The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-11 00:00:00

THE MILITARY BOARD OF INQUIRY.

(This Day.)

The Board resumed iti sitting this morning at Chelsea
Hospital at half-past 11 o'clock.

Lord Lucan then handed in a paper sugge-iting a
series of returns the Board should be furnished with re-
lative to the number of horses landed alive in the Crimea,
and also the number alive on the Ist Oct. and the Ist o
the five succeeding months.
Colonel Tulloch said the return should also show what
had become of them. 716 horses had disappeared in one
month, of which only 19 had died in camp. The gallant
officer was proceeding with a statement relative to th e
horses, when

The Judge-Advocate-General said the better course
would be for'Colonel Tulloch t ) move for the production
of certain returns, and the board would consider it.

Col. Tutloch said his object in snaking a statement
was to correct'an erroneous impression that might get
abroad.

Uitimately the Court decided the returns should be
applied for.

The Judge-Advocate-General then announced that all
the witnesses in Col. Tulloch's behalf, except the one
under examination, should leave the Court, a pro-
ceeding net adopted with regard to Lord Lucan and
his witnesses.

Cll. Douglas, of the 11th Hassqrs,'was then called
by Col. Tulloch--Re stated that his horses were in a
very bad condition indeed', after their return in Decem-
ber from the.vieinity of Inkerman, requiring shelter at
that time frpM2their being in such a reduced state. They
were entirely exposed to the frost and the severe. wea-
ther whilst.. standing at their'plequets. Temporary she!.
ter, 4lthougbibere might have been no means of cover.
ing it in, would have been of advantage to the horses.
That might have been done by digging trenches, the
earth forming a breast-work of great protection from'
the weather. The French managed this much "better
than we did. His men arrived at Kadikoi on 2d. De-
cember from Inkerman, but he *as unable to say
when the duties. of collecting ' stores commerieed.
It would have been of advantage if men could have been
get from the shipping to have assisted the cavalry in
providing shelter. In December the available number
of men under his command was 108, and every man was
set to work to make the best provision he could for him-
self and horse, when it was known where they were to
winter. That was known about the middle of December,
but he could not recollect if it was on the 16th. From
the 3d to the middle of December the officers and men
dug trenetieS; and did all they could to make their
horses comfortable ; but the ground was not bad at
that time. Thera was nothing done for the troop
horses. There was a limited supply of trenching tools,
sot nearly sufficient for the wants of the regiment. He
could not say whether there was sufficient trenching
tools for a half or a third, or what proportion of the

•
regiment.
Col. Tulloch asked the Commissioners to read to the
witness a portion of his evidence giVen before the Com-
missioners in the Crimea, and signed by him.
Lord Lucan objected to this as the events spoken to
occurred in December. Whereas the inquiry before the
Crimean Commissioners did not take p'ace until April.
Col. Tulloch said it was a mistake. The witness was
examOned on the 25th of March, and not in April.
Ultimately a portion of the witness's evidence was
read relative to the trenching tools, in reply to svich
the witness said it was true there was a litni'.ed supply
'of tools, and that some were left behind, but that was
when on the march, and on the heights before Joker.
man, and no reissue was made until after then. As far
as he recollected only a few sets of tools were issued.
The want of intrenching tools did not retard the progress
of providing shelter for the horses on the heights, be-
cause the masons, carpenters, and such men wire at
headquarters assisting in erecting depot stabling there
He did not think the men so engaged exceeded the nurni
ber of men of that description usually found in a regi-
ment, viz., half-a-dozen. The other men of the- regi-
ment, about 100, were mostly
,engaged in. duties that
prevented their providing shelter ;- the days w(ra ,very
shed, and the weather so bad that sometimes the men
could not work. Before the Crimean Cornmissierneta he
stated that the hutting commenced on the Ist Of Feb.,
which he believed was correct, and by it he meant that on
that day they commenced putting -on the wood covering
of the excavations that had previ msly been male. It
was so long since he could scarcely recollect exactly
when they commenced excavations. The ground was
not available for the horses till the wooden coverings
were ready and put on. He thought they commenced
preparine ground about the beginning of Jan. It took
from the let Jan. to Ist Feb. to prepare the groun,l.
There werenot more than 30 men available during that
time for this work. Teuporary shelter might have
been erected in a few days by his own men with
canvas, &c., if he hat had it ; but he made
no suggestion of that kind ; shelter like that pro
-video by the artillery of canvas, &c., if properly selected
and erected, would have lasted throughout the winter.
The gr.iund was selected by an engineer officer after con.'
suiting with witness. us would r nyher not give an an-
swer to a question put to him in the words of the Com-
missioners' report that their was any " want of promp-
titude or ingenuity displayed" with reference to the
sheltering of the horses, or give any opinion on that sub-
ject.

Colonel Tolloch,-Why do you object to answer the
• question ? ;
Colonel Douglas—l should be giving an-opinion as to
the conduct of my superior officers. I do not knoW
what reasons might have influenced them. I only speak
of what I saw myself. I cannot give you an answer to
the question.
Colonel Tulloch said he wished to call attention to
the short supply of barley to the horses at Inkerman,
and asked the Board whether he should enter on it now
or wait until Lord Cardigan was called.
Lord Lucan said he understood that this was an in-
quiry into those parts of the report to which be ob-
jected. He confined his oljections to two paragraphs
in the rep irt, and to which he called the attention cf the
board at the commencement of the proceedings.
Cot. Tulloch said that as Lord Lucan did not consider
that_ part_of the rep-rt objectionable, he (Col. Tulloch)
bad no wish to enter on it. He had no further questions
to pat to the witriess.
The Judge-Advocate General asked Lord Lucan if he
wished to examine the witness ?
Lord Lucan said he should refrain from doing Bother;
but ask to recall him at a sub equent period.
• The Judge-Advocate-General said Col. Douglas the
Board wishes me to put this que:tion to you. Did Lord.
Lucan frequently visit the camp of your regiment, and.
did he appear to be anxious for the comfort of the men
and horses ?
Cul. Douglas—l can answer that question if I am
allowed to express an opinion on my superiors.
Lord Lucan said he had net the slightest objection to
the witness answering the question.
The Jndge-Advocate—Will you answer this questien,
whic'i is a matter of fact ? Did Lord Lucan frequently,
visit the camp of your regiment ?
Col. Douglas—Yes, he did.
The Judge-Advocate—Are you prepared to state vet at
passed at those visits ?
Col. Douglas—Lord Lucan used to look round and
see what was going on. AL I can say is, that he fre.:
queutly visited the camp. • t
After an unimportant'question from Col. Tulloch the
witness withdrew. •
Cul. Doherty, of sth Dragoons, examined by Lord
Lucan on a previous day was examined by polonel
Tulloch The horses after .their return from, In-
kerman were in a bad- state and requ'red shelter
in consequence., The witness was examined as
to. the mode of giving temporary shelter to horses
by digging pits and throwing up earthworks around
them, but he was unable to state how.long it would take
one man to so shelter_ two horses: He accounted. for
that not being done, from the 3d Dec., when they arrived
at Kadekoi, to the 13th, from his men being engaged in
camp piquet and other duties. There was an insufficiency
of trenching tools, but he could not recollect the date.
When they had; marched down the country to Ba'alaava
(26th Sept.) they Wad- no trenching tools.- On the 3d
Dec. he had not a sufficient quantity of trenching tools.
[We will girls the oonoinvios in our last Edition.]

MAILS FOR NORWAY.—GENERAL POST-OFFICE. 7th
Aprik—The steam-packet communication het ween Den-
mark and Norway having been re-eetabli-hed, the mails
from the United Kingdom for Norway will be conveyed
direct by sea from Denmark to Norway, instead of via
Sweden, until further notice. The rate of postage to
be taken on 'letters addressed to Norway will be is. 4d.
the half-ounce, and so on, according to the scale in ope-
ration in the United Kingdom for charging inland let-
ters. This rate comprises both the British and foreign
postage on the letters to- the place of their destination;;
and it may be either paid in advance, or the letters may
be forwarded unpaid, at the option of the sender, ex
ceps, however, as regards registered letters, the postage
upon whtels well as the registration fee, must be paid
in advance.

THE RIGHT MAN IN THE RIGHT PLACE.—Natwith-
standing the late announcement of peace we understand
that soyeral.very hasty engagements have lately taken
place in the ilayrnarkel-, General iialfe, however, it is
generally expected, will resume the command of her
Majesty's forces (operatic), when, through the zeal and
experience of this distinguished officer, we have nod, ut.t
that harmony, so long a stranger to her Majesty's
Theatre, will at length be permanently established.
ASSEMBLY Rooms, HORNS, KENNINGTON.—SeveraI
eminent artistes sung at a concert given last night at
the above-liamed rooms, when a very choice selection of
music was; admirably performed, and several novelties
were introduced; comp wed by professors and amateurs,
which were very successful, particularly Balfe's " There
is a name," sung by Miss Dolby, Leslie's "Shall I be
remembered," and St. Leger's "Gipsy coquette," in.
terpreted by Madame Weiss.
THE CORPORATION REFORM BILL.--Yesterday, at a
meeting of the masters and wardens of the livery compa-
nies-of the city of London, held at the Mansion-house,
Sir Peter titurlipresiding, resolutions in opposition to
the Corporation; Reform Bill were unanimously agreed
to. It was further resolved that the livery companies
should use their' influbnce with members of Parliament to
induce theca to oppose the second reading of the bill.