The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-08 00:00:00

THE MILITARY BOARD OF INQUIRY
(This Day.)

THE CONTINUED ILLNESS OF COLONEL
TULLOCH.

The Board re-assembled at the usual hour;
The Judge-Advocate-General asked Gen. Airey what
course he intended to pursue with regard to his cant 3
if he intended to call witnesses I

Gen. Airey asked if he was to understand that tlas,
Commissioners would not attend the inquiry
The Judge-Advocate-General said that Dr. Balfour,'
Col. Tulluch's medical adviser, was present, and waa
prepared to state to the Board that, certainly, for the
next ten days, Col. Tulloch would not be able to It 3

his room, and that a long period must elapse after tha t
b€l.ire be would be able to appear before the Board. H 4
asked Dr. Balfour if he had beard from Sir J. WNeil It

Dr. Balfour said that before answering that questiol L
he wished to make a statement to the Board.
The Judge-Advocate-General said he believed Dr. Bal
four wished to refer to a published report of a statement t
made by him (the Judge-Advocate-General) on Tuesday;
that the suggestion to write to Sir J. M`Neil emanatoi t
from Dr. Balfour, whe❑ it was he (the Judge-Advocat e• •
General) who suggested it.

Dr. Balfour said that he wrote the same night to S 1
John M'Neil informing him of Col. Tulloch's illness, but
he had received no answer.

After some further discussion,

Dr. Balfour said he had the authority of Sir Jame! 1
Clarke and Dr. Martin to state, that after Col. Tulloch
could leave his bed it would be at least two or three ►
months before he could attend to any business.
The President to Gen. Airey—Under these circurar •
stances do you object to proceed at present ?
Gen. Airey—Yes ; certainly. But before he gave b
reasons for adopting that course he wished to know if Li,
might expect the attendance of the Commissioners ?
Sir G. Berkeley—That's very doubtful.
General Airey said—l deeply regret to learn that the
Board cannot for the present have the advantage of pur-
suing the inquiry in the presence of either of the Com-
missioners. Her Majesty's Warrant recounts that the*
conduct of some of the officers on the general staff of
her army had been animadverted upon in the report by
Sir John M‘Neil and Cal. Tulloch. I am one of the►
officers on the general staff thus referred to in her M s—
jety's Warrant. The Judge-Advocate-General, addre
sing me on Tuesday last, said it was the opinion of tb
Board that, in the absence of either or both of the Coin,.
missioners, I ought not to impugn the credit of the re--
port. In that view I entirely concurred. It was to•
impugn the credit of the report, so far as it animadverted:
upon me, that I appeared before the Board, and since'
the general officers whom I have the honour to address;
are roost justly of opinion that I ought not to coos.
tinue the performance of this painful duty in the,
absence of the Commissioners, I should have rejoiced
if the nature of Colonel Tulloch's illness had been-
such as to justify the hope that an adjournment.
for a moderate time ►night give the Board the advantage.
of his presence in this hall. I have stated that it visol
fur the very purpose of impugning the credit of the re

port, so far as it tended to animadvert upon me, that 1
appeared before the Board ; but the general officers
whom I address will bear me witness, and the 'hurt-
nand writer's notes will confirm my assertion, that in'
performing this duty I have never for an instant dr

parted from that tone of courtesy which I deem it ap—

propriate to maintain in the conduct of this discussion 7.
and I can say now that, if I could find words which will-
do simple justice to myself as an officer, without giving'
the slightest pain or vexation to the friends of Sir J.-
,11`Neil and Col. Tullocb, those words, and those culls.
would I use. But can I find such words ? I declare•
the subject of description is such that every sentence,
coming to my lips would be checked by the thought that.
neither of the Commissioners is present to hear me, anti'
combat my conclusion. I desired a full and fair in-
vestigation in the presence of Colonel Tulloch
his colleague, and I was most anxious also to ex-
amine Colonel Tulloch, under the firm impression that:
there were matters on which ho could throw more light'
than any other man. It is not only of an important wit-
ness that Col. Tulloch's illness deprives me, for this de-
plorable event deprives me also, I will not say of an or"
portunity, but of one who would endeavour to sustain.
the allegations contained in the report ; and I do mall:
feel that as his presence is not to be replaced by that a
Sir J. 111'Neil, I cannot bring myself to go on withouti

explanation and evidence which might by possibility'
dive pain to an absent man. Therefore, deferring re— •
spectfully to the view of the Board, ,which calla upont
ine either to continue my explaaations or to leave the,
case as it stands as far as Col. Tulloch is concerned,
I have come to the conclusion that the latter of those'
~wo courses is the one which, if not the more wise:

and the more prudent, is at all events the ones
best consorting with my feelings. All who•
have duly attended to the purposes of this
discussion on Monday and Tuesday last will see that:
there is much indeed which I should wish to say if '-
could persuade myself to complete any explanation by
gumming up the evidence already given before the
Board ; but if there is much that I should like to add
to ray address, there is, happily, nothing in it which. I
wish to withdraw or qualify; and now, disarmed as I
au], by the illness and the absence of Colonel Tullock
all I will venture to ask of the Board is this, that is
considering their decision they will kindly revert to the
evidence which has been given in the progress of this
inquiry. The Board, however, will permit me to con-
tinue my part in this discussion upon what was Con-
nected with the organisation of the arnay,which does not
tend to bring me into any kind of antagonism with Col.
Tu!loch.

The President—a) you intend to proceed, General
Airey, or not ?
General Airey—No.
Judge-Advocate•General—Will you state more dis•
tiactly your reasons for not proceeding ?
General Airey—l wish the Board to adjourn tempo*
rarity till one of the Commissioners can attend.
General Peel—Cannot you show the inaccuracies of
which you complain in the report without the attend-
ance of Col. Tulloch ?

General Airey—lt is impossible for me to do so with•
out impigning the credit of the report.
General Peel, to Mr. Commissary-General Filder
Are you prepared to go on with your case I

Mr. Filder —No, I am in the same predicament as
General Airey. I appear to impugn the correctness of
the report.
General Peel, to General Airey—lf Colonel Tulloch
had never appeared, would you have raised the same ob•

jection you have now I
General Airey —lf Colonel Tulloch had never aban•
doned his original position as a Commissioner, and come
here and examined witnesses, and animadverted on say

statements, I could have gone on without him.
Mr. Commissary-General Filder said that he should
be able, to-morrow, to state the course he would pursue

_
i❑ his case.
The Board were about to retire, to consider what
should be done in this emergency, when
General Airey said he left his case in their hands,
and did not decline to go on if they wished him.
The Board then retired, and after a lengthened ab-
sence returned into Court, when
The Judge-Advocate-General said that the Board
regretted the necessity of adjournment, but as it was
■ocessary, they adjourned the Court till Wednesday
next.

Some discussion took place relative to Sir J. M'Neil
being summoned as a witness, but the Judge-Advocate-
General said, as he was a civilian, the Board could not
compel his attendance. He should, however, be in
formed of General Airey's request.
The Court then adjourned at one o'clock, till Wednes
day next.

COLONEL TULLOCFL—The following is a copy of the
certificate of Sir James Clark and Mr. Martin an to
Colonel Tulloch's state of health
" Eaton-square, May 6.
"ire certify that we were called to Col. Tulloch yes-
terday afternoon, and have visited him again this morn-
ing. We find him labouring under such a degree of
bodily and mental exhaustion, arising from long-con-
tinued mental exertion and anxiety, as to render him
totally unfit to attend to any business. We are further
of opinicn that complete bodily and mental repose is
necessary for the recovery of his health.

" JAMES CLARK, M.D.
" J. R. MARTIN."
The gallant colonel has been thoroughly exhausted—an
exhaustion as complete as that of the overworked men
and horses in the Crimea-- in the performance of a task
too arduous for any one man's strength.
CHELTENHAM ELECTION.—The nomination took place
yeterdry. Frederick Munro, Esq., proposed Captain
Francis William Fitzhardinge Berkeley as a fit and pro-
per personage to represent the borough of Cheltenham in
Parliament. Mr. Downing seconded the nomination.
Captain Francis W. F. Berkeley then addressed the
e ector4. The hon. gentleman went through his political
f tith, stating that he should vote for the ballot and other
liberal measures. Sir Alexander Ramsay proposed Ed.
G. Hallowell, Esq. The nomination was seconded by
Mr. George Parnage. A show of hands was then taken,
which the returcvg (1:: r, J. P. Bell, Esq., declared to
be in favour cf Captain Berkeley. A poll was demanded
in behalf cf E. Hallowell, Esq., which was fixed to com-
mence this day (Thursday), at eight o'clock, and clue
a far.