The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-24 00:00:00

FROLICKING ENSIGNS.

The Commander-in-Chief, we are glad to see, has issued a
memorandum severely censuring two ensigns of the 30th
Regiment for insulting, in' a very infamous manner, Ensign
Falkuer, of the 50th Regiment. We hope that this whole-
some and very necessary punishment and disgrace will effec-
tually put an end to a system which, although tolerated
amongst school-boys, is :dtogether unworthy of men who
hold her Majesty's commission, and who have voluntarily
taken upon themselves responsibilities and duties both
honourable and important. It is very evident that these dis-
gusting and ungentleman-like practices are more general in
the army than is supposed ; and that they are not confined
' o the infantry regiments may be seen from the report of an
analogous case which has, within the last dap or two, occurred
iu a cavalry regiment now in Canterbury Barracks. A duel
was threatened, and, but for the timely interference of a ser-
jeant of the regiment, it might have ended in loss of life to one
or both of the officers concerned. The report of this last-
named case will be found reported below. The following is
the document issued by the Commander-in-Chief :
" Horse Guards, March 23, 1855.
" It appears that on the let of March, Ensigns Sanders
and Neville, of the 30th Regiment, broke in the door of
Ensign Falkner, 50th Regiment, pulled him out of bed,
compelled him to go into the room of Ensign Neville, and
there grossly insulted him by.threatening and attempting to
throw him out of the window, threatening to make him eat a
candle, and actually smearing his mouth with tallow, kicking
him out of the room, and, after following him into his own
apartment, throwing several things at him, and having with
a suck broken part of his furniture, forced him on MR Irnpoa,
and kicked in the panel of his door.
" Ensign Falkner reported these circumstances to Captain
Tillbrook, commanding the depot companies of the 50th Re-
giment, on the following morning Captain Tillbrook, 50th,
In conjunction with Brevet-Major Campbell, of the 3iith Re-
giment, agreed to accept an apology from the two officers,
and a full and ample one was made by Ensign Neville on the
morning of the 3d, Ensign Sanders having gone to Cork on
duty on the day preceding ; on his return he also made a full
and ample apology for what had occurred, and Ensign Falk-
ner was satisfied.

,
" It must here be remarked that this disgraceful conduct
of Ensigns Sanders and Neville was unjustifiably compromised
by the injudicious and irregular decision of Brevet-Major
Campbell and Captain Tillbrook, who, as commanding com-
panies only, and having in no respect any jurisdiction in the
discipline of the battalion of which their companies form a
part, were iu duty bound to make known the complaint of
Ensign Falkner to Colonel Passy, their commanding officer.
" The General Commanding-in-Chief cautions Brevet-Major
Campbell and Captain Tillbrook against the a,sumption
of an authority with which they are not invested, and de-
sires that, on all occasions involving the character of offi-
cers, and the discipline of the service generally, they will
communicate with their commanding officer, who in this case
was Colonel Passy.
" Ensigns Sanders and Neville may think themselves thus
far fortunate that by the error—the General Commanding-in-
Chief is willing to say the mistaken leniency of Brevet-Major'
Campbell and Captain Tillbrook they have escaped the
inevitable consequence of conduct o ungentleman-like as that
of which, by their own acknowledgment, they were guilty
towards Ensign Falkner.
" But what opinion can be formed of an officer who, after
apologising for an outrage committed, and narrowly escaping
its merited punishment, again commits himself by insulting
the same individual.
" It is shown that Colonel Passy was obliged very severely
to reprimand Ensign Neville on the 13th instant, for having
used very insulting language to Ensign Falkner on the pre-
vious Saturday, and i was then for the first time that Colonel
Passy heard of the outrage previously committed—the repe-
tition of which would have been prevented if the previous
case had been reported.
" The General Commanding-in-Chief, although disposed to
accept the atonement of Ensign Sanders for his participa-
tion in the insult offered in the first instance, cannot avoid
marking with his severest displeasure the repeated miscon-
duct of Ensign Neville, and his total disregard of the printed
instructions given him on joining the 30th Regiment. The
apology of a gentleman is accepted as a promise and a gua-
rantee against the repetition of an offence ; but no rePance
can be placed upon an officer who so far forgets what is due
to the character of a man of honour as to repeat the offence
which be had expiated by an avowal of regret.
This opinion of the General Commandi g-ici-Chief on the
conduct of Ensign Neville will be read in presence of al the
algal a the clept.b4tflin at Amoy, waled Or that
_