The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-22 00:00:00

Military Scandal at York.

During the past few weeks the Commander-in-
Chief of the British army has been engaged in
investigating certain charges brought by the Lord
Mayor of York (Mr R. W. Hollon) against Colonel
Dickson and the officers and men of the 16th
Queen's Lancers. In a letter, dated the 23d June
last, and addressed to the Adjutant General to the
forces, the Lord Mayor complains that, soon after
his election in November last, Col. Dickson and the
officers invited him to a ball " without any cards
even accompanying the invitation." In ordinary
life (said the writer) this is an incivility that could
not be overlooked. He then complains that two cf
the officers committed irregularities in the streets
on a Sunday evening by attempting to put out
the gaslights, and for which they were fined £2
each and costs. Oa the occasion of a ball at the
York Assembly Rooms, and as the rompsoY
were
leaving, it was alleged that Col. Dickson assaulted
the policeman who had given information about the
officers just mentioned. A summons was conse-
quently issued against Col. Dickson, but the matter
was made up by the gallant colonel paying £5 to
the police fund. The Lord Mayor also spoke of the
conduct of the private soldiers, who ill-treated the
police and publicly hissed them while they (the
soldiers) were paraded to allow the police to iden-
tify some of them. Finally, he alleged that a
" bad feeling " existed between the regiment and
the volunteers of the city,
"supposed to be in con-
sequence of the Lord Mayor being captain com-
mandant of the Artillery Volunteers." The moat
intense surprise and indignation was felt by the in.
habitants of the city when they heard that these
complaints had been made to the Under Sec-
retary of State for War, and they conse-
quently sent a memorial, signed by the recorder,
city sheriff, nine aldermen, 29 councillors, eight
magistrates, and many other influential gentlemen
and tradesmen of the city, to the Duke of Cam-
brdge. The memorial certified to his royal high.
ness " that the conduct of the regiment was not
such as to justify such complaint; but, on the con-
trary, Colonel Dickson and those under his com-
mand, both officers and men, were held in very high
esteem and respect by the citizens, who greatly re-
gretted their departure from the city." The officers
of the West York Rifle Volunteers also wrote to the
Duke of Cambridge, stating that " the best feeling
existed during the whole stay of the Lancers, when
stationed in this city, between them and the local
volunteer corps to which we belong, as evidenced
by the interchange of ogreeable hospitality among
the officers of each service, and by the fact that the
volunteer band asked for and obtained permission
from their commanding officer to accompany the
Lancers in their final march through our city, thus
giving evidence of the friendly feeling of both volun-
teer officers and men towards the 16th Lancers up
to the hour of their departure from among us." Mr.
Councillor Cooper, whose residence adjoins the bar-
racks, certified that he regarded the regiment "as
COO of the best ever quartered in York." In addi-
tion to the above overwhelming teeiimeny as to the
nod character of the officers and men of the 16th
Lancers, the watch committee of the city forwarded
to the Horse Guards a minute expressing their
aatisfaction at the conduct of the regiment. The
reply of Colonel Dickson is straightforward and
manly. He characterises the statements made by
the Lord Mayor as in the main " untrue," and
" the remainder grossly exaeYgerated." He showed
that the iu77:tltiert to the bail ,Art. to the Lord