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

ARMY MEDICAL OFFICERS.

Col. DUNNE asked the Under Secretary for War
whether it was the intention of the Government to asso-
ciate a civil practitioner with the military medical offi-
cers who direct that department of the army ; to state
who had been selected, and what amount of payhe was to
receive ; also, whether he was to become subject to the
articles of war ?

Mr. F. PEEL replied that it was the intention of the
Government to send out a civil practitioner with the
military medical officers alluded to ; but he was not pre-
pared at that moment to furnish the further particulars
sought by the hon. and gallant member.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

Mr. ADDERLEY asked the Secretary of State for
the Home Department whether it was his intention to in-
troduce a short bill to supply the defect in the Youthful
Offenders Act-of efficient provisions for recovering, in
fit cases, from parents, a portion of the cost of their
children's maintenance at Reformatories ?

Sir G. GREY said there had been found to be some
practical objections to the matter referred to by the hon.
member, but as a bill would be shortly introduced by
an hoc. member on the subject it could be further con-
sidered.

MORTAR AMMUNITION AND SHELLS.
Colonel WYNN asked the Clerk of the Ordnance
whether there was any truth in the report that many of
the fusees fitted to the shells fired from the mortars in
the batteries before Sebastopol were made so long ago
as 1798, 1801, 1804, and 1812 ; whether it was true that
the powder employed to fill many of the shells was da-
maged powder restoved, instead of being fresh and good
powder ; and whether the new pattern fusees made in
1852 and subsequently had not frequently been found to
be inefficient ?

Mr. MONSELL said that all the 12-inch fusees sent
from Woolwich were made in the years 1853 and 1854.
The 13-inch fusees sent from Malta might have been of
older date. With regard to the second part of the
question, he might say that re-stoved powder was gene-
rally used for such purposes. As to the last part, the
fusees bad not been found inefficient, i they were on an
improved principle. (Hear, bear.)

OFFICERS' HORSES IN THE CRIMEA.
Colonel WYNN asked the Under Secretary for War
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Govern-
ment to give any compensation to those officers whose
horses (provided at their 'own expense) had been de-
stroyed by the labour they had been subjectedto in
bringing up from Balaklava to the camp clothing, medi-
cal comforts, and provisions for the soldiers : whether
any compensation would be given to those officers whose
horses were left behind at Varna when the army em-
barked from thence to the Crimea?

Mr. F. PEEL said that compensation was always
made to officers who lost their horses in the country's
service, but he could not say whether the regulation
would apply to the instance pointed out by the gallant
member, as it would depend upon the circumstances of
the case. No application had, however, been made to
him at present.
THE CASE OF LUIGI BURANELLI.

Mr. BRIGHT moved, that the house at its rising do
adjourn until Monday, in order to have an opportunity
of calling the attention of the Home Secretary to
the case of this unfortunate man now under
sentence of death. He understood that many medical
gentlemen were of opinion that the man was insane when
he committed the crime with which he was accused, and
he had heard that Mr. Shaw, a medical practitioner,
and a person most competent to judge as to the
prisoner's state of mind, had been subpoenaed by the
Crown, but had not been called and examined, it having
been ascertained that his evidence would be favour.
able to the prisoner.

Sir G. GREY said he had made inquiries into this
subject, and bad consulted the learned judge who bad
tried the case (Mr. Justice Erle), and was fully satisfied
of the prisoner's criminality. With regard to what took
place at the trial he was not aware of the fact
alluded to by the hon. member, and was not therefore
in a position to pass an opinion upon it.

PROMOTIONS IN THE ARMY—STATEMENTS OF
MR. LAYARD.
Mr. EWAT said the hon. member for Aylesbury had
some days ago, at Liverpool, publicly stated that of the
officers promoted to appointments on Lard Raglan's staff
in the Crimea, only one, a relative of his (Mr. Ewart's) had
gained a first-class certificate at Sandhurst. The hon. mem-
ber added that he did not know whether the officer to
whom he referred owed his appointment to any Parlia-
mentary influence, but he hoped not. With respect to the
first portion of that statement, that his (Mr. Ewart's) rela-
tive was the only officer on the staff in the Crimea who
had received such a distinction at Sandhurst, he thought
it only due from him—nay, a' most imperative duty—to
state at once that that was an inaccurate representation—
(hear) -and he was convinced that nothing could be more
painful to the feelings of his relative than that he should
stand in this unjust and, he might add, this painful position.
(Hear, hear.) There were many meritorious officers serving
on the staff in the Crimea who had obtained the same
distinction as himself. (Hear, hear.) The honourable
gentleman, therefore, had committed an error unintention-
ally, having, in fact, adverted to one return, and omitted
to notice the previous one. He knew the hon. gentleman
the Under Secretary for War would do justice to those offi-
cers, but the immediate question he felt bound to put was
one affecting himself as well as his relative, whether any
such influence had been used in his favour as was distinctly
pointed at in the statement of the hon. member for Ayles-
bury, directly, indirectly, or in any degree whatever; and
whether his relative owed the position he had obtained to
any other cause than his zealous and ardent endeavours to
discharge his duty to the State?
_ _

Mr. H. BARING said he found in a newspaper of the
day previous the following statement of the services of
officers recently promoted in the Coldstream Guards, made
under the sanction of the name of the hon, member for
Aylesbury :
C. J. Burdett, 19 years' service, without purchase ; no ac-
tive service.
J. W. Newdigate, 15 years' service, without purchase ; no
active service.
Lord Dunkellin, 9 years' service, by purchase • Alma.
W. G. Dawkins, 11 years' service, without purchase; Alma.
C. W. Strong, 16 years' service, without purchase ; Alma,
Inkerman.
C. F. Wilson, 16 years' service, by purchase; West Indies,
Alma, Inkerman.
Lord Burghersh (son of Lord Westmoreland), 12 years' ser-
vice, without purchase ; staff.
Hon. A. Harding() (son of Lord Hardinge), 11. years' ser-
vice, without purchase ' • staff.
Now, it did BO happen that the last two officers were men
who had seen more service than any of the officers whose
names stood before them. With respect to Lieut.-Colonel
Lord Burghersh,he had served through the whole campaign
of the Punjaub in 1816', and had also been present at Alma,
the despatches announcing which victory he was thought
worthy to convey home. With regard to Lieut.-Col. the
Hon. Arthur Hardinge,he had been through the campaign of
the Sutlej, where he was present in three general engage-
ments, and he understood had a horse killed under him ; he
was present at the battle of Alma, and was in the charge at
Balaklava, where he accompanied the Scots Greys in their
successful charge, headed by Gen. Scarlett—(cheers)—and
last, though not least, he was at the battle of Inkerman.
(Renewed cheers.) He would be glad to know why, in the
hon. member's opinion, the ominous and unpalatable word
"staff" was the only one which could be applied to desig-
nate the services of those two distinguished officers? (Rear.)t
He asked whether the hon. member was aware thatie
services of those two distinguished officers had
itomit-
tedm et frommember
btheerfor
high-minded
ge
Aylesbury—(loud
luei usual record,duerdy
—aldoourdcheers
ewhetherers generousf
from
feeling
iiieelyi both
1,1
their
of
sides
might attributerdeteehsne o
of
tohn e.
i services,
house)—that he had omitted all mentine of
of an ambassador
because the one happened to be th
the attention of the house t
member at Liverreol, which the
to , . e
delivered by the hon.
Dumfries had already adverteditatßwuth
en
hon. member for
would agree with him
ld.nt the and the the other son to the genoeral
thought the house
,d,,, against an officer.ho i
he had
tion was made der-in-Chief, that
an accuse
of Connuan • f nee to romo-
""dalous conduct in re ere . P
General PEEL regretted extremely
tinffuished p
b
been guilty of scan
(hear, hear)—still more especially when
tions in the army
co when an oppor-
; l'ons lida
gei :gob-
ftl int; he
h o f C
speech ll
Commanding-in-Chief
another°6:3 noPI a s
in that
omi
dneomhsbiose—r
place
ecretracting
house of repeating theland stating the grounds
on which be
al feeling against the hon. member ; and no-
had no person
ht
thirstis
opportunity°twY statement,
b es
madehenouaai ilffddo
it.brh afford
e afforded
aaccusation,
(Louddrt eehfdeushheid
cries of " h e a r , h e a r . " ) He

body could regret mbre than he did, that the hon. member
had not availed himself of the opportunity afforded him to
correct his error, by the very temperate sand excellent
letter of the h.:D.. and gallant officer the member for Wigan
(Colonel Liud.ay). 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 ha
referred was as follows :—" I will give you 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 Hardinge'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
son to obtain his without purchase. After that state-
ment was made appeared the letter of the hon. 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 had 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. gontleman 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.)
Bat, 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. (Hear.) 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—providing for promotion by
rotation, consequent on deaths or accidents. The two next
vacancies were to be filled by purchase. The two senior
officers, knowing thatthere was astrong 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 Horse Guards to decide on the occurrence of a vacancy
whether it %hould 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 me with conduct so corrupt in the exercise
of military duties, in the case of the promotion of my son, to
the injury of Lieutenant-Col,pnel Wilson,' of, the same regi-
ment, that you .ado thought proper to characterise the
transaction as a most scandalous one. I most distinctly de -
dare 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, dtc.,
" A. H. Layard, Esq., M.P."

HARDINGE.

The reply to this was as follows :
" 9, Little Ryder-street, April 26.
"My Lord—ln reply to your letter I beg to refer you to
Hart'g 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 plh,oe 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 statement I made at
Liverpool—a statement, I may add, for which Colonel Wilson
is in no way responsible.—l have the honour, dm ,

" 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 I do not complain of, your
opinion that promotion in •the army by purchase is scan-
dalous.

" 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-Colonel Wilson admits that he attaches no blame
_ _

to the Horse Guards authorities.

" Your assertion that the rule applied by me in Lieutenant-
Colonelpfackinnon's case has been 'violated in others, is con-

trary to the truth.

"It is a waste of time to hold any further correspondence
with one who makes such unfounded accusations, and who
obstinately persists therein.—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 of 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 thus 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 functions
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 purchase hi that regiment, 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 any manner received there ; on which
ground the appointment was cancelled in the Gazette of the
15th of September, 1854, Land Lieutenant Cocks, the next
senior lieutenant for purchase, was gazetted to the vacant
company by purchase on the 11th September, '1854. In
evidence of this promotion being in 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 Cantain Baker, who had been promoted to a m jority in
the 73d Foot on the 12th of November, 1847, was discovered.
That officer having been promoted on that day, was killed
on the 13th of November (the following day) by a party of
linfirs. His promotion was in consequence cancelled, on the
ground that, never having heard of his promotion, 1:e, had
consequently never been in a position to exercise the functions
of the superior commission. [See the letter from the Military
Secretary of the 23d of September, 1848.] The same course
-is, therefore, to bo 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. Yea Ks.
Sept. 8, 1848."

" EnSign and Lieutenant Disbrow° was promoted by pur-
chase on the 3d of November, 1854, in succession to Captain
and Lieutenant-Colonel Cumming, who retired. It having,
however, been reported that Mr. Disbrowe was killed on the
sth November, before he could have known of his promo-
tion, an officer was brought into the regiment from the Rifle
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 'forwarded to Lord Strafford
a certificate from Dr. Ferguson to the effect that he was still
labouring under the consequences of his former illness, and
expressing au opinion that a return to the arduous duff
the East might be considered as certain death to him. Under
these circumstances he applied to be placed upon. half-p.
a time, stating that he had served thirty yearscifoulxlpre
"Lord Strafford, in forwarding this applicatione_or
brintingseuin
a hope that some arrangement might bo won f
d sell out, and
a lieutenant-colonel from half-pay
that the vacancy might thus be fillewdbheboy:pnreo,mmoti,oinnitnhtehfierrsot-
giment. This, however, could not
td
place, there was at that tbimoeunhot
joelui f2ll7itywito" ie•elaloinseh the
pay who had applied to be r
value of his commission; and, :the next, there was a similar
case of the lieutenant-colonel of the 51st Regiment, who was
anxious to be placed oµ half-pay, and the officers of that re-
giment, from the length of their services, had apriorieculateimnatno
what is considered an advantage, t
colonel viz., the step of 1
going by purchase through regiment, instead of a
lieutenant-colonel being brought from the half-pay and no pro-
motion taking place.
The applications, however, in both cases stood over for
a time, that if any lieutenant-colonel on half-pay
to should offer
to sell, advantage might be taken of the opportunity
promotion in both regiments.give
" On the 29th January, however, Colonel Crombie renewed
his application, and applied for some leave of absence, incase
any further delay was likely to take place.
4‘ Lieutenant-Colonel Blackburn, on half-pay, had by that
time applied to sell, but it was not thought fair towards the
old officers of the 51st Regiment to allow the promotion to
go in the Guards, and put in an officer as lieutenant-colonel
of the 51st to remain in it, and Lord Harding° would have
been especially indisposed
of.htios daoens,o,tahseriet
for the apparent benefit have been
no knowledge ofbweinulgdat the time
,what might be the intention of Colonel
Upton as to remang till he was a general officer, or going
previous to obtaining
the
rank
on
half-pay,
as
many other
Guards
similarly circunotanced have repeatedly