The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-28 00:00:00

_ .
body couhi regret-more-than he did,- that the hon. inazithei
had not availed himself ofthe opportunity afforded him to
correct his error, by the very temperate and excellent
letter of the hon. and gallant officer the member for Wigan
(Colonel Lindsay). No one could approve more highly
than he did the conduct of those who came forward to
bring accusations against persons in high station, if they
believed the truth of the charges, and were satisfied of
the evidence on which they made them; but on the
other hand he could not express strongly enough, in
language consistent with Parliamentary usage, his opinion
of the conduct of those who, merely to extract a •passing
cheer, merely to gain a little' fleeting notoriety, reiterated
an accusation the truth of which he had strong-reason to-
doubt. (Cheers.) The portion of the speech to which he
referred was as follows :--" I will give yon an instance of
a friend of mine, a gentleman who served throughout all
those battles, and distinguished himself most signally ; he
came over to this country sick and almost dead. There.
were two men above him, officers in one of the Guards'•
regiments, who had never left England ; they were mem-
bers of high families, and were promoted without purchase
—but my friend was a poor man, and they made him pay'
3,0001. for his commission ; and why? Lord Flardinge's
son was next to him, and got his commission without
purchase. (Cries of ' Shame, shame.') I say these
things are scandalous," &c. And so did he
say. There could not be the' slightest doubt to what this
accusation amounted—that an officer was compelled to pur-
chase his commission in order to enable Lord Hardinge's
sin to obtiin his without purchase. After that state-
ment was made appeared the letter of the hen. and gallant
member for Wigan, on which the hon. member for Ayles-
bury changed his ground; and it would be necessary for
him, though he was sorry to trouble the house, to go
through the circumstances of the promotions specified in
the letter which the hon. gentleman bad written. When
his hon. and gallant friend pointed out that the two officers
immediately preceding Col. Wilson were both of them en-
gaged in the Crimea, the, hon. gentleman then said that
these were not the cases he meant, and that he allUded to
the promotions of Col.'Burdett and Col. Newdigate with-
out purchase. Now, the first promotion, that of Capt. Bur-
dett to be lieutenant-colonel, took place on Aug. 22, 1854,
long before the army went to the Crimea. He did not hesi-
tate to say that, however gallantly Col. Wilson might have
distinguished himself there, and everybody had done so,
Col. Burdett's services were quite equal to his. (Cheers.).
But, supposing the system of selection by merit to be esta-
blished, he should like to know who should have been se-
lected when the promotions took place but Capt.Hardinge?
(Cheers). He was the only officer who, on the 25th August,
1854, in his rank in the, Coldstream Guards, had seen any
service whatever. (Heir.) Colonel Newdigate's promotion
took place on the 14th September, 1854, and also before‘
the army went to the Crimea, and, therefore, came strictly
under the existing regulations—prdviding for promotion by
rotation, consequent on deaths or accidents. The two next
vacancies were to be filled by purchase. The two senior
officers, knowing that there was a strong probability of their
obtaining promotion without purchase, withdrew their
names, and Lord Dunkellin was promoted• on the 3d Nov.,
1854. The next two steps was got by Dawkins and Strong,
both of whom were promoted on vacancies caused by death.
Then came the vacancy which arose on the death of Col.
Mackinnon,, which was filled by Col. Wilson. The hon.
member seemed to think that there was some power at
the HorsOGuards to decide on the occurrence of a vacancy
whether it should be filled by purchase or not. But this
was not the case ; nor was it true either that Colonel
Wilson was compelled to purchase. He might have waited
until the occurrence of a vacancy by death. What took
place in the case of Col. Mackinnon was founded on this
clear principle, that if an officer purchased promotion, but
died before the notification of his promotion reached the
head-quarters where he Was serving, his promotion was
cancelled, and the purchase money was returned to his re-
latives. That was done in the present case, and, of course,
the vacancy that then occurred being one to be filled by
purchase—for it was the one which had just been pur-
chased by Col. Mackinnon—Col. Wilson was required by
the rules of the service to purchase the step. (Cheers.)
He would now read the correspondence which had passed
between the hon. gentleman and Lord Hardinge on the
subject, to show that the former had had full opportunity
to retract his charges.
" 15, Great Stanhope-street, April 25, 1855.
" Sir,—l have read a speech of yours made at Liverpool in
which you charge tae with conduct so corrupt in the exercise
of military duties, in the case of the promotion of my son, to
the injury of Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson, of the same regi-
znent, that you have thought proper to characterise the
transaction as a most scandalous one. I most distinctly de-
clare your statement to be utterly untrue. My son's corre-
spondence with Lieut.. Col. Wilson having closed, and the
letters being in your friends possession, I have now to re-
quire that you will immediately retract the unfounded charge
made in your speech,• or be prepared to show upon what au•
thority you have preferred it.—l remain, die.,
" A. H. Layard; Esq., M.P."
The reply to this was as follows :

HARDINGE.-

"‘ 9, Little Ryder-street, April 26.
"My Lord—ln reply to your letter I beg to refer you to
Hart's Army List as my.. authority for alluding to the pro-
motions in the regiment of Coldstream Guards in a speech
at Liverpool. It may be impossible to trace the motives
.which may have led to such promotions, but, as a public
man, I believe I am expressing , the convictions of a very
large portion of the public when 1 characterise as scanda-
lous' the promotion by purchase of a, regimental officer
.who
has seen long and arduous service, and the promotion imme-
diately afterwards, without purchase, of the two officers next
to him, one of whom is your own son, and both of whom
have been serving on the Staff. Similar instances are, unfor-
tunately, too numerous to lead to any other conclusions than
those to which I have come. , It is asserted that Col. Wilson's
promotion• took place in accordance with an invariable rule of
the. service. In other cases, I have reason to believe such
rules have been distinctly violated. 'such being my convic-
tion,. I have nothing to retract from the statemeut tmade-at
Liverpool—a statement, I may add, for which Colonel Wilson
is in no way responsible.—l have the honour, dze,,

" A. LAYARD.

. •
" The Lord Hardinge."
TO this his lordship replied:—
" 45, Great Stanhope•street, April 26.
" Sir,—l have this evening received your letter of this date.
"I must remind you :that h rdo not complain' of your
. opinion that promotion in the army ;by , purchase is scan•
dalons.

" You accused me in your speech at Liverpool of having
promoted my son without purchase, to the injury of Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Wilson, who had been made by me to pur-
chase his promotion, and that my conduct in doing so was
most scandalous.
" This charge you decline to retract, although your friend
Lieutenant-Colouel Wilson admits that be attaches no blame
to the Horse Guards authorities.
" Your assertion that the rule applied by* me in Lieuterinit-
ColouerMackinnon's case has been violated in others, is con-
trary to the truth.
"It is a waste of thno to hold any further correspondence
with one who makes such unfounded accusations, and who
obstinately persists ther,in.—Your obedient servant,
"A. Layard, Esq., M P." " HARDINGE.
(Loud cheers.) He would now proceed to put the house
in possession of the precedents upon which the course
taken in Colonel Mackinnon's case was founded.
"In 1847, a majority by purchase having become vacant
in the 73d Foot, stationed at the Cape of Good Hope, Cap-
tain Baker, the senior captain of that regiment for purchase,
was promoted to the vacancy on the 12th of November,
but was killed in action on the 13th of that month ; his
promotion was accordingly cancelled in the Gazette of the
11th cf February, 1848, on the ground that it could not be
known at the Cape at the time of Captain Baker's death, and
Captain Brown, the next senior captain for purchase, was
promoted to the majority t)ms vacant by purchase. Lord
Fitzroy Somerset's letter of the 23d of September, 1848-, to
the Lieutenant-General commanding at the Cape. at the time
was as follows The vacancy was filled by purchase in
strict accordance with the regulations of the service, the de-
ceased officer not having known of his promotion, and conse-
quently not having been in a position to exercise the flinctions
of-the superior commission."'
There were even still later precedents.:
" In August, 1854; the retirement of Captain -Saunderson
(who was brought in to sell) from the 4th Foot, having-created.
a vacant company by purchase, Lieutenant Skinner, the•
senior of his rank-for pirehase it: that --regiinent; was pro-
moted to the vacancy. This officer,- however, died on the
14th of August, 1854, and the 4th Regiment being then sta-
tioned -at Gallipoli, at that date _no intimation,of, his pro-
motion had been in auy manner received there ; on which
ground the appointment was cancelled in the Gazitte 'Of the
15th of September, 1854, land Lieutenant Cocks, the next
senior lieutenant for purchase, -was gazetted to the vacant
company ))y purchase on the 11th September, 1854. In
evidence of this promotion being iu strict accordance with
the rules of the service, the military-secretary drew up the
following minute, dated - the Bth September, 1854 ;-a copy.
of which was transmitted to the officer commanding 4th
Foot::---•- On searching for
,precedents as to such a case, that-
of Ca'utain Baker, who had been promoted -to a m jority
iu
the 73d Foot on the 12th of'November;lB47,-was discovered.
That officer having been promoted on that day, was killed
on the 13th of 'November (the 'following day) by a party of
Kafirs. His promotion was in consequence cancelled, on the
ground, that, never having heard of his -promotion, he had
consequently never, been in a position to. exercise the functiong
of the superior commission, [See the letter from the Military
Secretary of the 23d of September, 1848.] The same course
is, therefore, to be taken in the case of the promotion of
Captain Skinner, which it is accordingly to be submitted to
the Queen shall be cancelled, and the next senior lieutenant
for purchase recommended for the succession.'—C. Yogis.
Sept. 8, 1848."
" Ensign and Lieutenant Disbrowe was promoted by pur-
chase ou the 3d of November, 1854, in succession to Captain
and Lieutenant-Colonel Cumming, who retired. It haying,
however, been reported that Mr. Disbrowe .was killed on the
sth November, before ho could have knovin of his promo-
tion, 'an officer was brought into the regiment'from the stifle
Brigade, by purchase, and the money was returned to Mr.
Disbrowe's family." •
He would now proceed-to state' what occurred in the case
of the promotion of Lord Burghersh. •
" Horse-Guards, 25th of April, 1855.
" Colonel Crombie, of the Coldstream Guards, returned to
England in October, 1854, on the recommendation of a medi-
cal board, having been seized with a serious illness in the
camp near Varna in the month of August,
" On the 18th of December he fer Warded to Lord Strafford
a certificate from Dr. Fergusonto the effect that he
,was still
labouring under 'the consequences Of his former illness, and
expressing au opinion that a return to the arduous dutiesd pier
the East might be considered as certain death to him. un_
these ciratimstances he applied to be placed- upon lialf-pa,.! ayor
a time, statink that he had served thirty years on full I
" Lord Strafford,
gfiarnhnotfotrhwausrbd
aathhaotpeth that
ehat
lieutenant-colonel
vacancyo e arrangement mheanl
ft-
amighthalf-pay
who b e
wouldmade
. of sell t
ion iotti e
giment. This, however, could not be done,
dhisbypo application
orb expressed
t colonel•on half-
licutenan -
place, there was at that time n
full a , reair
far
value who had applied to be
brought on
the next, thereto was al similar
value of his commission; and,aa, in thehfiear:.slldt-.
I tl e /Titofficers of that re-
anxious to be placed on half-pay,
-serviccs, had a prior claim to
nt from the length of then
the stepof lieutenant
case of the lieutenant colonel of'n e 51§t Regient, who was
gime , einfigllet
viz.,
the regiment, instead of a
offer
ht from the half-pay and no lieutenant-colonel being brought colonelwhat is
gcooinnsgidbeyrepduarnchaadsveatnhtuPg, h
pro-
motion taking place.
however, in both cases stood over for
" The applications,a
1' 1 • halfPlneo-fPaaby should
I Y. 0 give
to sell, advantage might be taken of the opportunity i
time, that if any lieutenant-co °nee
ha.lf-pay, had by that
however; Colonel Crombie renewed
pro"nrthtitohnei
2n,btoht.
Jhalilgairmye,nts.
his application, and applied for
takes
auyfurther delay was likely to take place.. absence, in case
towards the
tim..,eLaireit:ltieeldiatnot-sCeolll,mbicultilittawckabs.unrout; on
old officers of the 51st Regiment toiliallnogwiattfhaeirpromotion to.
promotion
goof :171
e_tsh
to remain
aaiinidinpuitt,isnanadn
Looffir
been espedially indisposed to 4o a; 'tart 4illog'e-nldwhaouyled habevene
-for the apparent benefit of hihatat, there being at the time
whgat. might beon thheavi!lpiteso,n,tito:na; cf colonel
no the
Uptono:47:
,f
ton- as to reniaining till gh
previous to obtainiu he wag's general officer; or going
!.41!‘941:44! auk cu
cu have repftteilfry.
. • . • •