The National Register.
London, England, 1821-08-26 00:00:00

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THE NATIONAL REGISTER

one soldier struck him on the shoulder, and another hit
him a blow' in the mouth. He conceived that this was
a gross insult offered to a jdry assembled 03 perform a
very solemn and important shiny, and it ought to be re-
presented to die Ailjolant's superiors, and he hoped he
would take upon IiIIIISCII to do it. He mentioned it in
the hope that that gentleman would convey it to the
commanding officer.
The Adjutant said, it would be better for the jury to
make a representation upon the subj.xt to the proper
quarter themselves.
Mr. Spicer (another juryinan).—l think that we 'ravel
nothing to do with that subject here; and I will add,
that whatever insults we met with we brought upon
ourselves, by nut making a proper application on Mon-
day night fur admission.
I.lle Foreman warmly observed, lie was surprised to
hear such an observation. TI:: worthy gentletnan diet.
asked the Adjutant if he knew of any di:guise being
adopted by any of the officers at the inspection.
Adjutant.—No. 1 wAI venture to say no such dis-
honourable prl.ctice was adopted. I did not see any
man laugh at the persons who viewed the regiment.—
The men went out on the i.tth, under the orders of the
civil power. I cautioned them of that fact. It is the
constant rule to inform the men, when they go out tinder
the civil power, to act by die direction of that power,
and by its orders alone.
Richard 'Ernie, Esq. the magistrate, was then sworn.
Ile would stale what he presumed he was brought here
to state, namely, what he saw yesterday at the 'barracks
at Knightsbaidge. He received instructions from the
Under Secretary of State to attend there at eleven o'clock,
and to see that the witnesses admitted there by tickets
from the coroner, and Mr. Higgs (the coroner on the
other inquest). had free access to examine' the officers
'and soldiers to answer the ends of public justice: 'Flit
order was countermanded in the course of the morning
by another letter, stating, that it would he inconvenient
for the regiment to he drawn out before two. He went
there a little before two, accompanied by Mr. Raynsford,
a magistrate or Queen's-square. He then found, from a
gentleman, who was called the Silver Stick, he believed
Col. Hull, that the regiment was not to be drawn out
until further orders were received from the Commander
in Chief, and that was the sole C3115C of delay, he assured
the coroner. They waited very dis igreeably until half-,
past lout o'clock; at which time Sir Henry Torrens, the
Adjutant General,arrivctl. who expressed his surprise that
no report had been made, and said he thought there must
be 53111 C mistake. A conversation took place, and Sir H.
Torrens said the delay had taken place in consequence
of his not receiving an answer 'from the Coroner. The
men were then ordered out. The commanding officer
assured him that the officers and men were drawn out
in the same accoutrements and on the same horses as on
the 14111. He was called Col. Cavendish. Observing
some of the men cloaked, he asked the Colonel the reason,
and he said they were men who were cloaked on the
14th. He would now explain why some witnesses were,
not admitted. It was that the tickets they brought had .
not thenatoe entered. None were refused that he knew
of after their names were inserted. He would now state
the manner in winch the inspection took place. The
witnesses were placed in a room together, and a com-
plaint being made to thin by one of them of the heat,„
he procured them a larger and cooler place, where they,
could walk about. When the regiment was drawn up,;
they were called out one by one. The soldiers were/.
formed into two ranks, in what they termed " open:
order ;" and lie (witness) accompanied diem, and so did'
Mr. Raynsford. There was no other magistrate present.
He had seen something in the newspapers, about a joke
of the witnesses having been told to keep their eyes to •
the right. He would explain that. When they were
going along the line, he saw some of them looking dif-
ferent ways, and he advised them to look first at one
line throughout, and then the other, and they would not
miss any.

•
Two or three of the witnesses wished to take a second
examination, but the commanding officer said that was
contrary to his instructions • but witness and Mr. Ravens-
ford insisted upon it, and instructions;
Adjutant General was of
their opinion, and it was complied with. The witnesses,
whenever they pointed at, or identified any person,
stopped, and the commanding officer directed the Ad-
jutant to take down the name of the person so identified,
which he believed was done. Alter the witnesses had
they went away. Witness asked the commanding
officer, in the presence of all the witnesses, if every man
and every officer who was on duty on the 14th of August
was now present and in the same order, and mounted
on the same horse as on that day, and he was answered
that they were, with the exception of one, who was in
the hospital—he was a private.
- •

By Jurymen.—He did not take the names of thc per-
sons identified down, for he thought he would be in-
truding upon the province of the gentlemen of the Jury
If he had asked the names, the answers would not have
been eVidence, for how could he tell
,that they would
answer truly ; they might give a wrong name. The
Adjutant was ordered to take the names, and he sup-
posed he did so, or he would be answerable for his con-
duct. Two of the witnesses fixed upon one officer. Mr.
Stafford thechief clerk was present, he believed, for the
purpose of taking down the names of the witnesses, and
any observations they might make. lie (Mr. Mune)
and the other magistrate were there as he understood
expressly to protect the witnesses, that they might not
consider themselves (miler military controls I. The boy
Alexander (as witness was told) fixed upon Lieutenant
Gore.

A Juryman asked Mr. Birnie, if the soldiers laughed
3t all
Mr. Birnie.—Yes, there was some sneering, I be-
lieve, as there always will be on such occasions.
The worthy Magistrate then departed , and at the re-
que:d of the Jury, said hi. would send Mr. Stafford word
that his presence was rviptired here, and he had no
doubt he would conic immediately. If the Jury should
roluire any further explauatian from him (Mr, B.)