The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-22 00:00:00

the duty of the House of Commons at large, and of the
Liberal members in particular, is very clear. It is
their business to make terms with the Ministry, by
saying that only on condition that an early day be
named for the House of Commons to meet again will
any further vote be given for the war. Fortunately,
this duty will be all the easier from the very proper re-
mark made last night by Mr. Disraeli, when he said
" I am sure I may say that her Majesty may confi-
dently rely that the House of Commons have every
disposition to furnish whatever aid her Majesty may
require for the purpose of carrying on the war with
efficiency and vigour ; but I trust that on Monday
her Majesty's Ministers will be able to assure
the house that in the present state of affairs there will
be an autumnal sitting, and that her Majesty will be
recommended graciously to call Parliament together
before the end of the year." To this the Whig leader of
the hybrid coalition made no reply, but by Monday we
feel sure that there will not be wanting some sturdy,
calm, and honest Liberal, equal to the duty of securing
a pledge for an autumnal meeting of Parliament as the
condition on which alone the war credit will be sanc-
tioned. The Aberdeenites are not to be trusted beyond
the eye of Parliament, and the Liberals should take all
the means in their power to show they will not trust
them to act alone. What the Tories mean seems plain
enough from the few words of Mr. Disraeli ; and when
Tories offer to carry out the Liberal policy, the plain and
simple duty of the Liberals . is to stand true to them-
selves and their principles, and take all the aid they
can get.—Daily News.

COURT-MARTIAL ON LIEUTENANT
GREER, AT WINDSOR.

Yesterday (Friday) morning a general court-martial assem-
bled at the Infantry Barracks, Windsor, to try Lieutenant
Thomas Fergus Greer, of the 46th Regiment of Foot, for con-
duct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and to the pre-
judice of good order and military discipline, in the following
instances :—Firstly, for having, on or about the night of the
28th or morning of the 29th of June, 1854, wilfully struck
and offered other personal violence to Lieutenant James Ed.
ward Perry, of the 46th Regiment. Secondly, for having, at
the same time and place, used provoking, insulting, and dis-
gusting language to the said Lieutenant Perry, calling him
swindler, blackguard, and using other language of an offensive
and insulting nature. The court was composed of the follow-
ing officers :—Col. the Hon. Arthur Upton, of the Coldstream
Guards (president); Colonel Charles William Balders, unat-
tached ; Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. Cecil Forester, M.P., of
the Royal Horse Guards (Blue); Lieutenant-Colonel H. R.
Howard Vyse, M.P., of the Royal Horse Guards (Blue) ; Ma-
jor S. T. Christie, of the 80th Regiment ; Major G. F. Steven-
son Call, of the 18th Regiment; Captain W. Murray, of the
10th Hussars; Captain J. A. Sykes of the 94th Regiment;
Captain G. D. Pitt, of the 80th Regiment ; Captain Robert
Sheffield, of the Royal Horse Guards (Blue) ; Captain J. Law-
rie, of the 80th Regiment ; Lieutenant A. G. White, of the
12th Lancers ; Lieutenant W. Paterson, of the 80th Regi-
ment ; Lieutenant T. Esmonde, of the 18th Regiment. Lieu-
t:nant-Colonel Pipon officiated as Deputy Judge-Advocate.
Mr. E. Creasy, of London, barrister-at-law, instructed by Mr.
G. H. Long, solicitor, of Windsor, attended on the part of the
accused. Colonel Robert Garrett, the commanding officer of
the 46th, appeared as prosecutor.
The Deputy-Judge Advocate read the order for the assem-
bling of the court, and the warrants appointing himself to act
as Deputy-Judge Advocate, and Colonel Upton as president.
He then asked the prisoner whether he objected to the presi-
dent, or any of the officers composing the court, and on being
answered in the negative, the members were severally sworn.
To the charge read by the Deputy Judge-Advocate, the pri-
soner pleaded not guilty.
The same course was pursued as at the recant trial of Lieu-
tenant Perry. The statement of each witness was taken down
by the Deputy Judge-Advocate, and all questions afterwards
asked by either prosecutor, prisoner, or the court, were put
in writing, and handed to the president.
The following witnesses answered to their names : for the
prosecution, Lieutenant Perry and Esther Major ; for the pri-
soner—Assistant-Surgeon Dempster, Surgeon Webb, Major
Maxwell, Adjutant M'Alister, and Captain Saudwith. All
the witnesses having been ordered out of court,
Lieutenant James Edward Perry was called and sworn. He
deposed as follows :—When in Lieutenant Greer's room on
the night of the 28th of June last, he having lost a large sum
of money, Lieutenant Greer became terribly excited, and
pushed me down in my chair. I retired to my own room.
Mr. Greer followed me, pulled me out of my room, and at
his earnest request I reluctantly went down with him again
to his room. We then began to play again ; he became ex-
cited. I wished to get up and go away. Mr. Greer said I
should be a great blackguard, after having *won so much
money from him, to go away without giving
him the chance
of winning it back. I did give him a chance,
extracting
from him a pledge, on his word and honour as an officer and
a gentleman, that so many turns should he the last. He
pledged his honour and broke the pledge. I several times
essayed to'go away, and got up for that purpose ; but, at his
very earnest request, I continued to play. I was exceed-
ingly lucky, and Mr. Greer cursed both Inc and my luck. Not
being able to bear his language, I got up. He called me a
—, and the son of a—. I went to my own room. He
followed me, and caught me by the coat when in my own
room. I took off my coat, and requested him to leave me
alone. He then placed his left hand between both arm-holes
of my waistcoat, and violently shook me. After a time he
let me go, and told me to draw my sword, and go through the
sword exercise. I drew my sword, and there being two
candles on the table, he betted me 501. that I could not cut
ono of them iu two. I told him I had never tried to do any-
thing of the kind ; but, to give him a chance of winning his
money back, I would. I tried, and did it. Mr. Greer then
called me a—. There was a much shorter candle on the
table, and he betted me 1001. I could not cut that in two.
I did cut it in two. I then put my sword in its scabbard,
and placed it in the corner of the room. He then seized
me, as he had previously done, by the waistcoat. He dragged
me towards my bed, calling me a —, a poor —, and a
swindler. At the same time he was thrusting me on the bed,
hurting my head and shoulders against the wall. This was
done repeatedly, Lieutenant Greer using the same offensive
language all the time. He said, " You , I should like to
strike you on the face." I replied, "It is more than your
commission is worth." I told him to go out of my room, but
he refused to do so. Not knowing what to do, and nobody
being near, I ordered him out of my room under arrest. He
said he would see me first. He then struck me several
times in my chest and stomach. Whilst he was drawing me
forward to thrust me again on the bed, I seized the first thing
that came to my hand—one of the candlesticks—and struck I
him on the head. The bottom of the candlestick was loose,
and it flew off with the first blow. I then threw the other
part away. We struggled for some together ; and, seeing
him much stronger than myself, I seized the other candle-
stick, and continued striking him until he let me go. At his
request I then went for the doctor. When the doctor came
I told him to take Mr. Greer to his own room.
The examination in chief having been read over,
Lieutenant Perry said —Might I state that I freely forgive
Mr. Greer for all that he has done to me? He also has ex-
pressed his regret for what has occurred, and his sorrow that
he should have so treated a brother officer.
The President—Has the prosecutor any questions to put
to the witness ?
Colonel Garrett produced the candlesticks alluded to in the
evidence, and put the following questions :—You stated at
the commencement that Lieutenant Greer became much ex-
Cited ; what state was he then in as regards sobriety or other-
wise ? Witness—He was not drunk, nor was he sober.
Colonel Garrett—How many blows did you inflict on Lieu-
tenant Greer? I could not swear how many.
By the prisoner—Had there ever been any quarrel or ill-
feeling between us before that night ! Witness—Never
quarrel, but ill-feeling has existed.
Prisoner—Has there not been much practical joking among
the younger officers, and have you net often taken part in
it ? Witness—To the first part of the question I answer, yes ;
to the second, no. Never to my knowledge have I taken
part in any practical jokes.
Prisoner—Have you not taken part iu practical jokes
directed against Lieutenant William Waldey ?—Witness :
Never, to my knowledge.
Prisoner--Did not the play between us ou this night begin
at you request by your volunteering to play at billiards with
me ? Witness—Lieutenant Greer asked another officer to
play, who refused, and that officer and another left the bil-
liard room together. I being then the only one left in the
room, said, " I'll play you a game."
Prisoner—After you first left my room, and returned and
resumed play, how long did we go on playing? Witness—
For about an hour.

Prisoner—Were we not laughing and joking together dur-
ing that time ? Witness—When he was recovering his losses
during the various fluctuations of winning and losing, Lieut.
Greer was in a good temper, and we both laughed. When he
ost, his temper became bad.

Prisoner--Were we not both laughing when we came back
from your room? Witness—We were both laughing. I told
Mr. Greer he was very foolish ; he would only lose his money
as he was so very unlucky. Ho said, "Never mind, old fel-
low, come along."
Prisoner,—When I went into your room a second time, did
we not laugh and joke together ,for upwards of a' quarter
of an hour ? Witness—l laughed at my success in cutting
the candles, nothing more:
Prisoner —Did you laugh at your success in cutting the
candles on both occasions when you succeeded in doing so ?
Witness— Yes, I did; but there was some objection. Mr.
Greer said the second candle was not cut fairly through. This
remark made me stoop down to examine the pieces of candle,
and put an end to my laughter.
Prisoner—Did you not consider the telling you to go through
the sword exercise, and the bets about cutting the candles,
were in good humour ? Witness—His telling me to go
through the sword exercise was in good humour; the first
bet, but not the second, was made in good humour.
Prisoner —You have said that I was excited; were not
you somewhat excited also whilst we were playing ? Witness
—I was excited by the language he used towards me, but no
further.
Prisoner—Did you not use strong language and oathsn
otto;
wards me ? Witness—Not to my recollection.
Prisoner—Can you swear positively. that you did
Witness—l am never in the habit of using opprobrious lan-
guage. I might have called him a brute.
Prisoner—Had you not partaken of some wine which was
in my room whilst we were playing ? Witness—I took some
of the wine; about a teaspoonful.
—buo ;
Prisoner—You say that I seized you by the waistcoat—
that
staht thee
atth—at
was the- waisteiodat
you
un ?shoWwitanneyi•ise
Witness—Nob
e waistcoat was a
about your
strpoinigsaonnere—rs
.
was held the next morning ? Witness—No
inquiryviolence anything
upon you ? Witness
havPiinisgoanneyr—bruDiidssysoourat
marksthatlence say
of
—At the court of inquiry I did not.
Prisoner—Wore when
you afterwards com-
plained
bruises, advised
to show them to Captain
o noefr— having NVere
Sandwith, and did you show them to him ? Witness—l was
nota
toldadv s
to show the bruises to Captain Sandwith, but I
w istehdat the captain would b 3 sent up to see them. I
did not show the marks to Captain Sandwith because he did
not come to me. 1 was under arrest, and could not go to
him.

Prisouer—Was it not Lieutenant NVAlister who spoke to
you about the bruises, and did he not tell you that you had
better show them to Captain Saudwith, as he would remain
at home with the depot? Witness—Lieutenant M'Alister
was the person who spoke to me • he told me he would send
Captain Sandwith to see the bruises.
The court was then cleared. On the re-admission of the
public,

The Deputy Judge-Advocate said the Court had directed
that the charge be again read to the prisoner, with a request
that he confine his questions as much as possible to the point
at issue.

Prisoner —Were there not officers in the rooms near to you,
to whom you might have called for protection from the ill-
usage which you state you received from me ? Witness—l
knew the adjoining rooms were occupied by officers, but I did
not know whether the officers were in or not.
Prisoner—Did you call out so as to try whether any of
these officers were in their rooms? • Witness—l did not call
out for assistance. I spoke loud enough for any officer:quar
tered nearpie to bear rach • „
PrisonOr—Did you, not kaow tbAse one of the milli.P4Olg