The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-13 00:00:00

between the 27th of -June, and the embarkation of the
troops of Varna. He read a letter from anoffi
r'pfswr, or
m
any of the commanders, for this delay. Certainly from
l
said that it would be most unjust to blame
but before the
me they will receive no such blame ;
e thetreoo
noble earl says that because no bame attaches to
the army it therefore attaches to the Government, let him
look at the facts. In the first place, a slight delay
arose
from the late Marshal St.
Arnaud having thought it neces-
saryi
to order off a portion of the French troops n the di-
rection of the Danube, to co-operate
d in obtaining an I. Then
great difficulty was
exPeleroi7tscea dother adequate
supply of flat-bottomed . n things required for
embarkation and disembarkation, and the greatest activity
was required 1 on the part of Sir Edmund Lyons and Sir
George Brown, and the officers under their command, to
obtain materials, the neglect of which might have ruined
the success of the expedition. The third and most serious
cause of delay was the breaking out of the cholera. The
noble earl said that the orders to go to the Crimea were
only given after the army had been wasted by the cholera.
Again I tell the noble he is wrong. The order was given
before the cholera broke out. There may have been some
exaggeration in the touching picture drawn by the noble
earl of the graves prepared during the night for the burials
' in the morning, but I readily admit that the calamity was
most serious. It caused a considerable number of deatA
in our forces, and more, I regret to say, in those of our
French allies ; but that was not its worst effect,"for those
who died were few compared with the number who were
so debilitated as to be unfitted for any exertion, however
slight. The army was barely recovered from this digester
when the fleet was prepared to embark a portion of the
troops. A sudden blast of the malady seems to have
rushed from the shore and struck the ships which were
waiting for this purpose. I believe in one of them 100
men perished of this fell disease. Acting according to
practical experience, the ships put to sea in order to
stop the disorder. A gale came on, they were obliged
to close the hatches, and the malady increased. This
caused additional delay. At the same time let me say
that I think we suffered very little from this delay ex-
cept by the loss and debilitation of our troops. The
climate of the Crimea is very peculiar, and I have been
informed by a medical man well competent to judge, that
during the summer months the neighbourhood of Varna is
more salubrious than any portion of the Crimea. I, there-
fore, very much doubt whether, if our troops had
gone to the Crimea at an earlier period, they would have
escaped from the calamity which befel them in Bulgaria.
My lords, with regard to the deficiency in preparation
which the noble earl charges against us, I really do not
know to what the noble earl refers, except what he has
specified—namely, the paucity of men. I can assure your
lordships that these preparations were not only immense,
but minute. I can only say that the transports collected
and sent out were such as I believe it would not have been
possible to have obtained at any former period of the his-
tory of this country, and we were only able to obtain them
in consequence of the immense increase which has taken
Place in our steam navigation within the last two or three
years. (Hear, hear.) I can only say that so far as regards
the quantity of stores and ammunition of all kinds sent
out from this country, no practical man has ever expressed
an opinion of their inadequacy, but that, on the contrary,
those who were best able to judge have pronounced them
to be quite sufficient, and in many cases they have been
more than double the quantity usually supplied. (Year.)
I said in the commencement of ray observations that it
was net my intention to tell your lordships that there had
been no mistake—that I was not about to tell your' lord-
ships that every arrangement had been perfect. I say at
once that it is not sufficient to prove that this immense
amount of ammunition and stores was sent, out, if they
were not rendered available at the moment when they were
wanted. And here I readily admit that mistakes have,
been made, and that difficulties have arisen, which I hope
in the further progress of the war will be altogether
avoided. The noble earl speaks of this expedition to the
Crimea as if the force which was carried across those seas
was so small and trivial in amount as not to be worth
speaking of. The noble earl forgets the operation of em-
barkation. He forgets still more the admirable and see-
cessful manner in which that great armament was disem-
barked. The English force alone amounted to 27,000 men.
The French force amounted to 24,000 men. I am nowspeak-
ing of the forces which were carried across at one particular
time, and which were disembarked within a few hours
of each other. And, besides these numbers, there was a
body of about 8,000 Turks attached to the" French army,
Here was a body of nearly 60,000 men, landed at once upon
the shores of the Crimea; and I believe the records of his-
tory do not chew such a successful accomplishment of an
undertaking upon so great a scale. (Cheers.) My lords,
then came the battle of Alma. The noble earl, with his
accustomed eloquence, has dwelt upon the efforts and cou-
rage of our troops, and on that point I will mot at this
moment add anything to what he has said. Then followed
the march to Balaklava, which was so justly characterised
by my noble frond who moved the address. I now COlll3
to the charge made by the noble earl with reference to the
want of reinforcements. I have already stated that when
the expedition to the Crimea was decided upon, the origi-
nal force of Lord Raglan's army, which amounted to some-
thing not much short of 30,000 men, was increased by
about 7,000 additional troops. The noble earl says that
no reinforcements were subsequently sent, until, I think,
after the battle of Inkerman. The noble earl again is not
correct. I do not wish to enter into figures. I do not
wish to take advantage of any small mistakes on the part
of the noble earl. But I will attempt to explain to the
house why it was impossible to send out larger reinforce-
ments, even if larger reinforcements had been considered
necessary. The node earl is not correct in his assertion,
for reinforcements were prepared as soon as possible; and
before the news of the battle of Alma arrived in this coun-
try, a force of between 6,000 and 7,000 men was under
orders to proceed to the Crimea. The noble earl alluded
to the period when the Prince steamer sailed from this
country. That vessel carried out the first portion of the
reinforcements to which I have alluded, as well as the
stores to which I shall presently advert, and if the re-
mainder of this reinforcement of 7,000 men did not pro-
ceed with the same rapidity with which.the previous rein-
forcements had been sent out to Lord Raglan, it was
because the whole of our available steam-transports had
been sent to the Crimea. Others were coming in no doubt
from foreign countries, from the colonies, and from dis-
tant parts of the world, and as they came in they were
taken up by the Government, but at the moment when
these 7,000 men were ready to be embarked we had not
steam-transports for their conveyance. (Hear, hear. )
Look at the :Position of our great ally—our great and
powerful military ally. France liks now collected a very
powerful army; but was it not the Tact at the commence-
ment of hostilities that they were unable to scud those re-
inforcements which they are now pouring in ? (Hoar.)
Look, again, at that power which, I rejoice to say, we may
call our ally—l allude to Austria—look at that military
power. What has Austria been doing during the last 4
or 5 months? Was that country in an effective state to
take the field when war was declared by this country? Cer-
tainly not ; and if they had been obliged, as we were, to
send a force into the field, is it not notorious that they
would have been obliged to send one much more inadequate,
much weaker, much less fitted for service than it is now
able to do? ,Cheers.) If that be the case with great
military nations—nations whose whole military system is
based upon conscription—what must it be with a country
whose military system rests entirely upon voluntary enlist-
ment? This country never undertook a war under the
circumstances in which the present war have been under-
taken. The siege of Sebastopol commenced, after a con-
siderable amount of preparation, on the 17th of October.
It soon afterwards became apparent, from the intelligence
which reached this country, that the siege was likely to be
more protracted than I readily admit the Government at
first expected it would be. (Hear.) If any blame attaches
to the Government in that respect, I readily admit that we
did hope and believe that long before the period at which
we have now arrived that fortress would have fallen, and
if we erred in that expectation—if we were over-confident in
our belief—we erred with many men of great experience in
war, and men whose opinions were well worthy of consid-
eration ; and we erred with the public at large, both in
this country and in France. (Hear.) My lords, from the
moment it appeared that the siege was likely to be pro-
tracted, every exertion was made by the Government to
obtain reinforcements, and to send them out as fast as
possible to the Crimea. And here, again, I am ready to ad-
mit that, under any other circumstances than these which
have occurred, these reinforcements ought not to have
been sent, because the troops which have gone out have
arrived too recently in this country to be effectively re-
cruited, and they have been sent not trained as efficiently
as we could have desired them to be. I do not hesitate to
say—your lordships may blame me if you will—l de not
hesitate to say that it has been my duty to order those
troops to proceed to the East with very great diffidence ;
but the Government has done so because they felt that the
exigency of the moment required that every possible exer-
tion should be made to succour our brave troops. And
when you blame the Government for not having sent those
reinforcements sooner, let me tell you this, that those ge-
nerals on the spot who are the best competent to judge did
net desire to have raw recruits, such as those which have
' been sent out prematurely; they would rather have had
them reserved for the next campaign, unless those events
had arisen which have rendered their services necessary,
which have induced Lard Raglan to pries for them, aid
which have induced the Government to send them with-
out any delay. (Hear, hear.) My lords, that events have
turned out differently from what we contemplated, in
more respects than one, I have already admitted. I con-
feis we did not expect that Russia's power of reinforcing
her troops before Sebastopol was se great as it has proved
to be. We did not doubt her military power. We were
aware of that power, but undoubtedly we slid not expect
that an army could have been moved from Odessa to Se-
bastopol with such marvellous rapidity ' • and probably
some of your lordships will be surprised to hear that, from
the extraordinary efforts of the Russian troops, from the
means which they possessed in moving their forces, their
marches were effected at such a rapid rate, that in one day
a march of forty-two miles was accomplished. I may be
considered imprudent in making these confessions; but I
wish to deal frankly with your lordships. (Hear, hear.)
I have said we do not profess perfection. I am ready to
admit an error—if error we have committed. We did not
calculate upon the power of Russia to send reinforcements
to Sebastopol in time for the battle of Inkerman. If the
siege had been protracted some three er four weeks longer
we might have expected them, but certainly did not ex-
pect them at the time of their arrivaL I can only say
that we did not form our opinions upon any haphazard ei:
guess work, but we took the best opinions which we were
able to obtain in this country—the opinions of these most
likely to be able to inform Inas to the means.and capabili-
ties of the Russian forces, and of the character of the country
through which they had to pass. Now, what have been the
reinforcements which in reality have been sent out from
this country ? These reinforcements have been greatly un.
derrated by the noble earl. SinCe the month of Junemore
than 20,000 men have been sent from this country to the
army under Lord Raglan, and of that number 12,3.0 have
been forwarded within the last two months. I believesome
of your lordships will be surprised when I tell you that the
whole number of men from the time of the commencement
of hostilities down to the present time—including a few
who are about to proceed—the whole number of men, in-
cluding officers, will have exceeded 53,000. (Hear, hear.)
When you consider that this is in reality an army sent out
almost upon a peace establishment—and what I mean bye
peace establishment is this—that the increase of the army
has hardly yet become available, inasmuch as it has been
made subsequent to the 29th of March, when the declara-
tion of hostilities was made—when you recollect that not
many naonths ago we were told that in the event of an in- '
vasion not 10,000 men of the regular army could bebrought
to defend our shores—and when we have been able to send
out such a force to the Crimea—l do not think the exer-
tions of this country ought to be underrated,
silty so little has been d
noble earl. (Hemhear.) one .
the. operations of thisr
war, I doulstswhethe or that in re-
as has been represented by the
My lords, in looking hack to
country, when we had been longer at
~,,no space h time
p r on any former occasion within the
out under the corm: many British troops were ever sent
b 231..) me
80,
earl has
of any English general. (Hear,
speech to the 111. AI la!la alluded in the course of his
Avnif.th have been ,mate supply of stores of all kinds
sent to Selmst 1
on this subject, showing the "I. I have here a return
powder and other stores Which 9iormous amount of gun-
have been shipped for the

seat of war, buts after trespassing so long on your 1 usiships'
attention Ido not wish to go into details. If any ques-
tion should arise at any future period I shall be prepared
to go into that subject.
The Earl of DERBY intimated that he had not mach
any complaint on the subject.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE—But the noble earl is aware
that the Government has been taxed with neglect in this
respect, although not by him or in this house. If I touch
upon any question which has not been alluded to by the
noble earl, I think your lordships will not consider that I
am dealing unfairly if, at this early stage of the debate, I
enter into some details with which it is more particu'arly
my province to be acquainted, for the purpose of refuting
the accusations which have been made. With regard to the
provision of ordnance, 62 guns were sent out at the com-
mencement of the war. There were also sent out two com-
plete battery trains of 42 guns, with an enormous supply
of shot and shell, seven nine-pounder batteries, and two
troops of royal horse artillery. I believe that on no former
occasion was such a quantity of ordnance supplied to a
British army within so short a period. The whole amount
of small ammunition sent to the army is 22,933,000 rounds,
of which 18,000;000 rounds were Minie ammunition. But
still the Government do not feel satisfied with having sent
out that quantity, but are continually sending more as
ships can be obtained, for the purpose. What I have stated
to your lordships by no means represents the force at the
disposal of Lord Raglan, even as regards guns and ammu-
nition, for from Malta there have been sent 42 large guns
and mortars, 9,000 shells, and 27,000 round shot, princi-
pally of very large size. (Hear.) I now come to a matter
on which the noble earl commented with considerable seve-
rity. The noble earl said that we had shown no foresight
as regards the requirements of the troops in clothing, and
that on the 17th October the first supply of warm clothing
arrived in the Crimea. The noble earl is quite correct with
regard to that single fact, but I think the noble earl will
not deny that if the supply sent out in the Prince had ar-
rived at its destination there would not have been much
reason to complain of the privations of the army, considering
the character of the climate and the period of the year when
warm clothing becomes necessary in the Crimea. I have no
hesitation in saying that supplies of warm clothing were
sent out in time, and, but for the great calamity which
befel the Prince, the whole army would have been supplied
before any suffering from cold could have arisen. The
orders for the supply of the warm clothing were given by
myself in the months of July and August, and they were
sent out as soon as the orders could be executed and steam-
ers could be provide& [This noble duke here enumerated
the articles sent out in the Prince, amongst which were
35,700 pairs of woollen socks, 53,000 woollen shirts, 2,500
watch coats to go over the ordinary great coats, 16,000
blankets, and,3,750 rags. The noble duke then went on
to read a statement of the total number of articles sent out,
from which it appeared that the number of pairs of socks
amounted to 150,000 socks; of woollen shirts, 100,000;
of pairs of flannel drawers, 90,000 ; of woollen gloves,
80,000 pairs ; besides about 40,000 railway wrappers ;
40.000 waterproof capes; 40,000 fur coats; and 12,000
pairs of seal-skin boots.] To show that the Government
was not negligent, I may mention that, on hearing of the
less of the Prince by telegraphic message, they sent off
messengers to Glasgow, Nottingham, Leicester, and the
woollen manufacturing districts, to purchase up all the
stores which they could lay their hands en, for the purpose
of supplying the loss arising from the wreck of the Prince,
and before authentic intelligence arrived of that disaster a
great portion of the goods were on the way to their desti-
nation. (Cheers.) Huts have been ordered for the accom-
modation of the troops, and independent of those to be
sent from Turkey, Malta, and France, 11,500 have already
been sent from this country. The noble earl, in alluding
to the condition of the army, stated that the men were
nearly in rags. It is undoubtedly the fact that, in conse-
quence of the exposure of the men, their uniforms are
nearly worn out ; but this was anticipated, and before any
representations were made on the subject, complete new
suits of uniforms were oroered for the whole army in the
Crimea. Extra rations had been served out to the troops,
consisting of meat, spirits, and vegetables, aid no deduc-
tion had been made for them in any one instance. (Hear.)
Let me remark on oneebservation which fell from the noble
earl opposite, in which he said that the army was half-
starved. I must entirely deny that statement. Accidents
have occurred; I admit that everything has not been per-
fect. I can confidently assert that there has not keen a
single day, except perhaps that of the first march after the
disembarkation, on which the regular rations have not been
supplied. They may perhaps have had salt psavisions more
frequently than could be desired, but I think your lord-
ships will admit that the peculiarity of the service jastities
this circumstance, and, perhaps, it is only wonderful that
the commissariat has been able to supply so large a quan-
tity of fresh rations, which I believe have been furnished
not less than three or four times a week.
The Earl of DERBY made some observations with re-
spect to the men having gone into the battle of Inksrman
without having had their food supplied, but his lordship
was barely audible in the gallery.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE—That only enhances the
merit of the troops. The British corps engaged upon that
occasion were roused from their quarters so unexpectedly
that they had not received their breakfasts, and it was un-
til a late hour of the afternoon that they continued fight-
ing, as the noble earl supposes, without food. My lords, I
believe that it is unnecessary to make any statement with
reference to the commissariat beyond what I have already
said with reference to the supply of rations and the condi-
tion of the army. I now come to the medical department.
Here, again, let us bear in mind the position in which this
department was at the commencement of the war. lam
not about to defend, quite the reverse, but I say that these
defects were consequent on that ill-judged economy which
prevented the establishment of an efficient medical depart-
meat in time if peace—(hear)—and the blame is net to be
attached to those officers under whose orders the medical
department has acted, still less to the department itself.
In what a different position has it had to act compared
with our gallant allies. The French have an organised hos-
pital corps. We at the commencement of the war had none.
(Hear.) We had even no code of hospital regulations. The
whole thing had to be created deface)°, and under these cir-
circumstances it is almost wonderful that greater blunders
have not, been committed and greater calamities incurred.
My lords, what is the number of the medical officers at
the present moment serving with the army ? The staff of
medical officers is 280; the regimental sargeons number
192, and the ordnance 14 ; making a total of 186 ; and 14
have since been sent oat, snaking in all 495, which gives,
according to the present estimated strength of the army,
one surgeon to every seventy-seven men—about double
the number which s-rued with the -army in former wars.
lam not going to compare this service with what it was
fifty years ago, in order to show what improvements have
been made, or that the system is itself perfection—quite
the reverse. I believe that there is a great deal to be done,
and that great improvements may yet be made on the
present system. The quaatity of lint sent out for the
army was 26,561 lbs. Now, my lords, this immense num-
ber of pounds may not convey to your minds, any more
than it did to my own, an accurate impression of the
quantity sent out. It will, perhaps, enable your lord-
ships to form a better idea if I state that this quantity
would cover thirty-six acres of ground. Linen bandages
and other articles were sent out in similar proportion.
Great exaggeration with regard to these deficiencies has
been made to the public, and I believe that they have all
been on a much smaller scale than the noble earl opposite
appears to suppose. The noble earl said that when the
nurses arrived at Scutari they were unable to supply one
bottle of wine.

• ---
The Earl of DERBY.—My information was derived
from one of the nurses.

The Duke of NE WCASTLE.—If that statement was
derived from one of the nurses it must be true, for I can-
not believe that any one of those noble women would state
otherwise. My lords, 1 wish to impress on your minds
that there have not beenthose defects of supply which might
have been expected from that statement. The quantity sent
out of this article, which the noble earl stated was so de-
ficient, was this, 4,080 dozens of port wine have been sent
out for the use of the hospitals, and by far the greater por-
tion was in store, so far as we know, before the arrival of
the wounded. Fer the better administration of these hos-.
pitals, we have arranged that a general officer should go
out to take the charge of them, and of military affairs at
Scutari, and with a view of completing the organisation of
the medical system ; and we have also sent a commission
of three gentlemen for the purpose of inquiring into all
complaints which have been made on these subjects, not so
much with a view of condemning and punishing indivi-
duals, but for the purpose of ascertaining the defects of the
system, and enabling us to rectify them. lam sorry to
ffnd that an opinion has gone abroad that this commission
has been sent out for the purpose of bolstering up a defec-
tive system. I think, my lords, I have proved that such
an idea could never have been entertained by Government,
or that such a disposition animates the gentlemen on that
com mipessiiice waon.WsWhatever report is made, I am confident
that they will not be influenced by such a desire. (Hear.)
Dr.
unfortunately lost on beard the Prince,
and it was thought that he would be animated by such a
desire as that which I have alluded to, inasmuch as he had
been an assistant to Dr. Smith. My lords, what were the
steps taken to fill up the vacancy thus occasioned ? The
commissioners had power to fill up any vacancy in their
number, and they proposed to the Rev. Sydney Godolphin
Osborne to join them in the commission. New, my lords,
whatever may be thought of that reverend gentleman is
other respects, he has always shown himself an ardent in-
vestigator ef abuses, and in his hands the Government or
the medical department were not likely to receive lenient
treatment. My lords, when the complaints first reached
this country of the state of the hospitals at Scutari, we
again directed our attention to the plan of sending out,
narses, and we entrusted the organisation of that estab-
lishment to hands which, humanly speaking, must insure
success ; and I cannot give too high praise to those ladies
who have so nobly volunteered their services. They have
left comfortable, and in most instances luxurious homes,
for the purpose of adopting a profession most distasteful
to women of delicate minds, in the hope of assuaging
the sufferings ef their countrymen, and fulfilling a high
Christian duty. The noble earl opposite said that he had
been informed that the Admiralty had been warned
that the captain of the Prince was utterly incapable
for such duties, and that no ship aught to have been sent
out in the command of such an officer. When I heard of
the delay in the discharge of the cargo, I immediately
wrote to Lord Raglan, and stated that the impression on say
mind was that great blame must. be attached to some de-
partment. I requested him to make an immediate inquiry
into the causes of that disaster. Of course no answer has
yet been received ; but I have been informed by a person
who was present during the storm that the state ef the sea
was such that it was impossible to take that ship into the
narrow harbour of Balaklava, or to discharge the cargo oa
board ; and it was only by the assistanee of smaller steam-
vessels that the six companies of the 46th Regiment could
be landed. Now, my lords, with reference to the other
statement of the incompetency of the captain of that ves-
sel, until the noble earl made that statement I was not
aware that such an accusation had been made, and I !lever
heard one word of it before. It is, however, most desirable
that the house should at once be informed upon the subject.
A noble friend has just eiven me a report, in which it is
stated that an inquiry was made of the directors of the
steam-shipping company to which the Prince had belonged.
They stated that they had the fullest confidence in him,
itmi the result was that he was continued in his cotarnand.
There were two other naval officers placed in the vessel,
and they were both on board at the time of the accident. I
believe that the house will not now condemn the unfortu-
nate officer who was in command of that vessel, still less
will they condemn the Board of Admiralty, who appear to
have taken every possible precaution. In other respects to
increase the facilities of conveyance of stores to the army,
which has been found so difficult during the dry season,
and which will be much greater at this period of the year,
we aro sending out a complete railroad with all appliance',
end a staff to save the labour of the troops. For this pur-
pose we applied at once to the firm of Messrs. Pato and
Betts, well knowing that private enterprise often succeeded
where the Government might fail. These gentlemen at once
offered to place all their resources at our ctispesal for this
purpose, hut with only one condition, that they should not
derive one far thin: rrro!.t from the contirict, only sendlli„
bihn to the Tro tsury as tip-y more in to them.
It is only justice to state thus much with respect to the
conduct of these gentlemen. I have seen a statement this
,morning—l allude to a circular sent round to the pity of