The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-24 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 24 1854.

THE WAR.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
The Eoscawen, 70, Captain Glanville, which left this
port on Friday last for the West India station, returned
yesterday afternoon, having carried away the bits of the
mainstay. Workmen were immediately sent on hoard to
make good the defects. .

The Alarm, 26, was taken out of clock at Devonport, on
Tuesday, having been newly coppered.
The Helene, 16, sloop, hauled out of tho fitting basin,
and into No. 6 dock, for repair.

The Curlew, 8, screw, Commander Rowley Lambert, ar-
rived at Chatham on Monday evening, and was taken the
following day into dock to be fitted for sea.

The Geyser, 6, paddle-sloop, undocked to-day, and the
Comet towed her round to the factory basin, to have her
machinery replaced, and fit for sea service.

The Sprightly, steam tender, Master• Commander Allen,
undocked last evening, and the Curacoa, 30, screw-frigate,
Captain Hastings, hauled in the vacant dock to-day.

THE EXPERIMENTAL TRIAL OF LANCASTER'S
LONG-RANGE GUN.

The Arrow, steam despatch gun vessel, Lieutenant Com-
mander W. K. Jolliffe, steamed into Portsmouth harbour
yesterday afternoon to have her magazine and windlass
altered. It seems the firing in presence of the Queen, sze.,
on Tuesday off the Needles was a failure. A thoroughly
Royal squadron was present to witness it, including the
Royal yachts Victoria and Albert, Fairy, and Eltin ; the
Admiralty yachts Black Eagle and Fire Queen ; the steam-
vessels Dasher, Bee, &c. A 4,000 yards' range having been
previously measured by Captain La Febvre, of the Dasher,
the Arrow anchored in the lino of fire, the Needle rocks
forming the target. At a quarter past 5 the first shot (or
rather shell) was fired, and it burst on leaving the muzzle of
the gun; second, ditto; the third went right over the hill
on which the Needles' lighthouse stands ; the fourth and
fifth, ditto. These shells are considered by competent
judges to have gone a further distance than 6,000 yards.
These on bursting did some damage to the lighthouse,
whose inmates soon displayed signals Of distress. The
sixth struck the rocks on the Cowes side of the Little
Needles. The Arrow rolled awfully, the sea being rough;
taking aim, therefore, was impossible. The firing was di-
rected by Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, of the Excellent,
and Captain Savage, of the Marine Artillery detachment
of the same ship. It being half-past 6 o'clock when the
sixth discharge took place, her Majesty signified her desire
of returning, and signal was made for the Arrow to make
all speed back to Spithead, but which she was prevented
from doing by the fact that her windlass took an hour and
a half to lift the anchor ; when she did get away she found
the Royal squadron, and the Dasher arrived in Osborne-
bay the above time before her, and the Dasher communi-
cated to her commander Prince Albert's desire to inspect
her in the morning. She was accordingly moored in
Osborne-bay for the night.

Yesterday morning, between 10 and 11, her Majesty,
Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, and Prince Alfred,
accompanied by Captain the Hon. Joseph Denman, Rear-
Admiral Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, &c., went on board
the Arrow, in Osborne-bay, and inspected her, going into
every detail, and over every part of the ship, Prince Albert
going into the engine-room, &c. After this the Arrow
went to Portsmouth. Her engines (by Humphreys, Ten-
nant, and Dykes) worked beautifully, making 93 revolu-
tions, the indicated horse power being 594.

( From the Morning Herald)
In inserting tho following account from our Portsmouth
correspondent of the trial of the screw despatch vessels
armamant, in the presence of her Majesty, wo may ob-
serve, that a little more experience in firing guns at sea,
when the ship is rolling, will add much to the utility and
effectiveness of Lancaster's guns. From what we have seen
of the Arrow she is stiff enough for anything ; but as Sir
William Symonds used to say, good fiddles are of no ser-
vice unless they have good fiddlers to ply them. The
gunnery of the Excellent may be all very well in harbour,
with the ship half buried in the mud ; but, as we have
over and over again asserted, the best experience in gun-
nery is that obtained in practising the guns when the ship
has that rolling motion which she is likely to have in ac-
tion, not only from the low sail under which actions are
generally fought, but from the oscillation caused by the
firing of the heavy ordnance with which our ships, and
especially vessels of such small tonnage as the Arrow, are
now furnished.

PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.
Owing to the late hour at which the experimental firing
of Lancaster's long-range gun was over, we were unable to
furnish our readers with particulars of the trial.
So far as concerns the power of the gun the success is at
once determined, more by accident than design. We will
give the proceedings of the day.
On Tuesday, the 22d, the Arrow, screw despatch-vessel,
Lieut. Commander Joiiffe, received orders to proceed to
the Needles, and take up a position for the purpose of try-
ing the long range from one of Lancaster's guns. At 12.30
she was under weigh. In the interim the Duke of New-
castle, with Captain Milne (ono of the Lords of the Ad-
miralty, arrived from London, and went on board the
Black Eagle, which was made fast to a buoy off the Royal
Victoria Pier. They were there joined by the First Lord,
Sir James Graham ; Admiral Berkeley, Major General
Simpson, lieutenant governor of Portsmouth ; and
several friends of the Admiralty. Tho Black Eagle left
Portsmouth at one p.m., followed by Dasher, 4, Captain
Lefebre, and Fire Queen, Master Commander F. W. Paul,
Having arrived off Osborne, signals were made to 'dress
with masthead flags, and Dasher was ordered by the First
Lord to go in advance to the Needles and see that tho
coast was clear for the trial. In the interim the Prince
Consort visited the Mauritius, 1800 ton screw ship, which
had the gallant 37th Regiment on board, with a company
of Sappers and Miners for Corfu. After this the Victoria
and Albert, Royal yacht, Captain Hon. J. Denman, re-
ceived the Queen on board, accompanied by the elder
branches of the Royal family, and attended by the Court.
A few visitors also staying at Osborne went on board with
her Majesty, amongst whom were the Affghan ;Prince
Gholab Singh, and attendants.
The Victoria and Albert having the standard at the
main, with the Admiralty flag at the fore, then steamed
from Cowes Roads for the Needles, escorted by Fairy,
Elfin, Black Eagle, and Fire Queen, the Arrow being in
advance. The fineness of the day, with a fresh breeze,
blew out the bunting, and the scene down the Solent must
have been highly picturesque. It was five o'clock before
the Royal squadron arrived at the given point. In the
meantime Dasher had scoured the coast to see that all
was safe. The Arrow shortly after this let go her anchor
as near to the Shingles as was safe, presenting her broad-
side to the Needles Rocks at a distance of 4,000 yards
from the base of the cliff, in line from which, under steam
were the Royal yacht, Dasher, Fairy, Black Eagle, Fire
Queen, and Elfin. The results of the trial may be summed
up in a few words—Lancaster's gun has obtained a range
hitherto unequalled.
As for the Arrow, she rolled gunwale under, whilst the
little vessels accompanying the squadron were as upright
as a dish. The consequence was that with each heavy gun
run out of the ports amidships, aim was out of the ques-
tion, and none but a first-rate gunner, with sea legs and
twenty years' experience, could have had the chance of
hitting a barn even at 200 yards' range. The most expe-
rienced gunners belonging to the Excellent were on board
the Arrow, directed by Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, as-
sisted by Captain Savage, of the Royal Marine Artillery,
and several other scientific officers ; but the uneasiness of
the vessel baffled all attempts at hitting within 200 yards'
of the mark. The first two shells burst at the muzzle of
the gun ; the third, owing to the rolling of the vessel and
the elevation of the gun, actually took a flight over the
Needles Rocks, and burst within a little distance of the
lighthouse.

Every eye was strained to see the effect of the shells
upon the cliff, but nothing was visible. A fourth shell was
fired, and every one seemed disappointed. At length a
boat was descried coming round the base of the rocks with
the Trinity flag at the bows, when the Fairy was signalled
to go towards her. All was now anxious expectation and
surmise. The Fairy returned to the Royal yacht Victoria
and Albert, and made her Majesty acquainted that two
shells had passed so close to the lighthouse that the in-
mates rushed out and made a clean bolt to the bottom, out
of danger—wondering at the same time what devilish en-
gine was at work to reach and startle them out of their
apparently safe nest, at a height of 500 feet from the level
of the sea, and 4000 yards from the base of the cliff. The
shells thus thrown could have reached 7003 yards, and
then burst with destructive effect against the object it was
hurled at. So far, then, the power of the gun is proved
beyond all question, and embraces a 4 miles range without
difficulty.

Her Majesty heartily enjoyed the idea of the coast guard
rushing from the Needles lighthouse to give a wide berth
to so unwelcome a messenger as a shell weighing nearly
1001 b. A signal was communicated to the Arrow, and her
last shell was aimed outside of all the Needle Rocks.
After which she was ordered to get back to Cowes and
follow in the wake of the Royal squadron. She took,
however, one hour and three-quarters to weigh her
anchor.

The Queen and Royal squadron arrived at Cowes at
9.20 in tho evening, when Prince Albert inspected her next
morning, after which she was ordered into harbour.

An Admiralty messenger arrived. at Portsmouth on
Tuesday evening, and was instantly forwarded by Echo,
steam-tug, with despatches for Sir J. Graham at Cowes.

(From the Daily News.)
It will be seen that not one shell struck the mark or even
went uoar it. But much of this is to be attributed to the

heavy swell on the water at the time, and which rocked
the Arrow about like a piece of cork. In addition to this,
the gun was fired from the side of the vessel, by which,
from her rolling so much, it appeared utterly impossible to
take anything like a fair aim, especially if this distance be
considered. The vessel is fitted to fight this gun either
fore and aft or from her side ; and yesterday's trial would
appear to prove that, excepting in smooth water, the
former mode cannot be adopted with advantage. This was
also the first trial on board ship of Lancaster's gun, au',,
from its peculiarity, 6 shells can hardly be called a fair
or ample trial. At the range of yesterday the from
its own shape and the form of the gnn, is P.tid to have a
windage or deflexion to the left hand of 50 yards. This
was increased by the strong win()
and the direction in
which it was blowing, so that '
trial ought to be taken ~uesc; circumstances on a first
length of the range,
account. with regard to the
there can be no question about ; this
was amply proved, as was also the ability o f the vessel to
'
boar the discharge of so heavy a piece of metal.
On the completion of the trial, it being then 7 o'clock,
the Royal squadron returned to, Osborne. In doing so
they fell in with the screw steamer Mauritius, with the
37th regiment on board. The troops crowded her decks,
and gave the Queen some hearty cheers. She was standing
on the paddle-box of the Royal yacht at the time, and
waved her handkerchief to the gallant fellows in return.
The Royal yacht disembarked her Majesty at eight o'clock,
all the yachts remaining off Osborne for the night, as did,
also, the Arrow, The Fire Queen was sent to Cowes, and
the Dasher and Black Eagle came into this harbour.
The Arrow does not appear to be well fitted, as some
defect caused her to be snore than an hour in getting her
anchor up, after the trial of her gun was over,. Thus
ended what some persons on board one of the vessels of the
squadron called, the " Taking of the Needles" and their
lighthouse.

THE QUEEN'S FETE.
Tho Queen gave her annual treat to the crews of the
Royal yachts yesterday at Osborne. Tho Echo took over
the Royal Marine band to perform on the interesting occa-
sion. The yachts were covered with bunting.

DEPARTURE OF THt ADMIRALTY FOR THE
CHANNEL ISLANDS.
The Lords of the Admiralty, accompanied by the Duke
of Newcastle, left Portsmouth, in the Black Eagle, for the
Channel Islands, yesterday morning, having Mr. Burney,
the master of the Dasher, on board, to conduct the pilotage
of the yacht. Tho Vivid, yacht-tender, Master Com-
mander Allen, proceeded in company.

A HINT FROM THE ENEMY
Report states that the captain of one of the ships in the
Baltic (the Conflict) has received a letter through the post,
written iu German, but professedly from a Russian officer,
suggesting how the fleet at Cronstadt might be successfully
attacked, and that there were 10,000 Russians ready to
rise in revolt the moment the opportunity was offered—so
great was the unpopularity of the war. This letter, we
understand, has been forwarded to the Admiralty.--/NJ-
mouth Mail.

MAILS FOR THE BALTIC AND WHITE SEAS.
A mail for the British aquadron fcr the White Sea will
be made up to-morrow morning, the 25th inst. It will be
sent from Hull to Christiania by a private steamer, where
it will be conveyed by Norwegian mail packets to the
squadron.

A mail for the Baltic fleet will be sent out in the steam-
,raniport Holyrood, appointed to leave Deptford between
Ids and Saturday. Newspapers go free.

SUICIDE TO AVOID TIIE CAT.
James Ransom, an able seamen of the Valorous, 16
(paddle), Captain Buckle, in the Baltic, committed suicide
on the sth of August last, by jumping overboard. It ap-
pears that the unfortunate poor fellow had been sentenced
to receive three dozen lashes for some offence. While the
gratings were being rigged for his punishment he pleaded
hard to the captain for mercy, and subsequently to the
first lieutenant to intercede in obtaining some other pun-
ishment, but finding these officers determined to let the
punishment be inficted, ha jumped overboard and was
drowned.

RE-ORGANISATION OF THE ROYAL MARINES.
We copy the following from a contemporary. We be-
lieve that a great many of the marines now serving are
armed with the Minie rifle ; but there can be no doubt
that all the marines should bo made riflemen, as we and
others have been urging for many years. There should be
no " red " marines. All should be " biue" marines, and
either artillerymen or riflemen.
"We understand, from a well-informed source, that it is in
contemplation to alter the dress and equipment of the Royal
Marine Corps. This gallant and efficient arm of the service,
now some 15,000 strong, is, it is said, to be changed into a
rifle corps ; and as on landing they are usually the first to be
employed in skirmishing, and placed in the post of danger,
it is but proper that they should be clothed and armed in
the most effective and convenient manner. The alteration
of the uniform, if carried out, will also render them less
conspicuous, and bo much more suited to sea service,
whilst the rifle will place them on an equality with the
land forces against whom they may be called to act."

THE 79TH REGIMENT.
The Edinburgh Courant publishes the following extract
from the letter of an officer of the 79th Highlanders, writ-
ten to his wife at Edinburgh :—" Camp, Gevrekler, 3d
August, 1854.—Since my last the health of the troops has
not improved ; in fact, the whole army is suffering from
bowel complaints. I have been again severely attacked in
this way, and have made up my mind to suffer the expense
of procuring such comforts as I possibly can, with the view
of preserving my health, if possible, as I am very weak in
consequence. The Guards still continue to suffer severely.
They lost three sergeants from cholera yesterday, and one
woman. Tho 79th has not lost any more men from cholera,
but there is a great amount of sickness. One of the regi-
ments of the Guards has one hundred men in the hospital.
There have been a geod many deaths amongst the officers
of the different divisions, but I think the authorities are
not over-anxious to publish the lists of sick for fear of
alarming the people at home. Two quarter-masters of the
light division have died; and the day before yesterday I
regret to say that Colonel Araule and an officer of the 50th
also died from the same cause. All the officers of the 79th
attended Colonel Maule's funeral yesterday. His death
has created a groat sensation, and will have the same effect
at home. I regret to say that doubts are expressed of
Colonel Elliot's recovery, and Colonel Ferguson is so much
shattered in health that he is to be sent home to-mor-
row. The following officers—also of the 79th—are ill :
Captain Clipham, Lieutenants Grant, Freme, Percival
Cumming, Ensign Harrison,
and Paymaster Comes. It is
a crying shame that we were left to pine here, whilst the
sesson is rapidly approaching when we must go into win-
ter quarters ; and we might as well, to all intents and pur-
duly at home."
poses, have been quietly doing

THE 92D HIGHLA.NDEBS.
A draft of this regiment, consisting
of 3
serjeants
and
70 rank and file, commanded by Lieut. Leith, with Ensigns
Parkinson and Newell, arrived in Dublin on Tuesday from
Belfast, and proceeded to Cork to join the service com-
panies at Gibraltar.

, 66th Regiment,
The following regiments have just been ordered home
from North America :-51th Regiment
71st Reserve Battalion, 72d Regiment.
The sth company of the 3d battalion of Royal Artillery
has arrived at Bristol in the Juverna steamer, on their
way to join head-quarters at Woolwich.
A draught of 12 men has been made from the pensioners
of the Troubridge district as a quota of the detachment re-
quired to act as guard over the 600 convicts that are now
barracksot aitnDmoricihibeastnekr, in consequence of the
prison.
The 12 men
n
required will bo selected from among those who have
placed
cholera
u
breaking
volunteered for this duty.
The recruiting parties of the Royal Marines stationed at
Cork and the county aro about to be removed, not having
been successful in enlisting. This was the first time the
Royal Marines tried the experiment in the south of Ire-
land. Tho recruiting party oh© 51st Light Infantry
y
Ire-
has been withdrawn from the cf it. A recruiting party of
the 18th (Royal Irish) is stationed in Dublin, the regi-
ment being deficient in number on returning from India.

THE COURT-MARTIAL ON LIEUT. PERRY.

The formal discussi Lieutenant Perry's
case before th.e last Windsor Court-martial is no w
at an end, and the first decision upon it remains in
the hanks of the members of that Court. From
the frestinning of July until the present time this
su}:,:jecChas pretty constantly occupied our atten-
tion—for so long has this young man been baited
in one form or another by his Lieutenant-Colonel
and brother officers. We trust it is needless for
us to say that we have no interest in the case
one way or another. The names of Colonel Garrett
and Lieutenant Perry wore as unknown to us
before this series of inquiries began as those of
two inhabitants of Patagonia. We have taken up
this young officer's defence simply upon the
grounds of justice and of public interest, and in
so doing we have been supported by such an over-
whelming amount of public opinion as we do not
remember to have seen displayed upon any similar
occasion. Not only is it evident that Lieutenant
Perry is entitled to an acquittal upon every ground
of law and right, but, if full justice is to be done,
matters cannot stop there. There are two courses at
the present moment open to Lord Hardino.°e ; a
cautious man would adopt the first—a bold,
perhaps au over-bold man, the second. He may,
in the first place, hush up the present scandal as
quietly as may be, give Colonel Garrett and his
'friends a forcible hint that they must adopt a very
different line of conduct for the future, and gradu-
ally distribute them through other regiments, so
sparsely that their presence will not be sufficient to
leaven the mass. The General Commanding-in-
Chief may adopt that line of conduct, and, doubt-
less, he would be supported in it by the opinion of
many men. Another and a bolder course would
be to cause a public investigation to be held upon
the conduct of the officers the 46th Regiment,
in the course of which especial inquiry should be
made into what Colonel Garrett's own conduct
has been for many years past. It is needless to
say that the whole machinery of trial, the forms
of proceeding, and the witnesses to be summoned
must be very different indeed from what they
have been on recent occasions. There must be
no identity between prosecutor, Deputy-Judge-
Advocate, and accused—by the accused we mean
Colonel Garrett ; there must be no summoning
of his accomplices to prove his innocence ; no
stoppage of cross examination to test the value
of testimony ; no gossiping and hospitalities with
the members of the Court. The witnesses, too,
must be of a very different kind, as women of
the town, police-officers, and so forth. It may
well be that the testimony of this class of witnesses
might servo to refresh the recollections of the
gallant Non mi Bicordos of the 46th upon
many most material points. Matters are said to
have occurred in Ireland and elsewhere, a bare
recital of which wouldtt
leas, reigiiit m
tend publicmucltoeritn iciuy
with the lcisa
eliciting the truth or falsehood of
edifi-
cation,
the reports. Dare Colonel Garrett face a tribunal
of this kind, he and his young friends ? If Lieu-
tenant Perry were out of the army, and plain Mr.
Perry once more, there could be no difficulty in
° bringine• the matter to a speedy issue before a civil
Court by a judicious use of legal machinery, or by
compelling his adversaries to have recourse to the
Queen's &rich to clear their characters. For the
moment his hands are tied with red cloth. Let us,
therefore, confine ourselves to the charge recently
under consideration at Windsor.

Our impression of Saturday contained a full.re-
port of the answer made by the prosecutor to poor
young Perry's defence of his own conduct. Con-
sidered as the act of the counsel for the prosecu-
tion, whose duty it is to make his client's case pre-
vail at all events, no doubt this production is en-
titled to considerable praise. General.' Wetherall
assumes all that it is convenient for his argument
that he should assume, forgets to notice all that
tells against him, speaks of his opponent's witnesses
with contempt, and of his own as though they had
not made some slips which may actually expose them
to very unpleasant consequences before the civil
tribunals, and pronounces a commendation upon
the impartial spirit in which he has conducted
the prosecution. The last is the only point on
which we feel inclined to challenge the official
prosecutor's statement. No °lie can blame him for
struggling for a conviction a bit more than
Lieutenant Perry's legal adviser can be blamed
for seeking an acquittal. The misfortune has
been throughout that the General's medals and
feathers have weighed more with the Court than
the attorney's black coat and round hat. The
consequence has been that General Wetheralli the
counsel for the prosecution, and a most persevering
and able one he has shown himself to be—has
been allowed to decide mero motic upon what
points the court should consider, and what should
be refused, upon the rejection and admission of
evidence, and other such matters, which every court
with which we are acquainted is in the habit of re-
gulating for itself. As often as we have recurred to
this subject we have endeavoured to do justice to
the remarkable kindliness of demeanour and dig-
nity of manner with which Colonel Kelly has pre-
sided over this inquiry. Of the other gentlemen
composing the Court-martial, we are not in a po-
sition to speak, for their office apparently is that
of well-nigh passive spectators until the evidence
is over and the doors are closed. We trust that
they will not take it as disrespect to any of their
number if we say that if there was one thing
more obvious than another to the most casual by-
stander it was that as judges in a cause of this na-
ture they were entirely out of place. Had auy
member of the court possessed but an ordinary
acquaintance with the common forms of justice,
the prosecutor would not have been allowed to
smuggle his witnesses out of court until they had
been properly cross-examined. Proud—and well
he may be so—of this successful feat, General
Wetherall falls back upon the credit of his wit-
nesses. If they have all spoken the truth, Colonel
Garrett, he maintains, is a cherub unattached. We
are not so sure of the value of the proof, even if
it could be made out, but have they spoken the
truth ? That is the real point—a point upon which
we must be content to remain in perfect ignorance,
for the prosecuting General took excellent care
that his united band of witnesses should not be ex-
posed to anything that savoured of "recrimina-
tion." A. few of them stumbled though despite
of his friendly assistance, and in such a way as all
men who attach any importance to the character
of an English officer are not likely to forget. Now,
what does General Wethorall's defence of Colonel
Garrett amount to ?—and what are the facilities
which he has tendered to the young Lieutenant for
his defence ? General Wetherall produces a batch
of witnesses who " don't remember" anything to
Colonel Garrett's disadvantage. What if those
persons had been 50 or 500 in number, in place of
12 or 14 ? If the prosecutor rest his case upon
this testimony as reported we fear it will be found
by the minutes of the evidence—tainted as they
are—that a more positive feeling than incredulity
will arise in the mind of any one who reads it with
an impartial eye. On the other side young Perry,
in addition to his own testimony, produces the
officer under whose advice he acted when the
transaction took place, a year ago. From the
evidence of this gentleman it follows that Lieu-
tenant Perry, so far back as that, imparted to
him in confidence that Colonel Garrett had
called him a fool for reporting, and that he (Lieu-
tenant Perry) had written a letter to the General
of the District. Now, of three things one—either
Lieutenant Perry, a year ago, through a mere
natural taste for lying, went through the farce of
such a declaration with tears in his eyes in Pay-
master Corcoran's office, long before the present
inquiry could have been anticipated, or Paymaster
Corcoran is a perjured man, or both he and Lieut.
Perry are speaking the truth. We incline to the.
latter theory • and, if our belief involves any un-
courteous hesitations as to the strict veracity of the
bulk of the officers of her Majesty's 46th Regiment
of Infantry, we can only regret the necessity of the
alternative. Much in the same !manner we may
speak of General Wetherall's method of disposing
of the charge concerning Captain Nicholas. With
Lieutenant Waldy's letter staring him in the face,
lie winds up with—" As the prisoner has asserted
in his letter that he was prepared to substantiate
by evidence all that lie had said against Captain
Nicholas, it is surely matter of grave observation
that he has not even attempted to substantiate
those charges by calling a single witness, or pro-
ducing any evidence of any sort or kind." There
are some minds so strangely constituted that they '
will accept Lieutenant Wald! s letter for evidence
as decisive as that of the purse of the murdered
man with the fresh blood-stain upon it. Are
we to believe that the gallant individual who
is proved to have styled a brother officer " a
d— son of a b—" at the mess-table, is to be ac-
cepted as
a Sir Charles Granclison at other mo-
ments ? As far as oral testimony is concerned, pro-
bably at the time his let ter was handed in young Perry
was not aware that the officers of the gallant 46th,
like our army in Flanders, were ready to swear so
extremely hard. General Wetherall's explanation
of his own motive for not tenderiug Nicholas may

v" /

[PRICE SD.

fairly be left without comment upon our part to
the consideration of any man who has ever assisted
at a trial in any court of law. It was a mere fenc-
ing match for the power of cross-examination.
It is obvious that, for any satisfactory result,
this inquiry has fairly broken down. Doubtless
Lord Hardinge, at the time he gave his sanction to
the proceeding, did not consider how inseparable
it was from an inquiry of this kind that the officers
of the 46th would swear after their commanding
officer in the messroom as they would step after
him on parade. The officers of the 46th, as appears
by Lieutenant Flesketh's testimony, met in assem-
bly to take Perry's case into consideration. Now,
it is net for us to say there was combination ; that
is a point for the consideration of all the readers of
the reports. At least the result was that they swore
against him according to set formula. Once and
again an ambitious member of the society stepped
a little further out, as was the case with Captain
Campbell, and found, to his surprise, that he had
much betterhave adhered to the regulation formula.
On the whole, We cannot deny to the regiment the
credit of having swornlike a man—like one man. Can
Lord Hardinge lend the sanction of his name to such
supreme absurdity? The minutes of the.late or pre-
sent court-martial are notworth a bundle of old ballads
for any purposes of justice. If there is to be an in.
quiry, let there be a proper one. If there is to be
any proceeding against the officers of the 46th for
making statements " knowing them to be false, "
let Lord Harding° consider the evidence in support
of such a charge against Lieuts. Waldy and Curtis
which appears on the face of the minutes in the prq-
sent case. On the whole, the present is a most seri-
ous matter, which requires the nicest management
to prevent an explosion which will make itself heard
wherever the English language is spoken. It is no
longer the case of a messroom against a friendless
subaltern ; but, if need be, a determined contest
between the public opinion of this country on the
one hand, and the administration of the army on
the other. Let us, however, emphatically guard
such an expression from misconstruction. Save in
so far that he has sanctioned an inquiry which, from
its very nature, must result in a reductio ad absur-
dum—which probably was only an error in judg-
ment—there is no cause of complaint whatever
against Lord Hardinge. We doubt not that that
distinguished and chivalric officer looks with as in-
effable disgust as we do ourselves upon the proceed-
ings of the officers of her Majesty's 46th Regiment
of Infantry.—Times.