or the
mo ntl I got another letter from Qeneral Airey,
saying Lord Raglangi wished very much that I should have
conversation with him (General Airey). I met
some more con
thims letteraccordinl
at :Ili: when he he said, " Lord Raglan don't like
e not see it. Point out to me where
justice." 1 said, aI 4 eV* you have chatged him with
al longiave donet
le time, s o.
he" pointed Nell,
tiatisheoawtionrgaab,,otultrananedrihteedsi,,t,atairndg
extraordinary—Lord
said " There." I said it
should
to make
Raglan had had this letter ten days.
any alteration, and it was strangeAthiraetyhilcilr iiiliial nose
jeer to that one word. General ob-
jeer
said something about the cavalry, upon which I sail, 'slip
I to understand that you, as quartermaster-general of, the
army, say that his lordship is dissatisfied with the com-
mander of the cavalry ?" He said, "I do not mean that;"
but, said I, "You said something to that
effect."
"
Then, my lords, he said,
Well, but
to should be removed," and
all, it wise agreed between yourself and Lortllall3l4llfitah
that any word objected
d t ill 3 that Aux little
g
we parted with the thorough un ore ant

difficulty about the word " unmerited" was explained away,
and that the letter was to go. My lords, I heard nn more of
this letter, and fancied it had gone to England by the next
post, but it did not appear to have gone till two posts after.
now come to the letter of observation, but before ladvert
to it I may be permitted to say—and I believe I can say it
with truth—that therA never has been anything approach-
ing to a quarrel betweeen myself and Lord Raglan, but
that all our communications since have been as friendly as
they were previously, and fully as friendly as with any
other divisional officer. My lords, on the 13th of February,
I received my recall, and I now come to the letter of obser-
vation, and I will enter into an undertaking with your
lordships that I will refute every sentence and every word
in that letter of observation. I will read it to your lord-
ships, and I will tear it to rags :
"My Lord Duke,—l regret to be under the necessity of
forwarding to your Grace the copy of a letter which has
been addressed to me by Lieutenant-General the Earl of
Lucan. When I received it I placed it in the hands of
Brigadier-General Airey, the quartermaster-general, and re-
quested him to suggest to his lordship to withdraw the com-
munication, considering it would not lead to his advantage
in the slightest degree."
Now, my lords I have given your lordships every word
which passed between Brigadier-General Airey and my-
self, and I put it to your lordships whether he asked me to
withdraw the communication ? No doubt he wished me to
do so, and tried to induce me to do so, but that he did not
put that question to me I boldly and solemnly assert. His
lordship continues
" But, Lord Ldean having declined to take the step I re-
commended, I have but one course to pursue, that of laying
the letter before your Grace, and submitting to you such ob-
servations upon it as I am bound in justice to myself to put
you in possession of. Lieutenant-General the Earl of Lucan
complains that in my despatch to your Grace of the 28th of
October I stated that from misconception of the instruction
to advance the lieutenant-general considered he was bound
to attack at all hazards. His lordship conceives this state-
ment to be a grave charge, and an imputation reflecting seri-
ously on his professional character, and he deems it incumbent
upon him to state those facts which he cannot doubt-must
clear him of what he respectfully submits is altogether un-
merited. I have referred to my despatch, and far from being
willing to recall one word of it, I am prepared to declare that
not only did the lieutenant-general misconceive the written
_instructions that were sent to him, but tint there was no-
thing in that instruction which called upon him to attack at
all hazards."

My lords, I never said there was, and if your lordshipe will
refer to my letter of the 30th of November you will not
see one word of the sort ' • on the contrary, I always
talked of movement. It is perfectly true that Captain
Nolan told me - there was to be an attack, but I
never said there was to be an attack. I never used
the Word " attack," but this word " attack," which was
used by Lord Raglan, ho endeavours to fasten upon me.
Lord Raglan proceeds :—" There was nothing in that in-
struction which called upon him to attack at all hazards,
or to undertake the operation which led to such a brilliant
display of gallantry on the • ,rt of the light brigade, and,
unhappily, at the same tisae, occasioned such lamentable
casualties in every regiment composing it. In his lordship's
letter he is wholly silent with respect to, a previous order
which hail been sent him." Unquestionably I was, and I
was equally silent with respect to orders 1 and 2 ; I had
received altogether three orders ; and why, in the name of
Heaven; should I be expected to allude to an attempt to
dovetail three separate orders? But I defy any person
reading the two orders in question to fin 1 the least connec-
tion beta•een them. At all events, General Airey never
once -attempted to do 50, although his signature was at-
tached to them all. This previous order was in the fol-
lowing words : —" The cavalry to advance and take advan-
tage of any opportunity to recover the heights." Very
well. Yon have the map before you. The cavalry were
to advance, and the order goon on to say, " They will be
supported by infantry, which has been ordered to advance
in two fronts." Now, the infantry never were so ordered.
The Duke of Cambridge never received any order to ad-
vance, nor-did Sir George Cathcart; because my aisle-de•
camp went to Sir George to ask him, and he said he could
not, because he had had no instructions to do so. (Hear.)
Under these circumstances, I did all I could do. I put
myself in the position which Lord Raglan's aide-decamp
told me to take up, and I was waiting there for the co-
operation of this infantry which was to support me—which
infantry, for want of orders, wore stationary, and had their
arms piled. Now, from 35 to 40 minutes had slaps sal between
the arrival of the two orders, Lord Raglan being on the
hill all this time; and if the former movement which I was
ordered to make had been mismanaged his lordship was
surely close enough to see it, and could have given directions
accordingly. lam not to suppose that Lord Raglan was not
looking on between the delivery of the first and the second
of these orders, and, therefore, if he found that the first had
not been properly carried out, he had nothing to do but to
send an ai le-de-camp and call my attention to it, and say
" You have not executed this movement exactly as I wished
it to be executed." But nothing'of the sort ;he sends an
order that the cavalry are to advance to the front, and
" take advantage of any opportunity to recover the
heights." Now .what did taking advantage of any eppor-
tnnity mean ? Was Ito create the opportunity myself, or
was it to be created for me by the infantry ? As to re-
covering the heights, the fact was there was not a single
Russien on the heights. In the morning redoubts 1,2, 3,
and 4, upon the evacuation of the Turks, became occupied
by the Russians; but after the heavy dragoon charge the
enemy evaegated No. 4, and there was not a single Russian
until you came to No. 3 fort. Now, I ask any military
man hose present, what the cavalry were to do in order to
" recover" the heights," when the whole of the enemy upon
those heights were in redoubt /Co. 3, the strongest of the
whole, or beyond it ? Did Lord Raglan intend the cavalry
to attack that redoubt ? Was it not more reasonable that
the infantry should attack, and that the cavalry should
wait for the opportunity of cutting off the retreat of the
Russians, when the infantry had succeeded in their attack?
(Hear, hear.) I ask, will the order admit of any other
construction? Had I given any other directions than those
which I actually gave, should I not have been justly charge-
able with imprudence? There were no heights to recover,
but there were three forts, Nos. 1,2, and 3, to recover,
and I know when the infantry were ordered down to our
position it was intended to recover them. It was the wish
of Sir George Cathcart to attack them, but it was thought

that, as the-y
could not be held, they wore not worth the
loss of life which would certainly attend any attempt to
recover them. I have now shown, I think, that there is
not a single sentence thus far which I have not shivered.
But Lord Raglan goes on to say :—" So little had he
sought to do as ho had been directed that he had no
men in advance of his main body." Now the fact is
that Lord Cardigan's brigade was so much in advance
that I received a communication from his lordship
through his aide de-camp, objecting to stand where he
was, because he was so much in advance that he ex-
pected the batteries on the left to open upon "him. I
think, therefore, that I have disposed of that statement,
for it would have been very imprudent to place my men
more in advance than they actually were.—" He made no
attempt to regain the heights" (No • first of all, because
there wero no heights to regain, and, secondly, because
was waiting for the co-operation of the infantry); "and
was so little informed of the position of the enemy that he
asked Captain Nolan where and what he was to attack, as
neither enemy nor guns were in sight." Now, if your
lordships will only read my letter, you will understand in
what tone and in what manner I put that question to
Captain Nolan. I was expressing to him the absurdity and
uselessness of the order, and when he persisted in telling
me to attack, I said, "Attack, Sir ! attack what? and
where ? Where is your enemy ?" I knew very well
where the Russians were, net having lost sight of them
since 6 o'clock in the morning. " What guns are those'we
are to recover ?" I asked. " There," said Captain Nolan,
and he pointed exactly to where the Russian battery was.
Your lordships should observe this. I have stated theim-
pression which prevailed that the Russians were taking
away our guns from forts 1,2, and 3, and the spot pointed
to by Captain Nolan was the only road by which they
could be taken away. Now, those guns were never moved.
The whole thing was a misapprehension, or, to use a more
popular word, a misconception. The letter proceeds—
" This is the lieutenant-gemiral's own admission. The re-
sult of his inattention to the first order was, that it never
occurred to him that the second was connected with, and
a sepolition of the' first. He viewed it as a positive order to
attack at all hazards." (The word " attack,' be it observed,
was not made use of in General Airey's note.) Now, my
lords, I altogether dispute the inference here drawn
as to the use of the word " attack." [Lord PAN-
MIME hero made an observation that was inaudible in
the gallery.] My lords, I thought I had shown just now
that the orders of an aide-de-camp are to be received
as the orders of the general himself; and did I not
say that Captain Nolan ordered me to attack the enemy
immediately ? If this was so, then I was surely ordered to
attack. But I will give your lordships another argument.
I was told " to advance rapidly to the front"—to " folloW
the enemy," and to " prevent them from carrying away
the guns." Now, I confidently ask any military man what
that means if it does not meanirarnediate attack? (Hear,
hear.) Were we, in the face of such an order, to stand
with our hands in our pockets ? (Laughter.) Were we
not clearly called on to pursue till we reached the enemy ?
Will the noblelord opposite say what I was to pursue ?

Lord PANMURE, when he interrupted the noble earl,
had simply pointed out to him that the word "attack" was
used in his own letter. He had made no comment
whatever.

The Earl of LUCAN—What I object to is the phrase
here used, " attack at all hazards." But, to proceed, I was
told that in carrying, out this operation " a troop of horse
artillery may accompany." Your lordships will observe
that the word " may" was used. I considered so much of
the order as discretionary, and, I may say, I never exer-
cised mere discretion in my life. Just fancy a troop of
horse artillery proceeding through this field, which was a
ploughed field, at a gallop, to face three of the Russian
guns opposite. Why, there is not a noble lord here who
will not think as I did, that if I had taken these guns into
that valley the horses would have fallen, and the guns
would have been lost without ever coming into action, or
with any probability of doing so. (Hear, hear.) I, him-
ever, exercised the discretion which I thought was reposed
in me, and saved Your guns. (Hear, hear.) Then the
letter proceeded—" He was informed that the French ca-
valry wan on the left, and he did not invite their co-
operation." This is a most extraordinary charge. Why,
in the first place, we had that co-operation without
seeking it, and, in the next place, they were out of
eight on the other side of the ridge of the Inkerman
valley, and much nearer to Lord Raglan and General
Caurobert than to me. I could not tell whether there
were 300 or 3,000 French cavalry, and I could
not guess whether they were governed by subalterns
or by a general. Iforeover, I was told the attack was to
be immediate, and I could not have reached the cavalry
in less than a quarter .f an hour. (Hear.) But, my lords,
we had the co-operation of the French cavalry, and of the
greatest use that co-operation was. There were only three
squadrons of French dragoons, and they took the battery
in the flank and reverse, silenced the battery, and saved
my brigade of heavy cavalry by so doing. (Hear, hoar )
It is next said—" He had the whole of the cavalry at his
disposal ; he mentions having brought up only two regi-
ments in support." Now, in my letter of the 30th of No-
vember, I then mentioned two regiments, but Lord Rag-
lan must have seen that I had every heavy dragoon under
my command in his proper place at that moment—that the
whole five regiments of heavy dragoons wore in line at in-
tervals of 300 paces, which is the proper distance, and
were the last men in the field. (Hoar, hoar.) It is after-
wards said—" He omits all other precautions from want
of due consideration," &c. Now, I cannot help thinking
that I took every precaution that could be expected of me,
and I should like to know what precaution I omitted to
employ ? It is immediately added that I showed " a want
of due consideration." As to this charge, it must be evi-
dent, frein what I have said, that I did not jump into
this business bnt after a great deal of consideration.
(Hear.) Then it is stated that I acted on the supposition
that the enemy were not in such numbers as they really
should
were.
tzs
like
kso Now,
t,
oi my
kytnhl
ooewr s
nw,
ohr‘
yvn 1
nie
it was
hadwilnas
tha
ue beenpfpacoes
of
fn
ttthhhaeet fil e
idf
enemy,r o
notml
latow **Bathing of their force? (Cheers.) My lords, I

said I would answer every charge in that letter from Lord
Raglan ; I said I would tear it to rags and tatters ; and
I ask if there is a single word in it that I have not fully
answered? (Hear, hear.) I shall now allude to a
letter from the Commander-in-Chief. When I am
obliged, in Ply own defence, to refer to any communi-
cation of my Commander-in-Chief, I shall remember
to whom I am referring, and it shall be my endea-
vour to show him that respect to which he is entitled, and.
which I have accorded to the commander-in-chief ever
since I became connected with the service. But, mylords
I must ask the Minister of War whether, when he gave an
extract from the letter to which I allude he was aware that
lie-was not giving the exact copy of the letter sent to me,
but that, whether accidentally or purposely, there has
been an additional paragraph added to it. I wish to know
whether that was done purposely or accidentally ?
Lord PANMURE—I was not aware of any difference.
The Earl of LUCAN—The letter states :—" It is to be
regretted that the lieutenant-general, acting upon a mis-
conception of a written order, did not show that order to
Lord Cardigan." Of course, my lords, if the commander-
in-chief tells me it is the duty of a lieutenant-general to
show his orders to his two major-generals, unquestionably
that will be my.guide for the future, but certainly I never
conceived it to be the duty of a general to do so. There was
no more reason why I should show that letter to Lord
Cardigan than to General Scarlett, because it was not in-
tended to be an attack of a brigade but of the whole divi
lion, for which reason I placed myself in tho rear of one
brigade and in advance of the other. I cannot understand
how it, could possibly be my duty to discuss the order with
my major-general, unless it were supposed I had a wish to
throw on him a responsibility which ought solely to attach
to myself. (Hear, hear.) •" And that, influenced by the
authoritative tone and disrespectful manner of the aide-
do-camp, he did not decide upon his own judgment."
With the greatest respect for the noble viscount, I ask
why he supposes I. allowed myself to be influenced in
any way, except by a sense of duty, to carry out the
orders conveyed to me? Ido not know where the noble
lord has been so informed, but I.a.slt the noble lord to tell
me how I showed ikself to be influenced by tho tone of
the, aide-de-camp ? I altogether deny that I was influenced
by anything said or done by that aide-do-camp. I was
influenced by a sense of duty, which imposed upon me
the necessity of carrying out what I considered an
imperative order, and therefore I say, to impute that I
allowed my feelings or temper to be actuated in any way
was not doing me fall justice. .( Hear.) "Supported by
the concurrence of his major-general that the charge ought
not to be made"—l deny that it was necessary to ask the
concurrence of anybody, or that a divisional general should
consult with a brigade general. I think-a divisional gene-
ral is unfit to be at the head'of his division if he does not
consider himself fully qualified and fully able to carry out
the instructions he receives from his commander-in-chief.
(Hear.) I never did conceive it to be the duty of.a divi-
siOnal general to consult with a brigedo general, and I
should very reluctantly adopt such a course. (Hear.) I
have certainly heard many straege things said since my re-
turn in the way of private crit cistn. I have hoard it said,
" You should have had moral courage enough to disobey
your general." I say to. my lordi, I had not the
moral courage to show myself insubeedinate, and to con-
eider my opinion as superior to and overruling that of the
cOmmander-in-chief. (Hear.) Then I have been told it is
asked,, why I did not head the light cavalry charge? Be-
ceuee, ha-t I taken the light cavalry charge I could not
have commanded tho cavalry division. (Rear.) It seams
to be intagiued that I was unexposed iu the affair. All I
can say is, that I was under No. 3 fort, with four staff
officers, and out of five of U 3 only one escape 1 untouched.
My own al ie-de-camp was killed. I was wounded myself.
At other officer had his forage cep shot off close to his
head. Another had a ball in his horse; and I think that
for four out of a party of five to be struck is sharp prac •
tire. (Elena) One reason of my recall is stated to be that
I plated myself towards my general in a position which•
made it most advisable that I should be recalled, I Could'
ialy have placed Myself in that position by MY letter:of:
t 30th of NoVemlier. I have- no doubt thatapptisired
to the noble duke to be a very uncourtedwi and 'insubor-
dinate letter, but I can assure the noble duke I never
heard that letter so characterised by any other person.
Perhaps theesoble duke did not always think it is so very
viilent and immoderate. Perhaps, at one time, he thought
it calm and temperate. If he did, I believe he only enter-
taieed what is, at the present moment, the universal
opinion. (Hear, hear.) lam ostensibly recalled on account
of that letter, hut, with regard to any quarrel, I never had a
word of difference with Lord Raglan. Lord Raglan never
found fault with a single act of mine, or said that I could
do anything better. Long subsequently to the letter he very
kindly received recommendations from me and appointed
officers to my staff on my nomination. I have not only
communicated with Lord Raglan since upon the subject of
the command of the division, but on matters totally
foreign to that command—respecting transport, ambulance,
. and other corps—and I therefore think, when the - noble
duke found it necessary to withdraw me from my con:-
wand in consequence of bad feeling between me and Lord
Raglan, the noble lord acted under a misconception.
(Hear, hear.) I- can tell your lordships a fact which will
appear rather extraordinary. This recall, which, as your
lordships are aware, came very unexpectedly on me, came
as unexpectedly on Lord Raglan. My Lord Raglan, I
am told, said he could not in any way account for it..
that he never asked for it, that he (lid not understand

what it meant, that ho know nothing about it. My autho-
rity is General listcourt, who told me, when I was putting
my foot on board ship to come, to England, that Lord
Raglan could not guess, that he had not the least notion
what occasioned the recall—that he was as entirely ignorant
of the cause of the recall as I was myself. I will tell your
lordships how I obtained this command. When I heard
of troops being embarked on active service I wrote to
the Commander-in-chief asking for employment. Not
believing much cavalry would bo sent, I asked the com •
mandera-chief to be good enough to appoint me to a
brigade of infantry, stating that, having already served in
the infantry, having served a campaign in Bulgaria, and
being accustomed to foreign armies and foreign officers, I
thought my services might be useful. The noble lord, in
the kindest manner possible, anal believe of his own accord,
for which I have always foltl owe him a personal obligation,
wrote to say the Government had determined on sending a
division of cavalry, and to offer me that appointment. I
very soon embarked, and I arrived in the East previously
to the arrival of the division. Unlike many of my brother
officers, I was blessed with continued good health. The
consequence was, from the time that the division landed
till the noble duke so summarily recalled me I was never
absent one hour—one moment—from my duties. I believe
I am net overstating it when I say there was n 6 divisional
general in the army who exerted himself more than I did.
I believe I can say that not only was I constantly at my
post and doing my day, bat that I was not altogether an
unsuccessful general. During the time I was at the head
of the cavalry division the flanks or rear of our army were
never annoyed by Cossacks or the enemy's cavalry, and I
had the good fortune to command and carry out all the
details of the heavy dragoon charge at Balaklava. (Hear.)
Therefore I do not think I was altogether an unsuccessful
general. (Hear.) I may be allowed to state that I acted in
concert with Sir C. Campbell for four months, and what
did he say ?t the time I came away? He said, "I shall
always remember this, that when we had in the army
croakers, grumblers, and dissatisfied men; you have always
laughed at every difficulty"—(hear)—and that observation,
coming from Sir C. Campbell, was very flattering to me.
I knew that the Adjutant General of the army said, not to
me, but to others, " If they recall that officer they will re-
call a man who, while other officers are skulking and flinch•
is always at lila post." I can told that
duty,tbeattle of Balaklava I need not have
jliowbigetyhf g
obeyed that
atthrh'leatitro ercler--that I ought to have had moral
courage not to have done so. But what is the opinion of
all the military men—of all the best authorities in the
field there ? That the order was imperative, and that I
had no choice ; and there was not a commanding officer of
the ten regiments of my division but said that the order
_ was of a character that I dare not disobey. It is said
you might have unquestionably taken agether course;
but you could not have shown yourself in that army—you
would have been held responsible for the gime which it
was erroneously imagined were being carried away. The
censure would have been thrown on yon,—you would have
destroyed yourself. That is the opiniion of every senior
officer—the opinion of every officer whose opinion was
worth taking in that army. lam talking of living officers,
bat I will now give you the opinion of an officer who, un-
fortunately for the army and the country, is now no more,
—I mean Sir G. Catheart. I will give his opinion with
regard to that cavalry charge, and with regard to my con-
duct. (Hear, hear.) This is a letter which !Sir G. Cath-
cart could not have anticipated I should have seen; it
opi-
nion is conta'ned in a letter written by Sir G. Cathcart to
Ladycame under my
notice by the merest accident. Tkis a
Cathcart. This letter was on his person
when he fell, and when taken from his body it was found
that a bullet had passed through it. The letter was written
on the 2d of November, three days before the battle of
Inkerman and eight after the Balaklava charge, and the
following is the extract which refers to it :
" I have another opportunity of writing to you. You will
read about the allltir at Balaklava in which the Light Cavalry
Brigade suffered so severely. It was a most gallant; but un-
fortunate affair. Neither Lord Lucan uor Lord Cardigan
was to blame, but, on the contrary, for they obeyed orders.
. . ' . I was sent for with my division to sot matters
to rights, and did so as soon as we could arrive, but we had
six miles to march."

Without wishing 2.)orer faire rear, I may say that I did
use' duty, and I suddenly find myself recalled. I am not
told that I am recalled by the prerogative, but I am given
to understand that I am recalled in disgrace, for I defy
your lordships to put your fingers on a sentence in the letter
containing a word of comfort. You might hare endea-
voured to hare softened the recall, but there was not one
word of consolation to be found. Before I left this country
her Majesty did me the honour, in consequence of my ap-
pointment, to invite me to Buckingham Palace. On their
return from the army there has been no officer of any
rank who has not received from her Majesty that gracious
invitation ; but she has not—and I conceive could not do
otherwise—thought me a proper person to receive that
honour. I am positively in such a position that .1 have not
been able to avail myself of even the satisfaction of waiting
on her Majesty at a levee. I have troubled your lordships
at some length, but I believe I could not have compressed
what I had to say. To the Government I say—you have
wronged—grievously wronged—as zealous a soldier as her
Majesty has in her army. (Hear, hear.) I say to you, if
you have acted in error, give my statement your attention,
and if you become convinced that you have committed a
gross iejustice, I ask no more than this,—tha: you will
reconsider your decision, and give me a court-martial and
a fair trial.
The Earl of CARDIGAN—I regret that I feel myself
called upon to address your lordships upon this cccasion,
because I came down with the firm determination and wish
not to mix myself up in this question or to take a part in
the proceedings. (Hear.) My lords, I only rise to correct a
statement made with respect to myself. When the noble
earl, in his address, said I sent my aide-de-camp to state
that the force of the enemy were se numerous iu front of
the Light Brigade that I felt it difficult to hold my ground
—(cries of " no")—yes ; those were his very words. I sent
no such message whatever. In the message I sent, I said,
observing a movement was going to be made, that the hills
on both sides of the valley, leading down the valley at right
angles with it, on which was the Russian battery, with
the cavalry behind it, were occupied by Russian riflemen
and artillery. I sent this message; and when the lieute-
nant-general came in front and ordered me to attack the
battery in the valley, behind which was placed tlio large
force of Russian cavalry—which had been perfectly per-
ceptible to myself and the whole of the Light Brigade for
at least 20 minutes—my reply was, "Certainly, sir, but
before I go I must be allowed to point out that the hills in
both valleys are covered with Russian artillery and rifle-
men." The answer I received was, " They are Lord Rag-
lan's positive orders." I immediately obeyed orders; and
so true was the report I had made with regard to the Rus-
sian batteries and riflemen that we had not advanced
20 yards before Captain Nolan, who was galloping in
front at about the distance of 100 yards from the Light
Brigade, and in no way leading the charge, was killed by a
shell from one of those flank batteries which I had pointed .
out. I have nothing further to say. I only wished to re-
move any misconception as to my having said that the

Light Brigade was not safe in the position in which they
were placed. (Hear, hear-
Lord PANNIURE—I am sure your lordships will agree
with me in thinking that a more painful discussion than
the present has never been brought before this house, and
that a gallant officer, whose courage, be it remarked,, has
cover been accused, was never placed in such a position as
that in which we have witnessed the noble and gallant
earl. The noble and gallant earl has gone into detail as to
his services, and has given the history of certain great and
gallant actions in which he was engaged with great mi-
nuteness, which may have been extremely interesting ;-
but, at the same time your lordships will perceive this is a
subject into which it is impossible for me to feilow him ;
it is a subject upon which I cannot presume to have an
opinion. I must sayl am somewhat surprised at the course
whicb the noble earl has taken; not only in making state-
merits which is impossible for me to contradict or even
in any way to modify, but also in Making statements im-
pugning the discretionary powers of his Commander-in-
Chief and the orders and counter-orders given by him
upon the eventful day in question. No one can regret ,
more deeply than I do the existence of what has been
called the "misconception" of an order by any officer.
The disastrous effects which attended that misconception
were lamented throughout England; but I cannot say
that I altogether regret the occurrence of a cavalry
charge which will never be effaced from the history of
British arms—(hear hear)—or that I look upon it as
entirely ineffective, because it has carried into the heart of
the enemy a terror of the British cavalry that I am quite
convinced will be of good service to the army, for the very
appearance of those squadrons in some future well-fought
field may perhaps put tonight the squadrons of Ruske even
, without the necessity of a collision. (Hear.) I had anti-
cipated that the noble and gallant earl—for gallant I admit
him to be in every sonse'of the word—(hear, hear)-e-would
have dwelt upon that part of his case upon which he has on
former occasions laid se much stress—namely, his demand
for inquiry at the hands of a court-martial. But the noble
and gallant earl has simply referred to that point in the
latter part of his speech; he has contented himself with a
vindication of his military conduct, and with laying before
your lordship"; what he terms the injuatiee of the report to
which he has referred, but he has- altogether nreitted to
touch upon any of the doubts which I am sure must have
arisen in his mind as to the legality of his claim to a court-
martial and the expediency and propriety of granting such
an inquiry. With reference to the recall of the noble and
gallant earl, I have simply' to referto the statement in your
lordships' hands. Ho states that it mightboen more ccur-
teously worded, so as not to have hurt his feelings as a
soldier; but I think it sufficiently sets forth that it is in no
way connected with any doubt auto the 'gallantry of his
conduct in the field. Differences had arisen between the
noble and gallant earl. and the Commander-in-Chief with
regard to the term used by the Commander-in-Chief in the
despatch wherein he attributes the unfortunate result of
the charge to a misconception of his orders by the 'noble
and gallant earl, and it was quite evident to her Majesty's
Government that the confidence which ought to exist be-
tween the Commander-in-Chief and an offiler commanding
e division in his army had to a certain extent been shaken.
It therefore appeared to the Government anti to my noble
friend the Commander of the arny, that it was for the
benefit of the public service and for the advantage of the
army that one or other of those offieers should be so
called, and, with all deference to the officer commanding
the cavalry, I think lie was the person to whom the recall
ought to have been directed. The noble and gallant earl
says that he is entitled to an inquiry into his conduct upon
this erentfni occasion. Now, if this had been a question,
confined to the noble and gelled, earl, there might have:
been less difficulty, la cprnityg to a tlee4fotr, upon it ; but;
• iu this, as in all other imlitley ;mature; it- precedent set
•in the case of the noble and gallant earl .must be followed
tiftoughout the army—what is law for him must also he
-law for the meanest private; and the question arises whe-
ther there are grounds in the,eomplaint of the noble earl
which would justify him in calling for inquiry, any more
than a man in the ranks who has been' censured by his
superior officer, who has claimed a right to have that cen-
sure reversed y a military court. There is no law which
cur guide this case, except that law by which all armies
are governed--either the Mutiny Act, or the Articles of
War, or the custom of war. I have looked with care into
like Mutiny Act and the Articles-of War—l have reviewed

under the most competent advice all the customs of war in
oases similar to the present, and I cannot find in the one
or in the other any, ground whatever for granting the• in-
quiry before a military court edsich the itioble and gallant
earl has demanded., There aro ceses stateti in the. Mutiny
Act in which a itildier has en option of Using tried by a
court-martial or .or,asaabraittieg, o cortitin punishments,
such as forfeiture ot.pay or Imprisonment ; but they are
specifically recorded is the ad'and in the Articles of War
for the information of the soldier, and among none of them
can the ,case of the noble and gallant earl be ranked. But
it may bo said that the peculiar circumstances of this case
ought to make it an exception to the general rule. I cannot
ace any ground for their so doing. And here let me draw a
distinction with restpect to a word which has been frequentls,
used by the noble and gallant earl. He says that cer-
tain charges have bean brought against him byLord Raglan.
Now, no charge, in tho technical sense of the word,
had been brought against him, and I will presently' show
your lordships that, in the technical meaningof the phrase,no
charge could be brought against him by Lord Raglan. His
conduct has been described by Lord Raglan as a miscon-
ception of orders, which led to unfortunate results. His not
such conduct as that been attributed to officers and general
officers in former days over and over again? During the
Peninsular campaign did the Duke of Wellington never
say that, owing to the misconception of one order, the
non-fulfilment of another order by officers, certain great
operations had miscarried, and did the Duke of Welling-
ton ever dream of bringing those officers to a court-
martial, or have they ever been brought to a court-martial
in consequence of such observations having been made ?
If you aro to recognise the right of every officer to be tried
by a court-martial who may make the claim on the ground
of his foolings having been injured by remarks mado by
his superior officer, there would soon be an end at once to
all discipline in the army, to all the power of the Com-
manderain-Chief, and to all control over the troops. But
suppose we were to recognise the right of the noble and
gallant earl to an inquiry, by whom are the charges
against himself to be frame ? Are they to be framed by
Lord Raglan himself ? (Hear, from the Earl of Lucan.)
The noble lord, who expresses his assent, knows little or
nothing of military law. (The Eerl of Duran again
cheered.) If the noble earl assents to that propositidn he
knows little or nothing of military law, or he would be
perfectly aware that the first maxim 'of military law is
the-Cany officer or soldier who shall have been guilty of any
crimes for which he may be brought to a court-martial, if
he shall have bean employed upon any day before the
court-martial takes; place, such employment absolves him
the crime he has committed. (Hear.) The person who
would have had to frame the charges against him has con-
, doned his offence,, and cannot therefore make those
charges. While I admit that the noble andiallaut earl
is competent to perform gallant and glorious actions in
the field, ' I will not yield to him in the technicalities
of military law, and I think he
.will find that I am
putting a proper interpretation upon them. (Hear.) If
then, my lords, Lord Raglan cannot frame these things,
is the Judge-Advocate-General to frame them ? If I
am right, I believe that the person who would have
had to frame thorn would have said, at the very outset,
"These charges will never hold water. - Tho crime or act
has been condoned by the general officer in command of the
army." (Hear, hear.) It is impossible, in such a case,
that the sentence of any court-martial could be confirmed,
or that the carrying oat of any such sentence could be re-
commended. Upon these grounds, therefore, even if it
were expedient, it would be impossible to grant a court-
martial in this case. But I rest the whole facts of the ease
with regard to a court-martial upon the question of disci-
pline. I resisted it on the question of discipline from the
very beginning, for I believe that to grant a military in-
quiry in this case would be to strike at the root of the
whole discipline of the army. (Hear.) Now, my lords,
let us look at what happened last year. A military com-
mission sat upon the promotion of officers in the army.
What can be so great an offence in the eyes of an officer as
to see himself passed over in a promotion ? That military
commission, however, recommended that promotions for
merit should be made by selection, and that officers of
noted and general merit should be promoted out of their
turns, and over the heads of other officers who were their
seniors. This, toe, was to be done without any other rea-
son being given than the merit of the individual officers
promoted. Now, if all the officers over whose heads other
officers were promoted for merit were to complaiis of being
passed over, and were to claim an inquiry into their merit,
I apprehend that it would b 3 impossible to carry out the
recommendations of the commissions. Without imputing
to the noble earl anything whatever that could injure his
reputation as a soldier, either in point of courage in per-
son,'or of conduct in the field, or upon any other matter
except on those points of misunderstanding which have
arisen between the noble earl and Lord Raglan, I
think the Goyernanent can, without casting any re-
flection upon the noble earl, refuse the inquiry for
which he asks. lam afraid I can hold out no expectation
of our reconsidering the determination to which we have
arrived, and I am afraid I can give him no ansWer to the
ex parte statement • which ho has made of the events
which have attended the campaign in which he has been
engaged. I only hope and trust, after tie appeal which
the noble and gallant earl has made—after the opportu-
nity which your lordships have kindly given him of stat-
ing, in his own vindication, all the acts of his public ca-
reer during the last four months—that here the matter
will rest, and I do hope that when this ex parte statement
gees forth to the Crimea it will not add to the anxiety of
the gallant general to whom wo are all so deeply indebted
for the exertions he is making for his country in the field
of battle, nor render the position he occupies still more
painful than it must have been from all that has passed
in this country during the last few months. (Hear, and
cheers.)

Viscount HARDINGE hoped that as the noble and
gallant earl had referred to him in thecourseof his speech,
their lordships would allow him to say a fthv words in ex-
planation.l He regretted, with the Minister of War, that
the statements made by the noble and gallant earl had
been so one-sided and ex parte, and that the noble and
gallant earl had thought it necessary to detail so much of
what had passed between himself and Lord Raglan. It
was perfectly impossible that any person should he able
to answer such statements on the instant ; but he had the
highest confidence in the honour and integrity of Lord
Raglan, and, without' imputing to the noble and gallant
earl that he had mis-stated anything that had passed be-
tween himself and his Commander-in-Chief or Col. Airoy,
he had no hesitation iu saying that nobody could read the
firm and explicit words of Lord Raglan, in his despatch of
the 16th of December, without perceiving that the noble
and gallant earl was wrong in supposing that he was or-
dered to attack at all hazards. Lord Raglan said :—" I
have referred to my despatch, and, far from being willing
to alter 0113 word of it, I am prepared to declare that not
only did the lieutenant-general misconceive the written
'instruction that was sent him, but that there was
nothing in that instruction which called on him to at-
tack at all hazards, or to undertake the operation
which led to such a brilliant display of gallantry on
the part of the light brigade, and unhappily, at the
same time, occasioned such lamentable casualties
in every regiment composing it." The despatch proceeded
in the same strain, showing that Lord Raglan had no doubt
in his own mind on the subject, and it then stated that the
noble and gallant earl " was so little informed of the posi-
tion of the army that he asked Captain Nolan where and
what he was to attack, as neither enemy nor gnus were in
sight.' This, your grace will observe, is the lieutenant-
general's own admission." The noble and gallant earl had
stated in explanation that he obeyed the orders of Captain
Nolan, but it was his duty to have obeyed the written
order of Lord Raglan, and to have paid no attention to
what Captain Nolan said. (Elear,lhear.) There could bo
no doubt, from the following passage, that Lord Raglan
considered his order discretionary, and not imperative :
" I undoubto:ily had no intention that he should maka
such an attack; there was nothing in the instruction to
require it, and theiefore I conceive I WAR. fully jlillti6A iu

stating to your grace what was the exact truth—that the
charge arose from the misconception of an order for the
advance, which Lord Lucen considered obliged him to at-
tack at all hazards." Theirdordsbips would observe that
the despatch from which ho quoted was written by Lord
Raglan some time after he had received the letter of the
noble and gallant earl. Was it likely that a Man of the
strict honour and veracity of Lord Raglan would have
stated in such strong and unmistakeable terms that he
never meant his order to be imperative if the fact were
not so ? lie believed the noble lord had, to use his own
emphatic words, stated " the exact truth," and that he
never did intend the attack should be made at all hazards.
Moreover, he would undertake to say with the greatest
confidence, although he had not read the private corres-
pondence of Lord Raglan, that upon no occasion had his
lordship reflected in the slightest degree on the conduct of
the noble and gallant earl. For his own part, ho thought
the noble and gallant earl ought to have shown the written
order to the Earl of. Cardigan, and taken his opinion
upon it. The Earl of Cardigan had told him since
his arrival in England that if he - had seen the
order he would not have considered it an order to
attack at, all hazards, but ho should have thought him-
self justified in exercising his discretion. He believed the
noble and gallant earl had no right to demand a court-
martial. His recall was a measure of prudence, and ho was
not entitled to make it the subject of a military inquiry.
The Duke of RICHMOND expressed hie earnest regret
that this subject had been brought before their lordships.
Fie thonght the noble and gallant earl ought not to have
ad iel the weight 'of his high character to the attacks which
had been made so unjustly upon the conduct and capacity
of Lord Raglan. '(Hear.) The noble earl had appealed to
him to say whether an officer was not bound to obey the
orders of his superior in command. There cold he no
doubt he was so bound to obey ; but ho would tell the
noble earl what Major-General Robert CraWford, who
cominanded the light division, did in the Peninsula.. An
aide7de7eamp took an order from the Duke of Wellington
to General Crawford, and then he did pretty much what
Capt. Nolan did in the Crimea—he gave his advice as to
how, when, and where the attack was 'to be made. The
reply of Crawford .was, " When General Crawford seeks
Colonel A—'s opinion, he will give it, but not till
' then." (Hear, hear.). That was
,the way in which he
would- have treated Capt. Nolan. (Hear, hear.) As he
understood it, the noble earl meant to say that ho had re-
ceived both a verbal and a written order from Captain
Nolan. [The Earl of Lucan—Hear, hear.] Then what, in
Heaven's name, was the good of sending a written order ?
(Hear, hear.) He should not have himself regarded the
order to " advance in pursuit" as one to attack the enemy
at all hazards. (Hear.)

The Earl of DERBY hoped that, after this painful—
perhaps, under the circumstances, unavoidable—explana-
tion, their lordships would be • spared any further dis-
cuesions on this subject. He was not prepared to say
that there wore not Icgal and technical, as well as sub-
stantial, difficulties arising out of the exigencies of the
public service, which might have rendered it impossible,
or at _all events inexpedient, to grant the court-martial
or court of inquiry for which the noble and gallant earl
had asked. . But if it was impossible to afford him the
opportunity of • defending hinaselfs-against charges, and
accusations, and imputations upon his professional
charatter, which seriously affected him iu the opinion
of the army and of the public, and perhaps also of his
Sovereign, it was most unfortunate that the second letter
of Lord Riglau; ,which contained these serious charges and
impneations, was ever placed in his hands by the noble
lord 'the .S.i*eteiT.,of War, as indicating the reasons for
which ho Wets le:caned.. He did not think the noble earl
wetigleariehad alit fiebund for demandine a court-martial
to inquire whether there had or had nut been on his psirt
a "misconception" of the orders given to him; but when
ho was charged by the. General Comrnanding-in.-Chief 'with
having committed the erimo of disobeying it positive oder,
and that charge was stated officially by theskieister of the
Crown as the reason why he was brought back to this coun-
try, to a certain degree under a cloud, then he said that
the position of the noble earl was one of great hardship,
and one in which every noble lord must deeply sympathise
with him. Nor could he blame his noble friend that, after
having urged, entreated, end besdught the Government to
give him an opportunity to have his conduct investigated
before the fittest—a military—tribunal, he should avail
himself of his right to n seat in that house to make the
plain, straightforward, and manly statement they had
heard from him that night. Ho was not going to enter
into the merits of the question at issue between Lord Rag-
lan and the noble earl ; but he must say that be thought the
latter had been placed in a moat unfortunate dilemma, from
one of the horns of which it was hardly possible for him to
escape by the exercise of any amount of j udgeeent. He was
accused by the noble lord the Commasider-ia-Chief (Lord
Harclinge) with' not having exercised, with regard to the
order to advance the cavalry, that discretion which was to
be expected from him as the lieutenant-general in com-
mand, But, on the other hand, his bad exercise of this dis-
cretion with respect to the former order, that the cavalry
should occupy the heights, was in Lord Raglan's letter made
the ground of a charge against him of positiee disobedience
of orders. (Hear.) Well, on receiving the second order, in
emsequence of not having obeyed the first, the noble earl
conceived he had no discretion; and executed it; and then
he was told that he shOuld have exercised a discretion, and
disobeyed the order: Ho (the Earl of Derby) would ask
their lordship's what would have been said if, on the second
orderklaving been sent, in consequence of his non-compli-
ance with the first, the noble earl had again abstained
from obeying the order, and acted on his own discretion ?
(Hear.) There might, indeed, to some one man in ten thou-
sand who would venture to incur the responsibility of such
a double disobedience of orders, acting on his own discre-
tion; but ho did not think it could be imputed as a fault
to the noble earl that ho conceived himself bound by such
positive orders, even though he deemed them injudicious.
Then the noble earl was accused of not having assumed
the proper responsibility attaching to h s rank oil ieutenant-
general,while, oa the other hand, the Commander-in-chief
had blamed him for not having consulted the Earl of Car-
digan, because they were nearly of the Fame rank, both
being major-generals--forgetting that the noble earl had
the rank of lieutenant-general, and that the Earl of Cardi-
gan and General Scarlett wore only major-generals com-
manding brigades under him, and were consequently of in-
ferior rank to himself. After expressing an earnest hope
that the noble and gallant earl would not again feel it
neees.sery to bring this subject before that house, his lord-
ship'said that his gallant friend need be under no appre-
hensions that, whatever opinions people might form as to
the responsibility attaching to him with respect to that
brilliant but unfortenate charge of light cavalry, the coun-
try were likely to forget the important services which he
. and the officers under his command had rendered, nor
that, on the very same day, ho had the merit of having
ordered another almost equally brilliant and more success-
fed charge, under the command of his old and valued
friend, General Scarlett, which covered with glory the
troops who were engaged in it, and must reflect credit on
tho general who had the good fortune and the skill to direct
that impor tent movement. His nobleand gallant friend would
also have the satisfaction of reflecting that it was no fault of
his if there had not been the fullest investigation of every part
of his military conduct, and with that knowledge he(the Earl
of lserhy) trusted that he would thenceforth permit the
subject to drop in that house, and would rely on thejustice,
the feeling, and the honour of his countrymen. (Cheers.)
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said he was not about to
outer into any discussion of the questions between the noble
and gallant earl and Lord Raglan, because it was impossible
for any one so imperfectly informed as all their lordships
necessarily were with respect to the facts, to do this with-
out injustice to the latter noble lord. He though:, how-
ever, that the noble earl who spoke last had done injustice
to Lord Raglan on one point, since he did not understand
his lordship to make any complaint of his first order for
the cavalry to advance not having been obeyed by the noble
earl. He simply gave the fact as a reason why the second
order was sent. Nor !should he enter into the question of
the propriety of granting the noble earl a court-martial.
He was, however, confident that his noble friend the Se-
cnetary of War anti the Commander-in-Chief had filly con-
sidered that subject, and had are ived at a conclusion on the
fullest and most sufficient data. He could not, indeed,
help regretting that it was not thought ad vieablc for the
sake of army that such e, court-martial should.be held,
as it would undoubtedly go forth to the public that a gene-
ral who might have a seat in that house had over other
officers advantages which it was most unfortimate he should
possess. The noble cart who spoke last complained that
his noble friend the Secretary of War should have given
the noble and gallant earl the letter of Lord Raglin,which
contained, he thought, accusations against him. But the
noble earl forgot that the noble lord did not give the noble
and gallant earl the letter until he had come forward in
his place in Parliament, read a letter of his own to Lord
Raglan, and ina.de an ex parte statement on this subject.
Then his noble friend did feel that it was only just to an
absent man to give the noble and gallant earl Lord Raglan's
letter, in order that he might piesd use it if he thought fit, and
thus put the house and the public in possession of the whole
feels of the case. Hethought his noble friend had acted with
perfect fairness and propriety in taking this coarse, and
that he had done no more than was requisite in justice
to the noble lord at the head of the army in the Crimea in
subsequently laying his lordship's letter on the table of the
house. The noble and gallant earl having appealed tohim
on one or two points, he could assnre him that Lord Rag-
lan's private letters home were all couched in the kindest
spirit possible towards him, and that his lordship had made
no complaints other than those which were contained in
the papers before the house. The noble earl also asked if
he (the Duke of Newcastle) had not at one time said that
the letter which be wrote to Lord Raglan was not calm
and temperate in itself ? He had said so, nor had he ever
altered that opinion ; but he had at the same time ex-
pressed an opinion that if that letter ever came before the
public, it must be most detrimental to the public service
and the discipline of the army. He (the noble duke) had
ouly to say in conclusion that he had never performed any
act of his official life with greater pain than when, in obe-
dience to a sense of his public duty, he felt compelled to
recall the noble aid gallant earl. (Hear, hear.)
The Earl of HARDWICKE differed entirely. from his
noble friend as to the inconvenience of discussions of this
kind. He thought it was a great advantage to the House
of Peers that officers of the army or navy who were mem-
bers of it should be able to come before them and to de-
fend themselves against' charges which would cloud their
honour•and lower them in the opinion of the country. A
similar course had already been pursued in the other house
on behalf of a gallant admiral whose conduct had been im-
pugned, and whose case was brought under consideration
by an hon. and learned Member.
The Marquis of BREADALBANE thought the noble
earl took quite a mistaken view of the privileges of their
lordships' house, which were only, giiren them for a useful
purpose. When a peer became an officer in the army or
navy he was as much amenable to military law as the
meanest private in that service, and to take advantage of
his privilege to bring before that house questions which
ought only to be submitted to the militaryor naval autho-
rities, was not, ho thought, a use of those privileges which
would tend to the public advantage.
The Earl of LUCAN, in reply, said the noble duke (the
Duke of Newcastle) had charged him with betraying some
private letters. .

The Duke of NEWCASTLE begged to contradict his
noble and gallant friend. All he said was that as his noble
and gallant friend had asked hitn whether he did no% ex-
press a certain opinion with reference to his letter to Lord
Raglan, he (the Dnke of Newcastle) would ask the noble
earl whetherhe had not also, at the same time, expressed
aro ?

-- -
The Earl of LUCAN was quite ready to produce the cor-
respondence which had taken place between him and the
noble duke. lie certainly made no private communication
to the noble duke, although the noble duke did, no doubt,
send him a private letter. What passed was simply this.
A gentleman waited on the noble duke on behalf of him
(the Earl of Lucan) to ask him to produce to the house his
letter of the 30th November: On that occasion the noble
duke gave his reasons why that letter should not be pro-
duced, and said, " Lord Lucan, 1 conceive, should not
puhli.ih that letter until he is attacked before the public.
When he is, I think it is your duty to publish that letter."
The Duke of NEWCASTLE must again beg to contra-
dict the noble earl, The witness of what paced between