The National Register.
London, England, 1812-04-05 00:00:00

COURT-MARTIAL.

A General Court-Martial was held at Chelsea, on the 20th an d 21st o
December last, on Lieutenant Scott, of the Ist Royal Tower Hamlets
regiment of militia, but the issue was not promulgated till within the se
few days. It decides two questions of great in,p.rtance to the army.
The charges were brougut by Cobalt! Beaufoy, of the satne regineelit,
and were as follows :

Ist. Far disobedience of ibegimental orders, dated 24th and 25th of
October, 1811, in not attending the Captain of the 'Alta, at head-quar-
ters, Hackney, at guard—mounting, at one o'clock, and at eight o'tiol
at night, op Wedoesday, the 6th of November.
2d. For repeatedly breaking his arrest, On or about the 12th, on or
about the 13th, and on or about the leak of November, 1811.

The prisoner had notice of a third charge, which was withdrawn,
viz.:--

For not occupying a billet on the Horse and Groom public-house, in
Marc-street, liackney, when to Lint by the Quarter-Mastvr,
Grant, of the saine regiment.
The prosecution was cum:i:led by counfel; the pris.oner defended
himself.

After evidence had been adduced by both parties, the Coon was
closed for-near three quarters of an hour, wt:cn 6cmencc WAS adjudged
as folluw•s

" 1 he Court having maturely weigh:ll and comidered the whole of
the evidence offered to it, together with the prkoner's defence, is of
opinion, as to the first charge, that the prisoner did not attend at head-
quarters on the days and Cities specified in the chante. and he is there-
, fore, to that extra!, guilty of a disobedience of the orders therein specified.
" As to the second charge, the Com t is of opinion, that the prisoner
did, on the days specified, go beyond the h;undaries of the parish of
Hackney, to which his arrest was limited, only a few yards, by passing
too and fro between the lodging he had before occupied, and the head-
quarters of the regiment; and that he did on those days continue to
lodge within the limits of, though at a very small distance from, the
boundary of the parish of I lackney. But it is of opinion, that he is not
guiky.of breaking his arrest, within the intent and meaning of the 27th
Article of the iii h Section of the Articles of War.

" The Court do therefore adjudge, that the prisoner be prirate:v
admonished by the Colonel of his regiment to pay Strict attention to 1
orders in future.
" The Court cannot close its proceedings without ob?erving, that
the facts brought forward by Colonel Beaufoy, in support of the charge.,
are of a vexations nature, and too frivolous to have been made the subject
of so solemn a proceeding. And is is farther of opinion, that theimn.
duct of Captain and Adjutant Peyton, in employing non-commissioned
01Bcers to watch the prisoner, is highly reprehensible.
(Signed) " C. B.WoccAsToN, 1). Judge-Advocate.
" E. I)eS/11( w, Lieutenant-Colonel, President."
By a letter from his Royal Highness the Commander in Chief, to
Lieutenant-Get eral Sir Harry Burrard, trte following order took place
on the sentence:—

4‘ His Royal Highness the Prince Regent having approved and. co- •
firmed the same, was afterwards pleased to command that the adnu i-
don awarded by the Court should be remitted." • •
The power of enforcing obedience to•frivotous and vexatious order $
is then:tin-id determined not to exist in the British army ; and alsis,•
the arrest necessary to the admitiistratioti of its justice, is not to l eqn;-
vocally or unnecessarily limited. And this, instead of inducing any
thing like an insubordinate spirit, must inspire a more perfect resptct
for a service in which every individual is protected in his duty.

There is a prevalent opinion, in many regiments of Local Militia,
that the men are entitled to their clothing at the expiration of the pe-
riod for which they were originally enrolled ; but Mr. Secretary Ryder
has given directions to inform them, through the medium of their
Commandants, that it was never the intention of Government, to give
them up their clothing, whichis the practice in the Regular Militia,
whose servitude is for five years; and that the few days the former ar•
assembled together, cannot possibly entitle thou to that indulgence
but that the other necessaries, distinct trom the clothing, at the ex; n
ration of the period of traiming, will become the ah4olute property v.
the men fur whom they were proritled.

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11111 b

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