The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-02 00:00:00

THE WOUNDED IN THE CRIMEA.

Mr. STAFFORD called attention to a letter which
had appeared in the Times newspaper denying the state-
ments wade by him as to the wretched condition of the
wounded after the affair of the 18th of June before Se-
bastopol. He di►d not a.k for any answer on the part of
the Government, but he trusted their attention would
be bestowed on the subject of the sufferings of our
wounded, which he described as very painful.

GOOD SERVICE PENSION TO LORD GEORGE
PAGET.

Mr. DILLWYN called attention to a report that
Lord George Paget has received a good service pension
of 1001. a year, with the view of inquiring into the
truth of such report, and of ascertaining., if true, what
the Fpecial services have been for which such pension
has been awarded. (Hear, hear.) Ile did not doubt
the gallantry and merit of Lord George Paget, but he
believed he had not seen much active service. It was
true he was engaged in the brilliant affair of Bilaklava,
and no doubt had well and gallantly discharged his duty
there ; but he (`Zr. Dillwyn) believed he had not
seen active service since ; that he spent last winter in
this country, and was now, as he understood, at Con-
stantinople. He knew nothing personal of Lord George
Paget, and therefore wished to say nothing of him, but
he thought it was due to the house and to the army,
that the house should know that pensions of this de•
scription were not awarded on account of birth or
patronage, but really on account of good. service in ac-
tion.

Mr. PEEL said it was quite correct that Lord Geo.
Paget had been made the recipient of a good service
pension by Lord Hardinge, who was alone responsible
for such pensions. He was a good deal surpri,ed at the
animadversions which this pension had given rise to,
for the hon. gentleman ought to be aware the house
could not properly distinguish the merits of individual
officers. The reason why Lord George Paget got this
pension was, that at the battle of Balaklava, where there
were ten cavalry regiments engaged, Lord George
Paget was the senior regimental colonel present, and led
his regiment and rallied them with the utmost gallantry
and therefore he eras judged a fit and proper recipient
for a good service pension.
Colonel LINDSAY said no man could deny that
those gallant officers who had done their duty in the
Crimea deserved every reward that a grateful country
could bestow. At the same time, he thought the coun-
try had not been sufficiently grateful in rewarling the
distinguished services of those officers who had served
in the Peninsular war, and he hoped the attention of
the military authorities would be directed to the subject.
After a few words from Sir W. GALWAY,
Lord PALMERSTON put it to the house whether
this was a time to discuss such a question as this.
These rewards were intrusted to the discretion of the
Commander-in-Chief by virtue of his office ; and he
asked was it possible that the members of this house
could determine whether any particular officer was or
was not deserving of those rewards, and he believed such
discussions would have a most prejudicial effect on the
public service. (Hear, hear.)
Captain SCOBELL said as this matter had been
alluded to and commented on in the public papers, it
was better that the explanation now given should have
been given is this house.
Major REED believed the hon. gentleman the Under
Secretary at War (Mr. Peel) was incorrect in saying that
Lord George Paget was the senior colonel present at
Balaklava.

Mr. PEEL said he had said the senior regimental
colonel.

Sir F. BARING expressed his opinion that those
pensions ought to be given to the oldest officers. (Hear.)
Mr. WILLIAMS protested against the doctrine laid
down by the noble lord at the head of the Government,
that the House of Commons had no right to canvass
those questions. (Hear, hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON said he had not stated that—
ho had only said it was not a fit question for discussion.
Mr. A. PELLATT thor,ght the present was a case of
great hardship, and if it was consistent with the rules of
the house he would move an address to her Majesty,
that men who had so much right to receive a reward
from their country had been overlooked, land entreating
her Majesty to take their case into her serious consi-
deration. He thought that the course pursued by the
Government in the present instance was without a pa-
rallel. . _

Colonel DUNNE thought that the present system of
promotion in the army was very defective, and ought to
be amended. As it at present existed .men that were
made corporals would receive less ths❑ the common
soldier.
The subject then dropped, and the house resolved
itself into a committee of

SUPPLY.
On the question that a sum cf 3,7111. should be
granted for the Statute Law Commiskion, some short
(liscus,ion took place, and the vote was ultimately
agreed to.

TII E WAR. 1
On the vote of 3,000,0001. for the additional expense
of the war with Russia being put,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that this sum had been allowed for in the additioral
estimates that had been brought forward, and it only
required that the sanction of the house should be given
in order to enable the Treasury- to meet the demands
that might be made upon it. It did not follow, in
granting the vote, that the amount would be required.
After some short discuision,
The vote was agreed to.

Mr. PEEL then rose, pursuant to notice, to move a
supplementary commissariat estimate for the service in
the Crimea. The house had already granted to the
Government for this aepartment a .sum of 1,440,0001.,
and a further sum of 2,260,0001. was required to
carry it out effectually. The right hon. gentle-
man at some length entered into the details
of the course that had been adopted by the Government
in buying cattle and providing for the provisioning of
the army, in the course of which he stated that large
depots had been formed in the Crimea, by which the
greatest comforts had been afforded to our army there,
and by which they were insured for four days a week
fresh meat. Equal attention had been paid to the navy,
and a full amount of food had been secured to them.
[LEFT SITTING.]

TIIE LATE DISLWEBANCES IN HYDE-

PARK.

CONCLUSION OF THE INQUIRY INTO THE
CONDUCT OF THE POLICE.—(THIS DAY.)
The Commissioners took their seats for the last time
this morning shortly after 11 o'clock.
Mr. Mitchell, in addressing the commissioners, said he
had to thank Mr. Duncombe, en the part of his clients,
for calling the attention of the house of Commons to the
circumstances complained of, and getting this inquiry
appointed, and forhimself ho thanked the commissioners
for the courtesy they had shown him in conducting the case.
He was not there covertly to support any particular
views with reference to the Sunday Trading Bill or the
Beer Bill ; and, in reference to the better observance of
the Sabbath, remarked, be thought an improvement in
that respect might be obtained by employers paying
their servants on Fridays instead of Saturdays. He,
however, looked upon Lord R. Grosvenor's Bill as an
attempt to revive an almost obsolete statute of Charles
11., which oppressed the poor to make amends for the
profligacy of the rich. He was there to complain on
the part of his clients against a gross outrage committed
by the police, and which they would never cease to
complain of by all lawful means until they obtain re-
dress, and the persons so complained against punished.
Mr. Mitchell next adverted to the number of persons
who had voluntarily coma forward to speak to these out-
rages—men knocked down by the policemen's bludgeons,
women whipped, and other acts of violence, the people
being in every way insulted and ill-used, locked up in
cells, at 'which the Commissioners had expressed
disapprobation, and where they were confined a
whole night, bail in their opinion being illegally
refused them. Many of these persons, it would
be remembered, were confined all night, and not brought
before a magistrate till 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the
next day, and then they were discharg,ed—some with-
out charges being made against them, whilst others were
not liberated until Tuesday. Some of these were work-
ing men, who sustained great injury by loss of time,
and their characters much injured in the estimation
of their employers. The police acted outrageously,
and were led on by one man against whom half
his witnesses spoke. Of the 86 witnesses he bad
called, 20 spoke to specific acts of violence on
his part, whilst others described h;m as being
mad," raving mad," "a lunatic," f; a mad•

man," " striking with his whip," " swearing.," "riding
clase rpan the people," striking respectably-dressed
s," &c. Of the persons making complaints one was
a colonel, a member of the aristocracy, and a relative
of Lord Harcourt ; five were gentlemen of independent
means, four Larristers, six professional men, forty trades-
men, some carrying on extensive business, and thirty
working men. A'l of them were men of such character
and standing that not a word had been advanced against
their character by Mr. Ellice in the course of his cross-
examination. If the charges he had brought against
the police were true, they required serious consi-
deration. B-at how had they been met by the solicitor
for the police? Why, by calling the men whose num •
hers had been taken, all of whom c:enied the charges,
which he (Mr. Mitchell) expected, because by the 2 and
3 Vic., chap. 47, sec. 14 (the Metropolitan Police Act),
it was enacted that every constable who shall be guilty '
of neglect or violation of duty in his office of constable,
shall be liable to a penalty of 101., to be deducted from
his salary, or, in the discretion of the magistrate, im-
prisoned, with or without hard labour, for a period not
longer than one calendar month. He proceeded to ad-
vert on the evidence of the policemen, which, he said,
was not to be credited, or, at all events, to be looked
upon with extreme suspicion. He did not at-
tempt to deny that some carriages were hissed
at, and stones thrown, but all that took
place in the Park on the Ist of July was
caused by the riotous conduct of the police. They
rushed in pell-mell in all directions amongst the people,
striking in all directions, using not the slightest discre-
tion. He next read extracts of the evidence given by
the complainants with reference to the character and con.
duct of the people and the outrage committed by
them, which he contrasted with that of the police.
The commencement of all the ill-feeling against the
police was their ostentatiously taking away the
dead eel. He thought the people might have
been allowed to amuse themselves with it without
the interference of the police. It would have been time
enough for them to have interfered when a breach of the
peace was evident. It was not only his opinion, but
that of his clients, and a number of persons who sympa-
thised with them, that the disturbances were mainly
caused by Sir Richard Mayne. His evidence showed he
anticipated a meeting of a tumultuous character, and
probably a riot ; and, consequently, he should have
been on the ground, and given directions, instead of
remaining at his office, which showed great care-
lessness and want of foresight. As riots did not occur
every day, had Sir• Richard been on the ground he pro-
bably could have prevented so serious a disturbance oc-
curring. It was a gross breach of duty on the part of Sir
Richard Mayne, if the clearingthe railings was so neces-
sary, a sufficient number of police were not on the ground
to keep the line when the people were sent back. After
adverting to Sir Richard's absurd description of the
rushing of the police, and the notices read by Sir Richard
Mayne, as well as his own, which requested all "well
disposed persons " to keep away, thereby inviting the
disorderly to attend ; and although so many persons
were apprehended, and the character of the crowd so
riotous, it was extraordinary that but four of the
police were reported as injured, and that but
slightly. Mr. Mitchell next alluded to what he
called a serious derilection of duty on the part
of Sir Richard Mayne, in not attending that evening at
the Vine-street station to admit the prisoners to bail, he
being, in addition to his chief commissionership, a justice
of the peace for the purposes of the Metropolitan Police
Act. Although he did not act as such, a routine so
mi,chievous in its results might have been departed
from, and Sir Richard have gone to the station, having,
if he were in doubt, first consulted ooe of the law ad-
visers of the Government. It was only from the expres-
sion of public indignation through the press such a change
was reac'e in the nature of the charges but at the time
be took no trouble to ascertain what the charges really
were. According to "Burn's Justice" persons meeting
together fora public purpose and broke the peace was nut
a riot but treason. It was the privilege and right of Eng-
lishmen to attend meetings and express their opinion in
a quiet and orderly manner, which was not to be set
aside merely because a few idle boys and thieves of Lon-
don mixed amongst them and got up a row.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]