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

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 whonalwe 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
munraary 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
anoe 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 foregotbis, 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 same
time to show what has happened since in reference to it.
Up to the present moment I have most scrupulously ab-
stained from saying one word in this house upon this sub
ject. 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 each a tribunal it beat became me to be silent in this
house, but, my lords, this has been resolutely refused me,
and I am told as a reason for this refusal that there is no
precedent for such 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 he should
have charges of the greatest severity reflecting on his pro-
fessional 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
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 array
, and the service any officer she thinks fit, but I tell the
Minister of War when he, as the adviser of the Crown, can
advise the exercise of that prerogative, he must not allow
himself to accompany that recall with charges discreditable
and disgtaceful. As in the case of a person in the noble
lord's employment, he would undoubtedly have a right to
dismiss him, but he could not make 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 hold the prerogative, you will prefer either
precedent or prerogative to justice. It will be necessary
for me to trouble your lordships at some 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 —I 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 (reliant or useful soldier never
existed! 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 Colin
Campbell. We examined the spy, and we thought the re-
port he brought so deserving of attention that Sir Colin
Campbell wrote a letter to Lord Raglan, which I though t
of such importance that I ordered it to be conveyed by any
aide-de-camp, who happened that day fo be my son. The
spy reported that 20,00 J infantry and 5,000 cavalry wei e
marching on our position at Balaklava from the south and 'I
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 he reported to him. At
this time we were accustomed to be mounted au 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-
nished 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 Kamera 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. I, 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 less
credit than they deserved. No. 2 fort was then driven in.
There were in these forte in all 9 English guns. After
these forts were evacuated by the Turks I, by previous
concert wtth Sir C. Campbell, brought my cavalry close to
No. 5 fort. The cavalry wore 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 en the second line of the redoubtsoccurieci
by the Turks. By this order all the cavalry were moved
in a mass to the westward of N0.6-fort. Tliertverintanding
1n mass according to Lord Raglan's order, when through
the orchard, I saw some Russian cavalry coming over the
kill. 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 Sear-
lett. As the Russian cavalry advanced with wings our
cavalry oily 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 routed. (Cheers.) I
should do little justice to the heavy brigade if I did not
take this opportunity of stating how they had distin-
guished themselves. (Cheers.) I believe there never was
an 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 cavalry fell
•
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 tho 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 fall 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 reach. 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 Lord Raglan,
and I therefore wish to impute nothing to his lordship
with respect to it. There was a full stop after the wont
" 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.
But the 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 oflsreastworlr.
When we first mounted our horses the infantry wet o coin-
ing down the hill from the Sebastopol heights, and theme
wore no infantry in the valley. I was anxiously waiting
their arrival, as I had been told that they were to support
me 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
welrlilla away the guns. Troop of horse artillery may
7'''''PanY• French cavalry is on your left."
'eura elan when he gave this order was upon very high
could se theta
Ru quarter of a mile to my rear, whore he
au the infant %man cavalry to the north and east, and
ship also fancriYed:al:alie other aide of No. 3 fort. His lord-
man who laboured under dho saw—and he was not the only
in fact, I did not see. n
2,3, and 4 forts, °omelet"
ettnthe same impression—although,
Nos. I,taking our rbuns out of
sent this order to proventapoefiTwiiinn: off, and. Pceoruefldorei'e
I movepro-
ducement
T_nts F they yet
there
ma-tere under
wasl dzisreaaiet
prove; very much the
danger attending it ; but if your lordshipsa
will read my letter explaining what passed. (Hear.)
rue I
"In your lordship's report of the ca.valry action ),
in the liners , °I "ala-
klava of the 25th ult., given which have just
arrived from England, you. observe that, /Fein some Tuhicon.
eeptiou of the instruction to advance, the lieutenant-general
considered that he was bound to attack at all hazarasti.
he accordingly ordered Lord Cardigan to move
m m.
grave ch
arge,
and a
oveforwardvgith
the light brig lard, Surely, lay , this
and au imputation reflecting seriously on my professional cha-
racter. I cannot remain silent. It is, I feel, incumbent
n
be.irite from
en nse. ,
to state those facts which I cannot doubt nrtt e
what I respectfully submit is altogether unmerited. The ca-
valry was formed to support an intended .
the t of the
infantry, when Captain Nolan, the aide-de-camp of
Qaar-
termaster-General, came up to me at speed, and placed in u
ry
hands 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 takes per se, even before anything had
been said by the aide-de-camp, but when I spoke to the
aide-do-camp he told me somethine that Lord Raglan did
not say in the order—namely, tha*t his lordship intended
that the cavalry should attack immediately.
" After carefully reading this order, I hesitated and urged I
the uselessness of such an attack and the dang,crsattending it.
The aide-de-camp, in a most authoritative tone, stated that
they were Lord Raglan's orders thatthe cavalry should attack
immediately. I asked him, Where, and what to dor "
I think it is right that I should now read to your lordships
what an aide-de-camp is. The general orders of the army,