The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-22 00:00:00

THE SEBASTOPOL COMMITTEE.

The following draught resolutions were proposed
by the chairman, Mr. Roebuck
1. The state of our army, from its arrival in th
Crimea to the period at which we were appointed to in-
quire into its condition, was one of almost unparalleled
hardship, privation, and suffering.
"2. The men, when on duty, were over-worked, were
badly fed, badly housed, and were exposed, in this un-
protected state, without the comfort of fire, to cold, wet,
and tempest.
"3. The men in hospital, on account of wounds or
sickness, in addition to much of this misery, had to suffer
from insufficient medical attendance, and insufficient
medicine, and an absence of medical comforts.
" 4. When wounded, the men had often to remain for
a long period deprived of medical aid. This suffering
was produced mainly by the want of an effective ambu-
lance, and partly from the insufficient supply of eurgeollS.
"5. This calamitous state of things was the result
mainly of the circumstances in which the expedition to
the Crimea was planned and executed. The Adminis-
tration which authorized that expedition had no adequate
information as to the account of force in the Crimea and
Sebastopol ; they knew nothing of the strength of the
fortresses to be attacked, or of the resources of the
country to be invaded. In this state of ignorance they
threw our army upon the shores of the Crimea, relying
confidently on the valour of the troops and that the expe-
dition would be immediately successful ; and, as they did
not foresee the probability of a protracted struggle, they
made no provision for a winter campaign. What was
Planned and undertaken in ignorance was conducted
without sufficient care or forethought.
" G. The want of knowledge and forethought on the
part of those who planned the expedition was not sup-
plied by the energy and ability of those whose duty it
was to execute this; ill-devised measure. The Com:
mender of the Forces, Lord Raglan, by his want of
vigour and foresight, is in a great degree responsible for
the sufferings of the army. Had the requisite firmness
food,of an
fromeffic i et nh t
eaw mabnutl aofn c
shelter,
eflrtoem r,
and prudence been shown by him, much of the misery
resulting from the want of land transport, from the want
os insufficient
hffii
have been prevented. ncgie,natnadndfuieml,praroigphetr
" 7. It is but too plain that Lord Raglan did not
keep the Administration at home duly informed of the
actual condition of the army under his command. By
the statement of Lord Aberdeen himself it appears that
the Commander of the Forces failed in thispart of his
duty, and, therefore, in so far as the wants and suf-
ferings of the army resulted from the continued igno-
rance of the Administration, Lord Raglan is respon-
sible for the misery which was the consequence of that
ignorance.
"8. Lord Raglan appears also to have been without
the assistance of an able and an effective staff ; indeed,
there seems to have been no head to conceive what was
needed for the army, and no hand to execute the thing
needed, even bad it been foreseen. The men died from
overwork, insufficient and bad food, cold, and exposure,
while their leaders looked on in helpless imbecility or
culpable apathy.
"9. Among the first duties of those who plan a cam-
paign is providing for the due care of the sick and
wounded of the army. This great duty the Administra-
tion and those in authority signally failed to perform.
The condition of the hospitals at Scutari and Balaklava,
and of the haspitals on the field before Sebastopol,
during the whole period to which our inquiry is con-
fined, was a disgrace to a civilised people, and to any
body of men taking upon themselves the government
of the concerns of such a people. The persons
set over the medical department of the army, were
wholly incompetent to the task imposed on them. They
were ignorant for the most part of the duties of their
office, and what they did know they had not courage or
capacity to perform. Here, again, we see that the men
suffered and died from the incompetence of those whose
duty it was to watch over them. •
"10. The duties of the Commissariat were inade-
quately performed. The resources of the countries ad-
jacent to the Crimea were not made available for supply-
ing the wants of the army. When, by the exercise of
forethought and activity, the army might have been
provided with fresh meat and vegetables, and sickness
by this means might have been in a great measure pre-
vented or cured, the soldiers were kept on salt and un-
wholesome food ; and this food, from the same want of
forethought and activity, they were compelled often to
eat uncooked. Coffee was served out to the men raw,
no provision being made of wood or other fuel where-
with to roast it, and thus render it fit for human food.
" 11. The sea transport was also insufficient for the
wants of the army. When the expedition to the Crime
was undertaken, the Commander of the Forces and ad
the military authorities were utterly ignorant of the ca-
pabilities of the country to which the army was going to
supply them with the means of transport. In this eta` e
of things it was the part of prudence to carry to the
Crimea that which possibly the Crimea would be unable
to supply—viz., land transport. But this could not be
done, because of the insufficiency of sea transport ; and
this insufficiency arose in spite of there being a period of
three months afforded in which to supply the requisite
shipping. The absence of land transport was the cause
of great suffering and great loss ; and it may indeed r. e
csnsiclered amongst the most efficient of the proximate
causes of calamity to the army.
" 12. The transport also of the sick and wounded
from Balaklava to Scutari was marked by the want of
precaution of every description. The ships were unpre-
pared for the reception of the sick and wounded ; the
men were crowded into the bolds of the vessels, often
without be:.s, generally without proper ventilation, and,
for the most part, insufficiently attended. The sufferit g
consequently was intense during the transit ' • while the
horrors of the passage were often increased by the utl-
necessary delay that occurred in putting the men on
shore and in hospital after their arrival at the Bosphorus.
" 13. The civil duties of the Boari of Ordnance were
also very imperfectly performed. The stores needed by
the army were seldom adequate, and were not for the
most part furnished in time, and, when furnished, were
despatched without order or proper precaution. Cargoes
destined for Scutari were often carried to Balaklava,
and detained for months on board the transports, be-
cause no one had authority to reedy() them. Ships
were also so loaded that, on arriving at the port to
which part of the cargo was destined, the position of
that part of the cargo was unknown, and the ship bad
to proceed onwards in her course, carrying with her
things that ought to bave been delivered at the into r-
mediate port. Much suffering was the consequence of
this fau:ty mode of proceeding, the sick at Scutari being
in need of Stores, which, in consequence of the improvi-
dent manner in which they were put on board of the
vessels transpsr; ing them, were carried to Balaklava.
"14. Much of this confusion and error is doubtless
owing to the state in which the Board of Ordnance was
placed by the injudicious proceedings of the Adzninistra-
thei with respect to it. Just at the time when the board
was called upon for extraordinary exertion and et&
ciency—viz., at the commencement of a great war—
the Master-General of the Ordnance was appointed to
the command of the forces in the East, and seat 3,000
miles from England. A lieutenant-genc.ral of the Ord-
nance was appointed in his place, with inferior power,
and without the influence which his high office
gave the Master-General. The members of the board, no
Monger under the superintending control of a superior,
iffered among themselves, and the public service suf-
fered because of this dissension.
" 15. Much of delay, confusion and infficiency has
resulted from the faulty distribution of power among the
the different departments of the public service, and
from the want of certainty and precision as to the pre-
cise nature and extent of the separate authority of each.
The forms of office, too, have been made effective to pro-
duce delay and confusion, and have seldom contributed
to the security of the public. Intricate routine has en-
abled the timid and supine to avoid responsibility, has
been effective as an obstruction, but has seldom or
ever acted as a safeguard or check upon dishonesty.
The intricacy and confusion that prevail in every pert
of the business of the public departments are of them-
selves sufficient to account for the failures and disasters
that have occurred in the proceedings of all of them.
" 16. There is, however, one bright spot in this dark
picture. The patience and fortitude of the arm,t winch
has been the victim of all this incompetence and error
demand the admiration and gratitude of the nation on
whose behalf they have fought, bled, and suffered.
Their heroic valour, and still more heroic patience under
suffering and privation, have given them claims upon
their country which a grateful nation will doubtless be
eager to satisfy, in the hope of atoning in some measure
for the misery to which, by incompetence and improvi-
dence, they have been unduly subjected."
In the report of the committee read to the House
of Commons the following concluding paragraph,
proposed by the Chairman, Mr. Roebuck, and
carried upon a division was omitted :

• What was planned and undertaken without suffi.
cient information was conducted without sufficient care
or forethought. This conduct on tho part of the Adnai.
sistration was the first and chief cause of the salami iea
which befel our army."

GENERAL ANDRIJANOTV AND TEE
COSSACKS.

ST. PETERSBURG, Junt 12.
General Andrijanow, acting substitute of the Retniaa
of the Don Cossacks' has published a proclamation to
the inhabitants of that populous district (the banks of
the Don) ordering the organisation of a sort of Land-
sturm, and in which the following significant passages
are to be found :
Dear Comrades,—The bitter enemies of our beloved
country, after collecting an immense force in the Straits of
Kertch, have taken possession of our fortifications there,
pushed into the Sea of Azoff, and threaten to ravage our
Your acting Etetman called on yoncoas.
is now come
assistance in repelling the invaders. Thefim:rms. Collect,
to show the enemy the invincibilitypour_
ofthe furthest stations
then, friends, with all despatch, from the Tscherkask, from
last. year for your
of the province, and hasten to B
whence, united in one corps,
of the threatened coast.
once the terror of the French
You, venerable old men,
the head of your children,
at
and Turks, place yourselves courageous defence of your native
you can march to the defense
and lead them to
everthee
N Let us then prepare to meet hint
phed over Russia!
worthy of the approbation of the Emperor, and
own that'a foreign enemy trium.
fellow-conntrymen an example of our
thereby give e
iself-denial.°r
bravery au(- e, my friends, as many arms and provisions
Take with yon,
your arrival here you will be provided
cinollanmtilanneWr waseit No.
as possible.
with ammuuf .t. fon, and find us ready to join your brave
corps.

No fewer than 451 inventions in machinery and arms
have been submitted to the Ordnance Board for approval
einco the Ist of January,