The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-18 00:00:00

Major Lilley took the brandy during his arrest owing to
depreadon of spirits. But was a commanding officer re-
sponsible because a prisoner was depressed by a just punish-
ment, or because he took au excess of liquor in consequence?
He then dwelt on the absence of all complaint by Sergeant
Major Lilley, and the sympathy evinced towards him by the
men of the Inniskillings on his leaving Mhow to be tried by
court martial in England, and thus concluded : Sir, there
is one question which I think, at the close of this long in-
quiry, can hardly fail to be made : Whence did this mass of
falsehood originate ? Who organised this foul conspiracy P
Who invented, who propagated, who connived at, the story
of the "bomb-proof oven and the Black Hole of Calcutta?"
Who was the ingenious inventor of the indignities to
Mrs. Lilley? Who thought or the "functions of nature
performed in the presence of strange men ?" These
sort of stories don't invent themselves. They have an
author somewhere. I have not the honour of Mr. For-
tescue's acquaintance, but I have no reason to doubt that
he a gentleman in every way worthy of the noble name
he bears. I give him every credit for having sincerely be-
lieved the statements he was induced to make; but I think
he cannot, and he will not, let this matter rest where it is.
He has vouched witnesses in the ?resence of Parliament for
the truth of assertions which are now proved to have been
wholly false. The honour of Mr. Fortescue seems to me to
demand, the dignity of Parliament seems to require, that he
should help to expose the fraud of which he has been the
dupe. The country is in the habit of taking for granted
assertions thus vouched in public by honourable men. When
such men have been deceived they owe it to themselves and
to others to give up their authority. I think Mr. Fortescue
will feel he owes me some explanation of this matter to the
officer he has so cruelly wronged, and to the nation he has
so expensively misguided. And, Sir, what I say of Mr.
Fortescue, I say also of the nobler portions of the English
press. They have inflicted on me great suffering and irre-
parable injury, but I believe they have done it unwittingly.
It is, I know, the high and honourable function of a free
press to call for justice upon wrongdoers, and to defend the
cause of the innocent. I have no doubt that in what they
have done they thought they were acting upon reliable in-
formation and performing a paramount duty. But I think
they owe it to themselves and to the public to put others
on their guard against those who have thus deceived
them. I think that, when this trial is over, they will
consider that there is some reparation to be made, and
that there remains another injustice to redress. The press
of India in this respect has already set an honourable
example. The Times of India, which was one of my bit-
terest opponents, has expressed in the most honourable
manner its regret at having given credence to the volumes
of correspondence with which Mr. Smales had plied it.
They say, and they say it truly, "It is the fact, we fear,
that the late Sergeant Major Lilley was more the victim
of Paymaster Smales than of Colonel Crawley." I know,
Sir, there are journals of another stamp who will continue
to repeat exploded, falsehoods and to reproduce refuted slan-
der. But I heed them not. These are not the legitimate
exponents of the sentiments of a just and generous nation—
a nation which is honourably vehement in its indignation
against supposed oppression, but which is equally frank in
its repentance for unintentional injustice. And now, sir,
this long and tedious address must have an end. Forgive
me if I have wearied you. Remember what a spring tide
of obloquy I have had to roll back, and to crowd into a few
hours a defence against months of calumny. Permit me,
before I close, to tender to the prosecution my acknow-
ledgment of the fairness and courtesy with which they have
performed a painful duty. That fairness and that courtesy
I know I had a right to expect both from the official posi-
tion and the personal character of the gentlemen who have
conducted it. But it is not the less fitting that I should
here acknowledge it. I trust they will pardon any impa-
tience which I may have exhibited in a long and anxious
struggle. And now, sir, this contest is over. I have fought
a battle which is not mine alone, but that of everyone who
may be similarly placed. I have fought the battle of the
English army against secret conspiracy and anonymous
slander. There is no one so high whom such treacherous
blows may not reach , there is no one so low that he can
escape this crawling venom. If in exhibiting the triumph
of truth and exposing the machinations of falsehood I shall
have contributed to deter men from the repetition of such
attempts; if from this example others shall have learnt not
to give too ready en ear to imputations upon the honour of
absent men serving their country abroad; if the experience
of this trial shall make such another event impossible—the
English army and the English nation will have gained by
my loss ; and, much as I have suffered, I shall have
the satisfaction of feeling that I have at least not suffered
in vain. 1 have fought this gigantic battle, and I have
fought it alone. I have fought it with no friend but
Truth, and no protector but the All-knowing and the All-
mighty. My enemies' name is Legion ; but against such
defence their malignity was impotent for harm. They have
sought my shame, and they have accomplished their own.
They have attempted my ruin; I will not deny them the
satisfaction of knowing that they will have partly succeeded.
The cost of this tremendous struggle will have exhausted
that slender fortune which is the only provision of those
who are dearer to me than myself. Sir, let them enjoy
their triumph ; it is the only one they will obtain. They
may have ruined my fortune ; my reputation is beyond
their reach. They have filched from me what is but trash;
it will be for you to give me back that without which I am
poor indeed. My part is done : yours yet remains, I know
what your sentence must be, because it will be in accord-
ance with the evidence, and according to the truth. I can-
not hope that you will in every detail consider my conduct
faultless. I cannot expect that in the long course of these
trying events you may not discover in my behaviour, under
unexampled difficulties, some errors of judgment and some
defects of temper. I can only say, let thUse who are with-
out such sins cast at me the first stone. But of these grave
and serious charges I know you must absolve me, for I
know lam innocent of them. You will give me back my
character ; you will give me back my sword—a sword which
has been for thirty years—aye, and which shall be again—
at the service of a nation at whose hands, in the language
of the charge, I have suffered "great and grievous hard-
ships." You will redeem what remains to me of life from
dishonour, and you will rescue my memory from disgrace.
Sir, I wait the sentence of the Court.

Loud and general applause marked the close of the ad-
dress. It occupied two hours and three-quarters in delivery,
and was listened to throughout with unflagging attention
both by the members of the court and the general public.
N.,t a few were affected at that pot tion of it where Colonel
Crawley spoke of the ruin which would be entailed on his
fortunes, no matter how the inquiry might end; and Mrs.
Crawley, who was dressed in deep mourning and sat a little
way from her husband, was observed to draw her veil over
her face to conceal her emotions.

A number of officers were then called, who gave evidence
of the character borne by Colonel Crawley from the time of
being a gentleman cadet in the Royal Military College at.
Sandhurst, more than 30 years ago, up to the period of his
leaving the 15th Hussars, a few years since. All spoke in
the highest terms of his great professional merit as an efa
cer, and of the high honour and kindness of heart which
characterised him as a gentleman.

Letters were also read from M ijor Tench and Capt. Geo.
Macartney, who were unable to attend personally.
On the conclusion of this evidence, which was of the
most unequivocal character,
Colonel Crawley said—l have no more witnesses to call,
though I might call several, and I beg, with the per-
mission of the Court, to say that my defence is now con-
cluded.

The prosecutor intimated that he should be prepared to
make his reply at 12 o'clock to-morrow (this day), to which
time the Court was then adjourned.