The Sun.
London, England, 1834-02-04 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Co URTMARTIAL.— GENERAL ORDER.
Horse Guards, Feb. 1, 1834.
At a General Courtmartial, held at Cork on the 284
d)y of December, 1833, and continued, by adjournments,
t ) the 16th of January, 1834, Captain Augustus Wathen,
of the 15th or King's Hussars, was arraigned on the un-
dermentioned charges, viz. :-
1. For that he, Captain Wathen, of the 15th Hussars,
did on the Bth of November, 1833, at Cork, at the half-
yearly inspection of the 15th Hussars, voluntarily sta.e,
in an invidious and improper manner, to Major-General
Sir Thomas Arbuthnot, that an unusual supply of new
stable jackets had been issued to the men of his troop, and
which had been sent from the tailor's shop without his
knowledge, thereby imputing improper conduct to Lieute-
nant-Colonel Lord Brudenell, his Commanding Officer,
although it is the custom of the service to issue new stable
3ackets to cavalry soldiers as they may require them.
2. For conduct unbecoming the character of an officer
and a gentleman, in first having stated to Major-General
Sir Thomas Arbuthnot, on Friday, the said Bth of No-
vember, at the place aforesaid, that he had been informed
by the sergeants of his troop " that the men were discon-
tented at having new stable jackets delivered out to t! em,"
such statement being contrary to the fact; and having
afterwards, on the same day, in an improper and disre-
spectful manner, when addressed by the Major-General,
denied having made the above statement, which denial he,
Captain Wathen, repeated to the Major-General on the
Monday following.
S. For conduct unbecoming the character of an officer
and a gentleman, in stating to Major-General Sir Thomas
Arbuthnot, on the said Bth of November, at the place
aforesaid, that be had reported or mentioned to Lieute-
nant-Colonel Lord Brudenell that " the men of his troop
had expressed discontent at having new stable jackets deli-
vered out to them," which statement was directly contrary
to truth and fact.

4. For conduct unbecoming the character of an officer
and a gentleman, in having, in a letter addressed to his
said Commanding Officer, Lieutenant. Colonel Lord Brude-
nell, dated the 12th of November, 1833, made a state-
tnent contrary to truth and fact, viz., " that in compliance
with instructions conveyed to him by the Adjutant on the
evening of the said Bth of November, after the inspection,
he had assembled his troop after evening stables, to convey
to them the Major-General's approbation of their appear-
once," &c. ; whereas he, Captain Wathen, did not, on
that evening, obey Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Brudenell's
ordprs to the above effect, conveyed to him through the
Adjutant.

5. For that he, Captain Wathen, after having assem -
bled the men of his troop on Saturday, the 9th of Novem-
ber, 1833, at the place aforesaid, addressed them in an
irregular and unofficerlike manner, by then and there not
confining himself to communicating to them the Major-
General's approbation of the regiment, but in adding that
same strangers or civilians had particularly remarked the
soldierlike appearance of his troop, or words to th tt effect;
and also saying that he had no doubt that had they gone on
service they would have done their duty as well is any
o her troop, notwithstanding any unpleasant circumstances
which had occurred in the troop,'or words to that effect;
which address was highly improper, inasmuch as allusion
was therein made to Lieutenant-Colonel Brudenell's recent
censure on the want of attention to the care of the horses
in Captain Wathen's troop.
6. For having, on the 12th of November, 1833, at the
place aforesaid, refused to obey an order then given to him
by Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Brudenell, his commanding
officer, to repeat verbally what he had said to his men on
the said Saturday, the 9th of November; and in having
afterwards, when permitted by his, s iiti commanding officer.
to commit to writing the nature of the said address to his
troop, repeatedly refused to obey the order then and there
verbally given to him by his said commanding officer to
leave his written statement locked up in the regimental-
office during his absence at parade.
Such conduct being insubordinate, unbecoming the cha-
racter of an officer and a gentleman, to the prejudii.e of
good order and military discipline, and in breach of the
articles of war.

Upon which charges the Court came to the following
lecisions :

" The Court having taken into its serious consideration
the evidence produced in support of the charges agsinst
the prisoner, Captain Augustus Wathen, of the 15th or
King's Hussars, his defence, and the evidence he has ad-
duced, is of opinion that he is Not Guilty of any of the
charges preferred against him. The Court, therefore, ho-
nourably acquits him of each and of all the charges.
" Bearing in mind the whole process and tendency of
this trial, the Court cannot refrain from animadverting on
the peculiar and extraordinary measures which have been
resorted to by the prosecutor.

. .
" Whatever may have been his motive for instituting
charges of so serious a nature against Captain Wathen (and
they cannot ascribe them solely to a wish to uphold the
honour and i nterests of the army), his conduct has been
reprehensible in advancing such various and weighty asser-
tions to be submitted before a public tribunal, without
some sure groun,ls of establishing the facts.

" It appears, in the recorded minutes of these proceed-
ings, that a junior officer was listened tn, and non-com-
missioned officers and soldiers examined, with the view
of finding out from them how, in particular instances,
the officers had executed their respective duties ; a prac.
rice in every respect most dangerous to the discipline and
the sulmrdin ition of the corps, and highly detrimental to
that harmony and good feeling which ought to exist be-
tween ffieers.

" Another practice has been introduced into the 15th
Hussars which calls imperatively for the notice and ani.
madversion of the Court : the system of having the con-
versations of officers taken down in the orderly room
without their knowledge—a practice which cmnat be
considered otherwise than revolting to every proper and
honourable feeling of a gentleman, and as being certain,
to create disunion and to be most injurious to his Ms.,

jesty's service."

His Majesty 1,4 a been pleased to approve and conftrin
the finding of the Court.

Although it would appear upon an attentive pet usal of
the whole proceedings that some parts of the evidence
might reasonably hear a construction less unfavourable to
the prosecutor than that which the Court have thought it
their duty to place upon them, yet, upon a full considera-
tion of all the circumstances of the case, his Majesty has
been pleased to order that Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Brude-
nell shall be removed from the command of the 15th
Hussars.

The General Commanding-in-Chief directs that the
foregoing charges preferred against Captain Augustus
Wathen, of the 15th or King's Hussars, tiigether with
the finding of the Court, and his Majesty's commando
thereon, shall be entered in the General Order Book, and
read at the head of every regiment in his Majesty's service.
By command of the Right Hon. the General Command-
log- in- Ch ief,
JOHN MACDONALD Adjutant-General.

The Hon. T. Spring Rice, M.P., left Lime.
rick yesterday for Waterford, on a short visit to Su. John
Newport, Bart., and whence be sails for England to re-
sume his duties at the Treasury.

Another candidate, named Ebenezer Jacob,
of the county of Wexford, has started for Dung svon,
avowing himself a repealer, a tithe abolitionist, and an
advocate for short Parliaments, extension of suffrage, and
vote by ballot.

HONITON.—A public meeting of the Dis-
.enters of various denominations, at H?initon, was held
nn Friday last, the 24th inst., at the Rev. W. Wright's
(the. Independent Chapel), R. H. Aberdein, Esq., in the
chair, when various resolutions, as to the grievances
which still press on Dissenters, were moved and seconded
Revs. J. Taplin, E Hatch, W. Wright, Cipt ,ia
Grouhe, R.N., and others. It was resolved not only to
memorialize Earl Grey, but also to petition Parliament
1-11,t,wheeir speedy
dinereryr
the place in We
clope
oi
untyt,h is
ane i
dx
that tloail I
uvrd be
mtnting brethren may not incur the charge of cup en
as
and indifference, by not c 'ming forward at the pres:nt
risis : for it may be remembered that unity is strength—.
and let us be firm and united.— Western Times.