The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 8, 1855.

LINES LEASED :tT FIXED RENTALS.

ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL COM-

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

Leasing closing Prima Business
iihr• Paid. RAILWAYS.
• C ompans. yesterday. this day.
50 all Bedford and London &
Bletehley N. West ... •..
St. 100 Buckghamsb. L.&N.W ' 5 97
St. 100 Clydesdale Jc Caledon 7 99
25 24 Col. Stour Vy. Un.
Sud. and Hal. E. C••••• ••• "•
St. 100 E. Lincoln gr.
6 per cont. Gt.Nrtbn. 134 136
St. all Glas. Barr. & Caldonlan.
Neils. Direct ••• •••
St. all Do. New...... Do
25 all Glstr.dt Dn.Fi Gt. ITesLI
100 all !frtlpl. Die. & Yk. New.
Railway & Berw.
50 all Hull & Selby Y. &N M 103 105
25 all Do. 1 Sham. Do.
12 all Do. -4
Shares. Do
12i all Lon.&Greenm S. Easton 12i 134 13
20 all Do. Preference Do 22 —24
10 all Lon., Til., & S Peto &Co. 10.1 ni
S. [OO Lowestoft gr.
4 per cent. Norfolk —
St. WO Do. 6 per ct. ......
5i all ',ranch.. Bxtu L.& N. W
and gatloel. & 74idld 2g -2i
50 all Aiddloihro' & 'Raton 4
Redear ..... Darliugt.
101 all Itidld.Bradf l Midland. i O 92
50 all Niorthern an
Casternsp. E. Count. 57 59
0 all to. ti per et.. Do
50 .1' in. Fixelsp, Do
25 all Prest. & Wyr. L. &N.W
&I.nkVit „
all Do. Shares Do
St. liko :toys-in.& Hit. ltNortlu 130 133 1311
25 18i Sltef.Roth en Lancasl,4
Gool eg. 5 p.c. Yorksh.
12 9 S. Staffordsb, .11.MClear, 2i -- 2ti
50 all WearValleyto itockt.
6 per cent... Darlingt
25 all 1)o Do 3l 32
St. 100 Wilts&gomrst (4tWestn 9l

MITTEE --(THIS DAY.)

MR. ROEBUCK'S COMMITTEE.
( From the Daily Neies of this day.)

The inquiry was resumed at 12 o'clock to-day, and the
space allotted to the public was again crowded.
General Bentinck was recalled, but his re-examination
had reference to matters on which he touched yesterday,
and did not disclose any additional facts of particular in-
terest. He mentioned, however, that the tools of the pio-
neers_ were inferior, and that some of the clothiag of the
Guards was bad and was not sent out.

Mr. Roebuck's Committee is not regarded with very
friendly sentiments in high quarters. Nothing would
afford greater pleasure to influential persons who have
lately held, or who still continue to hold office, than a
plausible pretext for interrupting its inquiries. And, if
common fame say true, there lack not among its mem-
bers some who are by no means indisposed to lend their
assistance towards furnishing such a pretext. It, there-
fore, behoves the members who are honestly anxious to
push on the inquiry till some practically useful result is
obtained, to b.:. wary in their proceedings. _

Mr. Vaux, surgeon of the Harbinger, was then called—
He stated that the Harbinger, belonging to the General
Screw Navigation Company, was chartered by the Govern-
ment as a transport. On the 24th November, the vessel
was despatched in a hurry to Constantinople for vege-
tables. On opening some of the bags of vegetables he
found that they were in a state of decay. They were sup-
plied through the commissariat by contract. These were
condemned, and others were supplied. They arrived in
the Crimea in two days, when they reported their arrival
to C.tpt. and he represented it to the commis-
sary. They anchored "fore and aft" of the harbour—
that was north and south—ancl began to discharge
their cargo in about five days. A great part
of it when discharged was bad. The vegetables, of
course, were of a perishable nature. They were a fort-
night in discharging their cargo. Other vessels were a
a much longer time. Whilst there he observed the condi-

The people of England have demanded the inquiry,
not for the purpose of exposing the folly or culpability
of individuals, and inflicting an unprofitable vengeance
upon them, but for the purpose of ascertaining the causes
of the suffering to which our soldiers have been sub-
jected, with a view to devise means for averting the re-
currence of similar calamities. Perhops it was scarcely
necessary to this end to waste three whole days in try-
ing to establish the fact that the troops have suffered
very much, and suffered mainly from defective arrange-
ments. So much has been admitted even by that favou-
rite of fortune (or of the Horse Guards), General
Bentinck, who yesterday endeavoured to paint
everything en beau, and at last contrived to wriggle
for the time out of the embarrassing cross-examination
of Mr. Layard on the courtly plea that he wished to
attend the Queen's levee. General Bentinck admitted
that typhus and fever prevailed among his men ; and
they were too weak to carry their own knapsacks ; that
only half the number of medical officers were attached
to his brigade that ought to have been ; that the troops
were not properly supplied with medicines ; that he left
the Crimea before the bad weather set in, but that even
by that time the clothing of the men was worn out, and
no fresh supplies bad been received ; that the winter
clothing for the soldiers was at Constantinople by
the end of August, but did not reach Balaklava till
December ; and so forth. The accounts of the suffer-
ings of the troops, and of the inadequate provisions
made for their sustenance, comfort., and health, given by
Mr. Dundas, General Evans, Captain Wriotesley, and
others, are still stronger. It is established—indeed, it
has never been denied—that our troops have been sub-
jected to great and unnecessary suffering, and that the
system, more than any individuals, is to blame. For this
the history of the Peninsular campaigns ought to have
prepared us. During the last two or three years Wel-
lington took the control of the entire commissariat and
conveyance arrangements into his own hands. This could
only be because he found the homeadministration incom.
petent to the charge, although the country had then
been twenty years at war. There was no inconvenient
Parliament in those days, and yet the administrative Go-
vernment was as inefficient as now. Forty years have
made no change in its inefficiency. It is the system that
is to blame, and if Mr. Roebuck's committee really de-
sires to make itself of any use—the only way in which
it can conciliate that popular support which is required
to uphold it against the ill-will and machinations of men
in office and their tools—it will, without further loss of
time, set to work in a business-like manner to trace the
evils in the Crimea to the fountain-head in the home ad-
ministration.

tiou of the horses, which was very distressing, as the poor
creatures seemed almost starving. Ho also saw the sol-
diers, and they were very ragged and dirty. As to the in-
valids, they were very much emaciated and low. The sick
sent on board the Harbinger for passage home had beds or
mattresses to lie upon, and they only lost six coming home.
Application was made at Balaklava for sago and such light
food for the invalids, but th.ere was nothing but rice to be
got. The effect of eating unwholesome food in such a cli-
mate as the Crimea, if repeated, would certainly result in
diarrhoea. There was a great scarcity of horses, and even
officers could not obtain them, although the Jason was in
harbour with a cargo of 500 horses, and the captain had
made repeated applications to get rat of them. Ho did
not know who had charge of the hospital at Constantinople.
They were there about nine days, taking in cargo. Ad-
miral Boxer had chaise of the ,harbottr. They had great
difficulty in loading the ship, iu consequence of the bad
state of the weather. He did not know how much the
Government were paying for the Harbinger per day.
During the time she was engaged as a transport vessel she
was not at sea more than one-third of her time. She left
England laden with powder, shot, shell, and a heavy siege
train. On her second trip from England she had gold for
the commissariat and powder, but he did not think she
had a full cargo. She returned from Scutari laden with
sick. They were placed at Balaklava by the harbour
master. At all events he supposed so. The way the cargo
was landed was by means of a catamaran or kind of raft.
Mr. Filder was in charge of the commissariat at Balaklava
at that time. Before a vessel could be unloaded orders would
have to come from him and Captain Christie, who would
repeat them to the commander of the skip. Whilst the
Harbinger was in harbour she was used for a portion of
the time as a flag-ship for Captain Christie and staff.
When the soldiers came on board to fetch vegetables there
were some receipts given, but after a while the vegetables
scurvy became quite bad, and he recommended that the cargo
should be discharged to preserve the health of the
vessel. These receipts were not always passed ; sometimes
y on impeded
board his in
soldiers would come and take what they liked.
There was no depot for hay at Balaklava when he was
there. In bad weather the town was dreadfully dirty and
conmuddy,segu consequence.
. the T transportshere wore
no werecase verys
ofscu
much
vessel. That was a malady likely to arise from the use of
salt food. Knowing the locality, he should say that it
would be most unhealthy when the warm weather com-
menced, in consequence of the improper burial-ground,
the absence of tides in the sea, and the filthy condition of
the hem& He thought the diseases most likely to super-
vene were typhus fever and cholera. Applications
made to the Commissary for
were proper food
for the sick on board the Harbinger, but without effect,
and their constitutions suffered in consequence. The
order to enter the harbour was conveyed to them by
Capt. Christie's Flag-lieutenant. The vessel lay close in
shore. He presumed that the vegetables which were taken
from the ship reached the camp. He counted on one oc-
casion 45 transport-ships in the harbour. On the day of
the storm he should say there were many wore than 25 in
harbour. Capt. Christie was on beard before the vege-
tables were discharged, and must have known the state of
the vegetables. Representations to the effect that they
were getting decayed was sent to the commissary over and
over again.

PREFERENCE SHAKES.

99 - 101
90 - 92

kberdeen
Do. No. 2, 7 p. c....
Blyth and Tyne 10per
c. pref. (issd. at 500
Bris. & Ex. 4 p. c. St.
Do. 4 p. c. ',hares ...
Caledonian £lO
'fester & Holyhead
Guar. 5i per cent
Do. do. Pref. No. 2
Do. do. Pref. No. 2
(-Jork &Bandons /p.c
Dundee Perth &Aber-
deen Junction
Eastern Counties Ex-
tension, 5 p. c. No. I
Do. No. 2 '
Do. New 6 p. c. St.
Eastern Union, Gar
per cent
Do. 51., 10 per cent
Do. 10. Debentr.Sh-
Do. do. 4 per cent
East Lancash. 6 p.ets
East and West York-
shire June. Fifths
EdinbPrth.&Dundu
4 per cont.
Glasgow & S.Westerr
Guar. 5 per cent
Great Northn. 5 p. c
Do. 5 p. c. Redeem.,
at 10 p. c. prom...
Do. 4/ p. c
Do. 5 p. c. Scrip, Red
at sp. c. pm... ...,
G t.N. of Scot. 1 st Prei
Gt. Southn.&Westm.
(Ireland) Eighths)
Do. 4 per c. Pril. St
Gt. Westn. (Berks &
Hants Ex. 5 p. c)..
Do, con. red. 41 p.c.
Do. con. red. 4 p. c.
Do. irred. 4p.e.
Do. Birm. Pref. Sh
Do. Cnester 8 p. c.F.S
Do. do. 5 p. c. do..
Do. Birm, Gua. Stk.
Do. Ches. Gua. Sh
Do. do. do
Do. do. do
Lan. & York. F. £2O
Do. 6 p. c. Stock ...
London and Brighter,
Guaranteed 5 p. c ..
Do. Pref., 5 p. e. St.
Do. New Guar.6 p. c.
Lon. &N. \V., Coy. dz.
Nuneaton 5 p. et...
London & S. Western
Con. Thirds
Londonderry& Color
i Shares
Lowly. & Ennis. i Sh
'tan., Shef., & Lin.,
New, £lO
Do. £6
‘farypt.& Carl. 4 p 0
no. 41 per cent
Do
'did. Consol.6 p.c.St \
.)0. Consul. Bristol &
firm. ti per eent..,.133
Do. Pref. 4 per cent 1 g
\'orfolk Debenture .. 4
Do. Praf. 4 p. c. Stock , S 5
Do. 5 p.c. Ext 1103
Do. 56 per et. prof
Do. Way. Val. 5 p. c
North British
'I. E. Porw, 4 p.c. P
Do, do. do
Do. Leeds 6 p.c '.Y 0.1
Do. do. Quarters 48
Do. York 1-1 . & '4. PI, r.
North Staffordshire
)xford, Worcester, &
Wolv,rh. £l5, 6 n.c.
'toot. Cent. ,New Pret'
iouth Devon
D,.. fixed, 41 per cent,
3. Eastern (Reading
Ann.) of £1 Os. 6d.,
3 Wales Gua. 4p. c.l
Do. do. 44 p. e I
4. Yorksh.4p.e.Guar3
Stockton and Dar-1
lington, 5 per cent.
Do. do. do.'
Stockton and Hartle-
pool, guar. 5 p. c.
till Ist July, 1856

92 6i

97 - 99

5 - 6
;- i 1
124 - 13

The valuable practical speech delivered by Sir Joseph
Paxton, on Monday last, in the Committee on the Ord-
nance Estimates, may indicate to the committee the
manner in which they ought to go to work. Mr. Mon-
sell had claimed great credit for Government, on account
of the energy with which they have set about the con-
struction of the camp at Aldershot. Sir Joseph, by a
simple business estimate of the time and labour that will
be required to complete the works, and of the time al-
lowed in the Government tenders, demonstrated that
Government really does not understand the business it
has taken in hand, and is consequently incompetent to
execute it. Now, with regard to the Crimea, it is clear
that the troops have been decimated by disease ; it is
clear that food, medicine, clothing, shelter from the
weather, were not supplied to them, and hence the dis-
ease. Government will, of course, make an ostentatious
parade of the stores of fond, medicine, clothing, comforts,
and huts, which they have collected and transmitted to
the East. But let each of their spacious vague state-
ments be examined in detail after the Paxton fashion.
Let the committee begin, for example, with the huts,
and inquire when they were ordered ?—when they were
shipped ?—to whom were the manifests of the ships in
which they were embarked transmitted with orders to
receive and forward them ?—who was charged with the
land transport and the erection of the huts ?—and so en.
Let a similar course of inquiry be instituted with regard
to the winter clothing of the trbops, the medical stoles,
the provisions, the "green coffee" and other "comforts."
Let the time when each article was ordered be ascer-
tained, and what care was taken to insure its timely
arrival at its proper destination. Let the progress of
each article be traced from the warehouses of the con-
tractors to its ultimate destination—or to Varna or the
bottom of the Black Sea, or wherever it was last heard
of. If a close, searching, well-directed, minute inquiry
~f this kind is instituted with regard to every article for
which the country has paid, and for want of which our
soldiers have perished, a case of gross ignorance, care-
lessness, or jobbing, will be established ageenst every de-
partment of the home administration, for which the coun-
t, y, after -all that has been sail on the subject, is not pre-
pared. If the committee honestly take up this line, they
cannot fail to prove the deficiencies of the home depart-
ments—where the real source of all the evils complained of
is to be sought—and to indicate measures for their amend-
ment. If they institute such an inquiry as is here re-
commended, confine themselves strictly to it, and follow
it up from day to day, they will, on the one hand,
escape all danger of exciting the susceptibilities of our
Allies—the buggaboo with which Government seeks to
scare them from inquiry—and will enlist all the business
feeling, of the country on their side. Tuey will thus
strengthen themselves for promoting useful and neces-
sary reforms of our administrative system in a tempe-
rate spirit, and with perfect sa!ety. If they do not
honestly and steadily follow out this course, they will
furnish a pretext for their own dissolution ; will help to
conceal, not to expose, abuses ; and will leave the
people no alternative but to seek for redress by more
rough and more dangerous means.

60 - 65

116 - 118 ,

110 - 112
101 - 103

i - 4p

6 -- 6
95 -- 97
87 -- 81
88 -- 90
10 -10 i
164 -- 17
104 11
70 -- 72
18/ -- 191
9i -- 9B
14 -- 14 i
id
133 - 135

••• ..•.. N.

2i - 3 p

(LEFT SITTING.)

12.} -12 i
- gP

FIRE AND LOSS OF FOUR LIVES.
(Tirls' DAY.)

This morning between 12 and 1 o'clock, a fire broke
out in the house of Mr. Henry Lawford, architect and
designer, No. 2, Ciipstone-street, Portland-road, Mary-
lebene, which was not subdued before four lives had
been sacrificed, and others injured. The house in eine.—
tiou was in the joint occupation. of five "families, the
members of which were suundiy sleeping, when the con-
stable on duty first perceived the indication of fire, and
immediately raised an alarm. Before, however, he could
awaken the inmates, the flames had taken possession of
the staircase, and made escape impossible ; under these
circumstances the inmates made for the windows, threw
up the sashes, and commenced calling loudly for help.
In a few minutes the Royal Society's Escape, at the
Portland-road, came to their assistance, but the heat
was so intense, and the smoke £0 strong, that
every person in the house was nearly suffocated. The
engines of the L'ndon Fire Brigade from Wells-street,
King-street, and Crown-street
,quickly arrived, and with
a plentiful supply of water got t,.) w.rk in an admirabl,
manner under the direction of Mr. Paul Gerard and Mr.
G. Staples. The Royal Society's conductor at once
ascended his machine, and succeeded in rescuing Mrs.
Sheas and Mrs. Baker from the secoad floor windows.
He again ascended to the third floor, when he was met
with a sheet of fire, and was compelled to make a pre-
cipitate retreat, to prevent being burnt to death. Mr.
Lawford and Mrs. Whitaker,
first floor, being rescued by , with two children on the
jumping out. As soon as the
ruins were sufficiently cool, Messrs. Gerard and Staples,
the firemen, went in search of the persons who were
known to have perished, when the remains of Miss Kelso
were found burnt to a cinder on the third floor front, and
the remains of Mrs. Hayward and two of her daughters,
also burnt to a cinder, on the third floor back. Shells
having been procured from Marylebone workhouse the
bodies were removed there, and information forwarded
to Mr. Wakley, the coroner, of the melancholy occur-
rence. The following is Mr. James Braidwood's official

135
lid
4
87
105

101 - 103
90 - 92
3 - 3h

•• •••
id

109 - 111

13 14
par

23 - 24

( From the Morning Herald of this day.)
We see that the active and stirring men of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, who were the first of the townsmen of
England to see through the enormous fraud of the
Coalition dealings between Turkey and Russia, are de-
termined not to slack their hand because the sign of the

14 Z. ri.

••• •••
par -- ip

21

firm has been changed, and a new set of directors have
put their names to the programme.
The men of Newcastle are quite right—there is no
change in the policy or the conduct of the war. The
envoy of the new Palmerston Government—he who
clung to Aberdeen to the very last moment that ho could,
consistently with not entirely losing his Whig following
—has been sent to Vienna to conduct the negotiations
for peace, with the aid of the very men who concocted
the Vienna note for the purpose of selling their ally to
the Russians. Surely the same men will do the same
thing again.
What the Vienna Conference meets for we are at a loss
to divine, unless it be to give fresh opportunities of
" neglect and delay," and again play over the tragic farce
of postponing the preparations for war—waiting oppor-
tunity, as we pointed out a hundred times over, in the
vain hope that protocols would make cannon unnecessary.

MINES.
1 all Agua Fria i ... i i i
1 all Anglo Austrin. Gold
10s. all A nglo Californian
20 6 Australian 1 —] 1 1
1 all Australian Cordillera ... - ..•
1 all Australian Freehold. ... ...
1 all Ave Maria —--
1 all Baden (Gd. Duchy of) / i
50 all Blxuarvon Iron and
Coal _ 4 6 5/
20 13.5 British Iron 4l 51
35 251 Brazilianlmp.(issued
at £5 pm 2l 21
30 all Do. Comes & Cuiaba 11 2
20 15 Do. St. John Delßey 29 —3l
1 1 Carsons's Creek i i
1 Clarendon Cons. Min,
Co. of Jamaica 1 id
40 all Cobra Copper 47 49 471
5 1 Colonial Gold
St. all Copper Min. of Eng. 43 48
25 all Do. Pref. 71 p. cent. 1d 1 p
... 16 Copiapo . . 17 —l9
5 all English and Austin.
Copper Smeltg Co 1 2
2 / Fortuna id par
20 all General l4l 161
1 all Gt.NuggotVeinßeg. 1
4 all Great Polgooth .. ... ...
1 all Liberty - - •••
3 all Linares. 7l 8
5 1 Lusitanian id id
1 all Ka.riquita i i
1 all Now Granada d I
1 all New Linares Mining
and Smelting Co .
1 all Nouveau Monde i
20 all Poutgibaud Silver
Lead Min. & Smelt. 15 16
5 1 Port Philip it a
1 all Quartz Rock . --- •••
50 all Ithymney Iron l9 21
15 all Do. New 5 6
30 111 Santiago de Cuba 3l 4
1 all South Australian..... par ip
10 71 Tin Croft ...... ..... .... 1 2
28i all United Mexican 3 31 3/ i
1 all Waller
1 all West Mariposa
1 12s. Worthing Mining of
Australia
1 all Yuba
MISCELLANEOUS.
25 174 Australian Agricult. 30 31 30i
20 ... Australsn.Pcific.Mail ... ...
10 all Aufezaln. Royal Mail ... . .
10 51 Berlin Water Works 3 21c1
50 40 Brit. American Land 60 65
5 1 Brit. 4 Coln. Smeltg.
and Reduction Co.. ... ..
100 321 Canada 118 126
St. 100 Canada Gov. 6p. ct
Jan. and July lO7l 1081 1081
5 all Crystal Palace 3 31 31
4 all Crystal Pal. of France ... ...
1 1 Duston Iron Ore ... -.-..
.
20 5 Eastern Steam
25 22 ElectricTelegraph(A) 141 151
1 all Electric Teleg. of Ir. ...
..
15 14 Gon. Steam Navigat. ...
..:
20 all General Screw Steam ...
...
20 10 Irish Beetroot Sugar ... ...
20 10 Magdalena St. Navig. ...
...
10 all Meditera.n. Elec. Tel. ... .
10 9 Mexican&S.A.mericn 6} 6i
1 all Nat. Pat. Steam Fuel
10 5 Netherlands Land.... I ii
2 1 N. S. W. Coal & Inter.
Steam Navigat. C0..,,
...
1 all N. B. Australasian... 1 1
20 121 NAIL o f EuropeS team ... _
...
b all Peel Rr. Ld. & Mind. 2/ -- 3
50 all Peninsular& Oriental 56 58 581 8
50 all Do. Do. ... ...p
2 all Portland Iron Co l/ 2
100 60 Royal Mail Steam
1 all Scot. Austral. Invest li li
1 1 Ditto New I $
25 all South AustrahLand 35 36
1 all Submar. Telegraph / 1
1 all Do. Rwistered
20 5 Trost ds Loan Co. of
il --• i
Upper Canada ... . ... 11
100'281 YALI Diorama a lant:l 122 --; 13i

report :
Mr. Henry Lawford, stationer No. 2, Clipstone-
street, Portland-road, shop and parlour burnt out, stair-
case destroyed, roof off, four lives lost—insured in Sun.
No. 1, Mr. John French, upholsterer, considerably
damaged.
Mr. Henry Roberts, tailor, damaged by fire and water.

Even Lord J. Russell must be aware that neither he
nor any one -else will be permitted by the people of this
country to make peace as long as one stone of Sebas-
topol rests upon another, or so long as the Ru,sian fltg
waves upon the men-of-war now sheltered by its batteries.
The supremacy of the world is now at stake upon the
events which may take place in the Crimea within the,
next three months, for Russia, if she gives up her arsenal
and " permanent menace" in the Black Sea, sinks back at
once into a mere Asiatic power ; and if France and Eng-
land consent to her retaining possession of it in its pre-
sent condition of harbour and fortress they must prepare
to fight over again the battle, probably separatJy, which
they are now waging conjointly.
Russia, let her rulers be whom they may, cannot
make peace upon any terms that would sacrifice it, and
were any English Minister base enough to allow of its
continued existence the oldest men in Britain might ex-
pect to live long enough to see the scaffold once more
erected on Tower-hill.

We would point out to the meetings which we have
no doubt will spring up at the summons of the men of
Newcastle, that the great basis upon which they rested
their hopes of punishment for the past, and remedy for
the future, misconduct of the war and sacrifice of our
armies, is in process of decay already, short as its exist-
ence has been.

Mr. Roebuck's committee is not succeeding. Lord
Palmerston has taken his measures well, and as he could
not kill it, he has poisoned its constitution. He has
adopted the plan which worked so well in Ireland daring
the prevalence of the murder-system, and has placed
Government " hooteaters " among the jury, with the
consent of their liberal, or weak chairman ; while the

flippant shallowness of Mr. Layard, who should be in
the witness-box, and not en the inquest, is overlaying
the proceedings by long-winded examinations as to de-
tails, when he should be examining into facts and causes.
Take as an example the state of the cavalry. It is
conceded that the horses were starved. Surely the next
_ _

questions would, or rather should be, why, and by whom?
Then it would come out that they were moved by a cer-
tain staff officer 7 miles from their forage, in spite of
the remonstrances of the commissary, and kept there
till they died at their picket-posts, with no food but 31
lb. of musky barley per diem, laid on the ground or
mud before them, because there were no nose-bags.
These facts might be easily brought out, and it ought
to be the duty of the committee to ascertain by whom
they were done.
But no ; the examining members and the Government
papers—Globe and Mopping Post—think it of more con-
sequence to ascertain if the horses really did cat one
another's tails. Now, seeing that the horses were
starved, we do not think this fact of any very great im-
portance ; but as it lies been raised, we shall take the
liberty of setting it at rest by quoting the letter of one of
the best officers in the Light Brigade, daf ed at the time
the remnant that was left were permitted to get down to
Bpi:O.:lava, if they could—Dec. 10 :
" This small portion (3,',1b. of oats), which did not gene-
rally reach us till after dark, was obliged to be put upon
the mud before the poor brutes, and the half of it was
generally lost. There they stayed till the horses eat the
hair off each other's tails ; and when a horse dropped
dead in the lines the other horses would eat the hair off
each of the dead horse's sides. I have seen them do this
fifty times."
Perhaps, after this, the Morning Post will acknow-
ledge that horses may, as it facetiously calls it, turn
carniverous.
Surely the object of the committee should be to ascer-
tain by whom these things were done.
k Take another example. Sir De Lacy Ems fian in