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

done. Lieutenant-Colonel Blackburn was therefore placed
on full. pay in the 51st Regiment on the 13th of February,
and ininiedlifelf sold out, the promotion going through the
regiment.
" Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Burghersh, ou the staff pay
unattached, was brought into the Coldstream Guards, vice
Crombie, on the 9th of February, and remains in the regi-
ment.
"It may be added that the date of the submission to the
Queen of Lord Burghersh's removal from the staff pay to the
Coldstream Guards, vice Crombie, was the 7th of February,
1855.
"At that time the only death of a general officer which
hadbeen reported at the Horse Guards was that of General
the Hon. T. E. Capel,.who died on the 3d of February.
"Two more were required for the promotion.. of Colonel the
Hon. A. Upton to be a major-general; these occurred, one
on the 7th and the other on the 9th of February, viz. Sir
Patrick Stuart and Lieutenant-General Sir William Eusiace,
but there was no idea at the time of the probability of the
death of either of these officers, itroersb,aungdht in
so
as
sapzenwased
,thLaite,utb.y.
Lord Burghersh laving been
Colonel the 'Hon. A. Hardinge lost a step,"
That brought him to the case of Lieutenant-Colonel Har-
dinge. By a rule of the service, when three general officers
died the senior colonel was promoted. Now, it 80 hap-
pened that after all these promotions to which be had just
referred, three generals died in one week. The senior
Colonel then on the list was Colonel Upton, of the Cold-
stream Guards, who was promoted to the major-general-
ship, and then, in strict course, Lieutenant-Colonel Har.
dinge obtained his promotion. He would not add a single
word to this statement. It was for the house to decide
to whom the charge of "scandalous conduct" applied.
Mr. F. PEEL said that, after the statement of his gal-
lant relative, the house could not hesitate to come to the
conclusion that there had hardly ever been a stronger in-
stance in which a disposition to damage and discredit a
Government had led an hon. member of that house to dis-
tort the view which he had taken of a case, and to blind
himself to the just and true merits of a question. With
regard to the first question that had been put to him by
his hon. friend the
member for Dumfries (Mr. Ewart), the
house would recollect that the hon. member for Aylesbury
stateda,tLiverpool that only one officer who had obtained
certificate of merit at Sandhurst was now serving on the
p,dletaovitnhge
isttatoff itiee
staff in the Crimea, and then he said, " I hope he was not
.
inferred that
otf Parliamentary
. tiieli
bflaypupetnohiceent'influence of his hon friend behinTashiamp,P°winh?se
views on public questions .generally harmonised with
twhaoyseinofwthiheahprheasent
(Mr. Government.pee In most cases, the only
1) could have met such a change
would have been by a simple denial, by the assertion
that the appointment in question
tat the that the officer in cidaegataiionnedhwadasgdanineadto,
and by his peculiar fitness for the discharge of its duties.
But he was able in this instance to go fniiher its
so happened that Major Ewart could not ha; e because
e 1
ap-
pointed by the influence, of any one in thathouse, because
he he was not placed on the staff by any
authority
country. -(Cheers.) When the first army of 10,000 men
went out to the Bast, Lord Hardinge., in conjunction with
Lord Raglan, selected the officers to be placed on the staff,
but the subsequent appointments were left in the hands of
the Commander-in-Chief, and Captain Ewart, then a cap-
tain in the 93d Regiment, was appointed deputy quarter.
master-general by Lord Raglan on the 26th September,
1854. On the 29th December he was promoted to the
rank of regimental major, and on the 12th February he was
ordered to rejoin his regiment, and he, accordingly did so,
and then ceased to be on the staff. Therefore, the
Government at home had nothing to do with the appoint-
ment of Capt. Ewart. (Cheers.) Besides, the fact was,
that the hon. gentleman had fallen into an error in stating
that only one officer who had obtained's certificate of
merit at Sandhurst was now serving on the staff. The
facts were these. On a return (moved for by another gen-
tleman) stating the numbe of officers who bad obtained
certificates at Sandhurst, and had subsequently filled staff
appointments, being placed upon the table, the hon. mem-
ber for Dumfries (Mr. Ewart) called his (Mr. Peers) atten-
tion to the omission of his relative's name. That being
so, he caused a supplemental return to be prepared, in
which, of course, only the name of Capt. Ewart appeared. •
The;previons return' showed that at least ten or eleven
officers who had obtained certificates of merit at Sand-
hurst were now serving in the Crimea. (Loud cheers.)
He now came to the question adverted to by his gallant
relative. In his speech at Liverpool the hon. member for
Aylesbury stated that the officers who had most distin-
guished themselves in the Crimea were regimental officers ;
and then, asking what was the nature of their reception
here, ho said that the Government treated them with in-
difference, and that the only reward they got was the sym-
pathy of the people of this country ; thus contrasting the
indifference of the Government with the sympathy of the
people. He then proceeded to refer to the case of
Colonel . Wilson as an illustration. Now, every one at
first supposed that the two officers above Colonel
Wilson to whom he referred as having been promoted
while in this country were Dawkins and Strong. The hon.
member, however, had since said that he said " officers
above Colonel Wilson," and not "next above;" and it
turned out that two officers named Burdett and Newdegato
were meant. They were, it was true, promoted to supply
the vacancies created by the deaths of two captains killed
out in the Crimea. They were, it was true, in this
country, but not by their own fault. Some officers—who
no doubt felt their separation from their comrades as a
great hardship—must remain here ; but if it were laid
down as a rule that all vacancies that occurred at the seat
of war must be filled up by officers on the spot, so as to
exclude those who remained at home' he certainly thought
that the latter class of officers would be treated with great
injustice. (Cheers.) He now came to the case of Colonel
Wilson. Now Col. Wilson was not compelled to purchase.
On the contrary, he was not desirous to purchase till he
heard that Dawkins and Strong had withdrawn their
names for purchase ; and he then wrote home to his friend
to purchase, being desirous of getting promoted over the
heads of Dawkins and Strong. The battle of Inkerman
soon after occurred, and they obtained promotion. And
he understood that Col. Wilson now said that he thought
he had a right to be promoted without purchase, in the
same manner as they were. But could any one, after the
precedents laid before the house by his gallant relative,
doubt that the usual course had been followed on this oc-
casion, and that it had always been the rule that when an
officer who had purchased a step was killed before the
notification of his promotion reached the head-quarters
where he was serving, the price paid for his step was re-
paid to his relatives, and of course that that step which he
had never enjoyed was resold_ (Loud cheers.) As he had
already said, Col. "Wilson was not obliged to purchase.
Had he not done so, Col. Hardinge would have been glad
to do it. But ono thing was quite clear—that whether
Col. Wilson had obtained his step gratuitously or not could
not possibly have affected Col. Hardinge. Now, whatever
might be the merits of Colonel Wilson, could any one say
they surpassed those of Lieut.-Col. Hardinge ? He had
gone through the campaign of the Sutlej, and had been
present at the battles of Sobraon, Ferozeshah, and Mood-
kee. He was not obliged to go to the Crimea, but had
volunteered to go, and while there had been present at the
Alma, Balaklava, and Inkerman, and had there obtained
his step according to the rules of the service on the promo-
tion of Colonel Upton. (Cheers.) The' hon. gentleman
had said " Honesty is the best policy." (Vehement cheer-
ing.) He (Mr. Peel) believed that the Government of this
country had long been carried on upon the principles of
perfect honour and honesty. He gave the hon. member
credit for being an honest man. (Loud cries of` " oh.")
He thought it would be the part of an honest man, and
one he expectedi the hon. gentleman to perform, that now
it had been proved that the statements he made at Liver-
pool was not in accordance with the facts of the case, he
should come manfully forward and admit that he had made
a statement injurious to the public men of this country,
who were as honest and as honourable as he was, and who
were quite as ready as any honourable gentleman there to
lay open their conduct without reservation to public
scrutiny. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. LAYARD—I will address myself first:to the ques-
tion placed on the paper by the hon. member for Dumfries.
I had no intention to make any reflection upon his relation,
nor do I think any person present believed that I had any
such intention. On the contrary, what I stated was rather
a matter. of praise to him. (Oh, oh.) I meant no reflection
on him. (oh, oh.) Indeed, at the time I did not know
that he was a relation of the honourable member, (Oh, oh,
and laughter.) What the honourable Under-Secretary has
stated is true. I did fall into an error with regard to that
return. But I think the Government are a good deal to
blame for the error into which I fell. (Oh, oh.) If their
returns are so ill drawn up that names are omitted from '
them, and then, on account of their gross omissions, ques-
' ions andreturns are then prepared, Isay Government is to

blame. (Renewed cries of " oh, oh.") I did net see the
first return. The second return alcne fell into my hands ;
and although it is a supplemental return, it is not so headed
on the sheet.

Mr. PEEL—It is headed " Supplemental return."
(Cheers.)
Mr. LAYARD (as we understood)—lt was not on the
face of the return.

Mr, PEEL (showing the return)—Yes ; it was on the
face of the return. (Cheers.)
Mr. LAYARD—That was my mistake. I did not see the
first return. (Oh, oh.) If the house had heard what I have
heard within the last few days, they would know how re-
turns are ccoked and made up to suit the purposes of the
Government. (Oh, oh.) Gentlemen may say "ob, oh,"
but the time may come when they will have to consider
that subject. (Oh, oh.) Now, with regard to the second
statement. These matters are, no doubt, of a very pain-
ful and delicate nature. There are few men in this houseo
who dare get up to speak the truth on this subject.(l, a
when such
laughter.) There are very few officers who
questions omen had seen
respect to them. (Laughter.) If hon. genelvl
noturing the
as these are mooted, dare speak the troth with
the letters on this subject that I haeve c
) to name the wri-
" name")---nor shall I name—(oh,
offingself the respon-
last few days—(cries of "read'')--ooh,
rs and you know
would be ruin to those
"read")—f},)—to
--(cries of
ters here,
I shrink not from it.
army. (Ironical cheers.) I
the various rules that apply
I had no knowledge of
it.sib iiiltystea
of
dwhhearte
hpareepeacrceedrtroedt.ake upon
the
not going
to promotions in
thing but facts, forming my obleara*
pinion upon
stated no
I may get indirect evi ence and information on
them. my own judgment
which I way guide have given '
here to betray those who . me that information,
and who perhaps would be ruined if it were known whence
my information came. (Oh, oh!) Now, in the first l ,
with respect to the use of the word " staff," in the letter13
place,
mine which has been referred to, I did not of
make any reflection. (Loudcontinued and mean by it to
of "oh, oh," and ironical cheering.) laughter, cries
by a military man, and that I have printed.lhada
list
given
me
I certainly wish I had added a statement
who have been referred to. of the services of the officers
Colonel HardingeWith regard to Lieutenant-
I have
him. had the honour of a personal
acquaintance with ' I believe that a more gallant and
meritorious officer do (21not live in her Majesty's service.. I
know that he has distinguished himself on more than one
bloody field, and there
is no one whose promotion I would
more heartily welcome.
(Ironical cheers.) This is not a
question of persons. Ido not grudge Colonel Hardinge his
promotion. But that promotion whichwas extended to
Colonel Hardinge might
have .have been extended to others who
also distinguished themselves. The gallant general
has read three letters which passed between myself and
Lord Hardinge. I will read the fourth, which closed the
correspondence. The hon. gentleman then, read the fol-
lowing letter :

" 9, Little Ryder-street, April 27, 1855.
"My Lord,-4 cannot permit your letter to remain unan.
swered. I did not state, although you have thought proper
so to assert, that ' the rule applied by you in Lieutenant-
Colonel M`Kinuon's case, had been violated in others.' What
I did state was, that ' such rules, that is rules of a similar
character, had been distinctly violated.' I referred more
'particularly to the cases of Captain Honeage sand Captain
thatLor d E.
similarCecil,e a
8 es of
are
ee
mostsame
nrumegiemroeunst., although I am assured
i, After the tone of your letter and my convictions, I per-
fectly agree with you that it is a waste of time to hold any
especially with one whO at such a
to which I have alluded,
further easr
thiscorrespondence,ea n
ius tify .
the
cases
and which have created so deep a feeling of indignatioi in the
public mind.
~ Your lordship is quite at liberty to publish this cone.