The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-12 00:00:00

aggrieved, and made the victim of gross and pal-
pable injustice. If the charges were true, he was
not entitled to any indulgence. He had not
merely slandered his superior officers, but been
guilty of wilful and corrupt perjury. Yes ; one
of the charges preferred against him (the third)
was neither more nor less than a direct accusation
of perjury. It was to the effee, that he
made a statement on, oath, "well knowing it
to be false." The other three counts in the
indictment related to the letter which he had
signed under the instructions of his legal adviser,
and the statement whereof he had, in the opinion
of ninety-nine out of every one hundred disin-
interested and unprejudiced persons, fully and
unequivocally substantiated. If ever there was a
privileged communication, that letter was one.
The circumstances under which it was written
entitled the party preferring these charges, not
through malice, but with the desire of obtaining
a complete investigation into all the facts, in the
elucidation whereof he was so deeply concerned—
not merely to mercy, but to a complete acquittal,
even had he done so erroneously. The third
charge was, however, different ; it ascribed wilful
false swearing—and, if substantiated, merited
exemplary punishment. In allowing the accused,
therefore, "to receive the price of his commis-
sions," Lord HARDINGE showed either that he
did not consider " perjury" a serious offence, or
that he did not agree with the decision of the Court.
Erroneously and weakly as we think his Lordship
to have acted, we shall not pay him so very bad
a compliment as to attribute to him such lax
morality. We can, therefore, only ascribe his
leniency to his belief that the Court were not jus-
tified in their finding ; that oven if the sworn
evidence inculpatory of Captain NICHOLAS was not
strictly accurate, it was, at least, delivered under
the impression that it was so. Lieutenant
PERRY should, therefore, have been acquitted,
or the full sentence of "cashiering" been carried
into execution ; and that the latter course was
not adopted proved that the Commander-in-Chief
differed entirely from the Court.
It has been suggested that some attempt should
be made to obtain a revision of the finding and
sentence in one of the Superior Courts of Common
Law. This is impossible. The finding and sen-
tence, duly approved and confirmed, is final and
conclusive, and cannot, in the present state of the
law, be questioned before any other tribunal.
But petitions may be presented from every dis-
trict throughout the length and breadth of the
land, to get rid of the iniquitous system, and to
afford to all officers, aye, and privates, in her MA-
JESTY'S service, not eng:itged in actual warfare or
on foreign service, the protection of a fair trial
before impartial judges. The service could not be
prejudiced thereby, for the punishment of Lieut.
GREER—after his acquittal by the military tribu-
nal—shows that the Commander-in-Chief exer-
cises despotic power in removing any person he
thinks proper from the army list. If he chooses to
do so, let him assume the responsibility of the act,
but do not let him evade that responsibility
under cover of a finding and sentence made not
in accordance with the substantial merits, but
under the dictation of the Adjutant-General.
Let a strict investigation, then, take place into the
entire circumstances of the cases, and the conduct
of the members of the three Courts, with a view
to the introduction of a more wholesome system.
It may be that a Royal Commission should be
appointed. But if so, it should be composed of
civilians. If not, however, we have no doubt,
notwithstanding the predominance of the military
element in both Houses, that a Select Committee
will be nominated on the meeting of Parliament,
who will strictly inquire and honestly report, with-
out fear or prejudice, favour or affection. The
voice of public opinion should, however, be heard
in the interval, to show that the people are not
indifferent to the wrongs inflicted on one of them-
selves, and that they are desirous of such reforms
as will render impossible the repetition of similar
injustice.

COURT CIRCULAR.

OSBORNE, SEPT. 11.

Divine service was performed yesterday morning at
Osborne by the Rev. G. Prothero, before the Queen and
Prince, the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess
Royal, arid Princess Alice.
The ladies and gentlemen in waiting and the house-
hold attended. _ _ _

•
Baron de Gersdorff, on a special mission from the
King of Saxony, and the Earl of Clarendon will arrive
to-day on a visit.
Sir James Clark has returned to London. . .

Despatches were sent on Saturday from the Colonial-
office to the Governors of the Australian Colonies and
New Zealand.

HER MAJESTY'S VISIT TO SCOTLAND.

The Court will arrive in London to-morrow afternoon
from Osborne. On Thursday morning, at 8 o'clock, her
Majesty and the Prince Consort, accompanied by six of
the youthful princes and princesses, and the ladies and
gentlemen of the royal household, will take their depar.
ture from the King's Cross terminus of the Great Nor-
thern Railway, en route for Balmoral. The royal train
will make no stoppage between London and Peter-
borough, at which latter city her Majesty will arrive
shortly before ten o'clock. Newark and Bawtry will
be the next stopping stations fur water, and the royal
train is timed to arrive at York at a quarter before one
o'clock. At York, her Majesty and the Prince will
parta4 of luncheon at the Station Hotel, where the
maya;-,,1 74r. George Leeman, one of the directors of
the Y -1-.e,:Yewcastle, and Berwick Railway, will .be
in atter. , -pn the sovereign. The royal party will
proceed iiu. 'ards after half an hour's delay, arriving
at Newcastle-upon-Tyne at half-past three, Berwick-
upon-Trieed at a quarter past five,. yid Edinburgh at a
quarter to 7—thus completing the journey between the
two capitalA in 1O hours. Her Majesty will pass the
night at Holyrood, and proceed northwards at nine
o'clock on the followin4 morning, arriving at Perth
shortly afte eleven, and Aberdeen at a ginner past two.
From Aberdeen to Banchory the royal party will travel
by the Deeside Railway, posting from the latter station
to Balmoral. The whole arrangements of the journey.
will be under the direction of the Great Northern Rail-
way Company.

THE COURT AT BALMORAL.—The stay of the Court
at Balmoral will not exceed three weeks, when, on its
return, her Majesty and the Prince will probably spend
a week at Osborne, should the weatkier prove favourable,
and then proceed to Windsor Castle for the winter sea-
son.—Edinburgh Courant.
The Duchess of Montrose was safely delivered of a
daughter on the 7th inst., at Edinburgh. Her ladyship
is the daughter of Lord Decies, and a scion of the noble
house of Beresford.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Stafford have ar- 1
rived at Duerobin Castle on a visit to the Duke of
Sutherland. The Earl and Lady Constance Grosvenor
are also staying with the noble duke.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Breadalbane are at
the Black Mount Forest Rouse, where they entertain
distinguished company.
Viscount and Lady Emily Dungarvon have arrived at
Marston Hall, near Frome (the Earl of Cork's seat),
from a tour of visits.
The Earl of Scarborough will entertain a largo party
of noble friends at Samlbach-park during the Doncaster
races.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston are residing in
comparative retirement at Broadlands, near Romsey.
Lord and Lady John Russell and youthful family are
still staying with the Earl of Minto, at Minto House,
near Howick, where a select family circle is assembled.
Lord Frederick and Lady Augusta Gordon Hallybur-
ton and the Misses Erskine have arrived at Aboyne
Castle, on a visit to the Marquis and Marchioness of
Huntley.
Lady Elizabeth Duncan, from Camperdown House,
paid a visit to the Dowager Lady Panmare, on Wed-
nesday last.
The Right Hon. Sir William Molesworth arrived at
Aberdeen on Thursday evening, from Elgin, and pro-
ceeded yesterday to Corrymulzie, on a visit to James
Duff, Esq., M.P.
Sir James Carnegie, Bart., of Southesk, arrived at
Kinnaird Castle, on Saturday last, from the south.
The Earl and Countess of Cawdor have, during the
last few days, been entertaining the Earl of Dalkeith,
Lord and Lady Brackley, Lord William Thynne, Mr.
and Lady Georgina Balfour, of Balbirnie, and a select
circle of fashionablerpeople, at Cawdor Castle, Car-
rnarthensh ire.
Lord Decies and his lordship's son, Captain the Hon.
W. H. Bereaford, are for the present staying at their
seat, Bolam.
Lord Coivill and party, on board his lordship's yacht
the Sultana yawl, arrived at Cowes on Saturday, from
Boulogne, at which port his lordship arid friends were
preseut at the brilliant festivities which took place on
the occasion of Prince Albert's visit to the Emperor
Louis Napoleon at the French camp.
Lord Stanley (of Alderley) returns to London the
week after next, from a tour of visits in the north, to
resume his duties at the Beard of Trade.
General Wyndham, M.P., is at present entertaining
a large patty of friends at his seat, Cockermouth Castle.
Tee Earl and Countess of Airlie are entertaining a
sclat party nt their romantic scat, Co,,tachy Castle, near
the Grampian Hdis, includin:; Lord Stanley of Alderley,
Lor4 and Lady Henley, Lady Gertrude Ogilvie, &c.
The !noble lard and visitors attended the annual Clnya
gathering on Tuesday on the Grampians.