The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-25 00:00:00

(‘ _HONOURS AT ROME AND PROMOTION
ABROAD."

The fnllowin,g letter has been addressed to the Times :

—Sir,—l read with no little surprise in an evening paper
of Saturday last that a pension of 1001. a-year had been
granted to Lord George Paget for distinguished ser-
vices. I had previously seen his name early in the
week in the list of those who had obtained the Com-
panionship of the Bath, and I observe in the Times of
ye,terday, under the head of " Military Intelligence,"
that he is now placed in command of the Light Bri-
gade of Cavalry in the Crimea. Will you allow me,
Sir, a very small space in your columns, that we may
look into some of the antecedents of the noble lord, and
see how far they justify such an accumulation of " honour,
promotion, and reward ?" Lord George Paget entered
the army in 1834. His promotion, as might have been
expected, was rapid ; he becomes a major in the army
in January, 1846 ; lieutenant-colonel (commanding the
4th Light Dragoons) in December of the same year ;
and colonel in June, 1854. On the breaking out of the
war he is employed for the first time on active service,
goes to the Crimea in command of his regiment,
is present (and only present, not under fire) at the
Battle of Alma, and led his regiment into action
in the gallant affair of Balaklava. He then applies
for leave of absence to England and obtains it, not
upon the ground of ill health, but with the express
and avowed intention of selling out and leaving the
army. On arriving in England, however, he finds that
this will not do. Unless rumour very much belies the
truth, the Queen herself gave him a hint on the subject,
and, pressed on all hands, he is compelled reluctantly to
return to the seat of war in the course of the spring,
having deserted his troops and his duty during the hor-
rors of last winter, and hazarded his reputation and his
fair name in the opinion of all who were aware of the
circumstances of the case.
Now, such being the nature of Lord George's services,
is it or is it not a prostitution of the honour to enlist
him among the Companions of the Bath ? Is it not an
insult to the service to place him among the recipients
of pensions for distinguished services ? Does the simple
fact of having led a regiment in the charge of Balaklava,
brilliant though it was, jusfify either one or the other,
still less both ?

One method of ascertaining this is to compare Lord
George's services with those of other officers, and with
this view I turn to Hart's Army List for 1855, and upon
the very same page in which Lord George's name ap-
pears, and in which his services are summed up in this
simple statement, " Commanded the 4th Light Dra-
goons at the Battle of Balaklava," occurs that of an offi-
cer to whose name is attached the following :
" Lieutenant-Colonel served with the Light
Dragoons throughout the astapaign of 1842 in Affghanistan
(medal), and was present at the forcing of the Khyber Pass,
storming the Heights of Jugdulluck, action of Tezeen and
Huttkotul, occupation of Cabul, storm and capture of
Istsliff. He served, aleo, in the Punjaub campaign of
1848-9, and was present at the affair of Rumnuggur, the
passage of Vv-uzerabad, on the Ist of December, 1848,
action of Sadoolapore, and Battles of Chillianwallah (se-
verely wounded) and Guzerat (medal, &c)."
This officer is not
_a Companion of the Bath, or in pos-
session, as far as I am aware, of a pension for distin-
guished services. A few pages further on I find the fol-
lowing :

"Captain served with the Light Dragoons
throughout the campaign of 1842 in Affgbanistan (medal),
and was present at the forcing of the Khyber Pass, cap-
ture of Mamoon Khail, storming the heights of Jugdnlluck,
actions of Tezeen and Huitkotul, and occupation of Cabul.
He was present in the action of Maharajpore (medal). He
also served in the Sutlej campaign of 1845-6, including the
battles of Moodkee, Ferozeshah (charger killed), and So-
braon (medal and two closps)."
No. C.8.-ship. No pension. Again :
" Lieutenant-Colonel = served during the campaign
of Affghanistan under Lord Keane, including the siege and
capture of Ghuznee (medal); also at the battle of Maha-
rajpoi e (medal); in the campaign on the Sutlej (medal),
including the battles of Buddiwal and Aliwal, at which
last he was severely wounded by a musket shot while
charging, with the squadron he commanded, a large body
of infantry with three guns in their front, and which be
broke through and dispersed, being the last of the enemy's
infantry which stood their ground."
No honours,' no pension. Again :
" Lieutenant-Colonel ----served at the siege of Bhurt•
pore, and was a volunteer for the dismounted cavalry
storming party. He served also in the action at Maharaj-
pore (medal), and in the campaign on the Sutlej, including
the battles of Buddiwal, Aliwal, and Sobraon. At Aliwal
he commanded the right wing of the Lancers, and sub-
sequently the regiment, as also at Sobraon."

No pension, no honours. If it were necessary I could
recite instance after instance of this description ; and,
still further, were I to go into the services of officers of
the Indian army I should find no difficulty in bringing
forward several well know►► names of men whose
services have been of the highest possible character,
influencing, some of them, the issue of battles
and turning the fortune of campaigns. but who have
not obtained the distinction to which Lord George
Paget's one charge appears to have entitled him.
But the more serious question, sir, still remains be-
hind. Is Lord George Paget a fit and proper person
to be intrusted with the brigade of light cavalry or
is he not ? Do his reputation and performances
justify such a command ? Does any military man be-
lieve that, if an occasion should arise where judgment,
or skill, or coolness, or knowledge of the art of
war is required, he would be found equal to the crisls
lam a civilian, but I live much among military men. I
have never heard but one opinion of my Lord George
Paget—viz., "that he is utterly inefficient, and totally
ignorant cf his duties even as commandant of a cavalry
regiment ;" and not only so, but he is also reported to
hold doctrines and opinions utterly at variance with the
proper performance of his duties as a soldier.
If to such men as these brigades of the British army
are to be intrusted, all I can say is, " God help old
England !" Whether we obtain success or not, one
thing is certain, " we do not deserve it."