The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-07 00:00:00

.~

By the Court—Did Lieutenant Perry ever join in a
practicai joke against yourself?
Witness—l should say not ; but he was once in the
room when I was woke up in the same way ax Dans-
combe was. (Laughter.) There was nein-will on any-
body's part.
Lieutenant Dunscombe was then called by the prose-
cutor, hut it being then four o'clock the Court adjoiarnyd
until Monday (this day).

THE WINDSOR COURTS-MARML.

A writer of travels, now many years back, gave
o the world a quarto upon the condition of
certain of the Arabian tribes. Among other places.
touched upon in this volume was the town and
people of Muscat. This portion of his subject
en at
yp ter seh itcn
the author dismissed in a very brief chapter,
con-
taining merely the following pregnant fiords :
"As for manners, they have none ; and their
customs are abominable." Now, if a writer
in our own time should wish to convey to
his readers a comprehensive idea of the tone
which pervades the society of officers in cer-
i
d Muscat.tit
th:sai
wannu
si tarhtdei
ngot
gpi
Chm:eaenatngrnhate ds humiliatingof
itghebe B
thanritish army, we say
precise
words of
o
cofulthdeniitiidton o
do better
more
the purely 'dreitivkial
revelations
which have taken place in the course of the
various Windsor Courts-martiall It is not (m intention to-day to offer any especial comment
upon the various reports we have published of
these most unsatisfactory proceedings. Whether
or no his persecutors can succeed in Aviising a
colourable pretext for ccmpleting the ruin,- iu a
military sense, of the luckless youth who was so
unfortunate as to receive a commission in the 46th
Regiment is a question merely affecting an indi-
vidual. The Courts-inartial, however, may, if they
please, by an unjust decision, affix a duper stigma
upan the character of the British officer than i Chas
yet received. They may prove to the world that
the various acts of brutality of which we have
lately heard somuch are not exceptional cases, which
only require to beknown that they may be censured
by the superior authorities ; that they are not the
results of extraordinary ruffianism in the subal-
terns, and extraordinary neglect on the part of the
commanding officer of a particular regiment, but
that they receive the approbation of a military
court of inquiry, and the sanction of the Horse
Guards. We trust, however, it will not come to
that. A most heavy responsibility at the present
moment rests upon the Courts-martial—a respon-
sibility compared with which the decision upon
the case of an individual is but a feather iu the
balance. The issue upon which they have to
decide is substantially whether the officers of the
English army are henceforth to be considered gen-
tlemen, or not gentlemen ? Should the decision—
as we cannot and will not anticipate—be in oppo-
sition to the justice and exigencies of the case, we
may readily distinguish, as heretofore, that a man
is a British officer by virtue of his red coat and
epaulettes,. but that he is therefore a person
actuated by the high and chivalrous sentiments
which inspire the conduct of English gentlemen,
and that he is fit to be admitted to their society,
will not necessarily follow. Any man who has
perused the evidence given before the two former
Courts-martial may very readily form his judg-
ment on the brutal attack to which your), Perry
was subjected. It would be a sorry sight indeed
if a Court of English officers—the Commander-
in-Chief, 'nay, the Queen herself—were brought
upon the scene as virtually approving that
attack by denying to the young man who was sub-
jected to it the right of defending himself with his
own right hand against the last indignity which
can be offered to a mangy cur. Under other circum-
stances we would not allow ourselves even hypothe-
tically to hint at the possibility of such a result ;
but there is something disheartening in the appoint-
Ment of this second Court-martial even before the
decision was known as to the former proceedings.
It was not well to multiply proceeding upon pro-
ceeding against an unfortunate lad—to throw him
down a second time bound hand and foot before
those who had previously so cruelly misused him—
to place him iu a position iu which leJ eahunot inset
oath with oath, bat is put to a we!l-nigh impossible
proof—to leave him a second time in the position of
a prisoner, when every man who has fi,llowed the
particulars cf the transaction knows ‘rell that the
man really on his trial in this case is the command-
ing officer under whose auspicvs sue:i disgraceful
irregularities have occurred. Even as a friendly
proceeding to Col. Garrett the form of this second
Court-martial is a lucre mistake. No rational man
will pay any serious attention in a case of this kind
to the statements of the half-dozen officers who
step forward to swear, one after another, that they
"don't remember." Is it possible by multiplying
non-proofs to arrive at a demonstration ?
The simple fact is, that Colonel Garrett should
himself be brought before a court-martial to answer
for the condition of his regiment. Until that is
done, nothing is done. It is the condition of the
46th Regiment upon which we require informa-
tion. 'Mien we say the 46th Regiment, we are
sorry to add that two military commissions of in-
quiry are at present sitting to investigate the con-
duct of officers in other regiments, which, as it is
stated, has been to the full as bad as that of the
junior officers of the 46th. To what extent, then,
does the evil prevail ? Is it to be understood that
many other regiments in the service are deeply
tainted with the unpleasant peculiarities of Colonel
Garrett's young friends ? Our own experience of
life has not been that of the mess-room and the
barrack, but certainly in no public school of the
kingdom, at neither university, among no circle of
young men in London who aspire to the character
of gentlemen, have we ever heard of such scenes of
ruffianism and vice as appear to have prevailed in
certain corps in the Queen's service. Since the
46thth Regimente
younger
in
n the
e notorious,Briti
armysh th
e doingshave
of
been much canvassed, and many of their methodsli
ht
of wiling away time have been brought to light.
There .
There may be exaggeration here, and incorrect
in-
formation there, but no one can doubt that in the
main thecharges are true, and that a most deplor-
able tone of debauchery does unfortunately
among the younger • officers of
to say that we do not
tiie srin y. prevail
is,i
we trust, superfluous for us va
regiment there are to
look upon
include all in so generalifouanndayccounsnagtimone.n
olfngeenvtelrey.
manly temper and cleaner minds,
such scenes as those which are stated to prevail
with disgust and abhorrence. There are, more-
over, regiments in which the commanding
officers
many
their duty, and which are entirely free
fromthedo taint of violent immorality or ruffianism.
Every man of any military experience affirms—and
we doubt not with truth—that the character of
toar re: gemri m.e
sesnl.
table
bis,endepends
trot
ande
nuonpnuognhp
at
thrnaadt
meo.
afintain o
damme Commanding
thae
most important points in the duty of It
command-
ingt
officer to make the weight of his own character
felt. His subalterns must acknowledge his in-
fluencethe effe
effect
although
th ei
ndfloueesnneso
inastsherstiriti,naann dn
manners
s displayan d
their conduct. There is no question of espionage
or secret police. In so limited a circle as that of
regimental society all the acts and words of each of
its members soon become known to his companions.
The commanding officer can very quickly see with
whom. he has to deal. Every now and then a black
sheep will creep into a regiment, as elsewhere. A
young man of thoroughly vicious mind will every
now and then obtain a commission, and then lie
must be got rid of as quietly and as quickly as
possible ; but we do not think so ill of young
Englishmen—the sons, at least, of English gentle-
men—as to suppose that they are not amenable
ffi i
to the influence of their commanding o
cer, f,
indeed, he be a person fit for command—a man
who by his own life sets before them th"xamtley
l
of that line of conduct which; it is
righto
have
should pursue. We believe most
been
foundnial bare evienr
upon their
order IT working unestentaot."lim!4,iir
aivi self-
respect.eGet:sr,reatit)..,
calledita hardtp otnaskt o
tomkaekeep
ythohet!_ny
hich Colonel
better feelings and sentiments t
influence
la)neadroe
have
ealaltr,
ei
manysntelgi i
other commanding.es

DF.CaEASE OF PAUPERISM AND CRIMO.—It is a pleas-
ing circumstance that generally throughout Snutli Witlea
there has been a gradual but sure deereaBe iii the amount
of cr iine and pauperism. In the densely 1,4 ~1 , ,
werei ' o na ..y fou ; pri-
„,,,ePt tiateu and
Ithyr, &c
unenlightened localities of Aberdare,
emaveadriofeurs no serious charge
crime has diminished full 50 per cent., . i the ' -.'
w Pem-
brokeaso andn t
heCr m
calendar.art he n AssizesTh e
diminution
of
tsioleneprrsesfteinr
present
aol,mewhilemoment
is agtrGe
alta,natohrgeraen
pauperism at
being scarcely any
owingablebodoi e dt
hpeoori
activen tdhe
labour, arising from the
union-hou,es. this is
large amount of i
emi,raton and the number of work
being carried on. The out-door ks
ut-door application for relief
have also been much din • iinished, and the expenditure,
were it not for the high rate of provisions, would be
materially lowered.

NI:V.'S p App: 1
Piyr., • , 1i:i.,4
ict -,r
annoyance or perseaution in any way 6.4.14 '...i;.,.:t.`41,4
had been reprimanded by Colonel-Garr° .;\:' " :"' . —l'..`*',.f.r
Witness—l do not know at what time lcii o,..Garritt .-,,,,47,—.4
reprimanded any officer for annoying Lieu antrerrs, ',....-
but since I have been in the regiment I don'etnow,4(
any annoyance towards Lieutenant Perry.
By the Court—Has Lieutenant Perry ever joined in
practical jokes towards his brother officers ? 1
Witness—lle once went with me to Lieutenant Duns-
combe's room. That is the only instance I know of.
The President—But that is no practical joke. (Laugh-
ter.) What did you do to Mr. Dunioombe ?
Witness—We wakened him up. (Laughter.)
By the Court—Was it on that occasion the door was
smashed in ?
Witness—To the best of my recolloation it was not ;
but I will not be certain about it.