The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-27 00:00:00

THE BRITISH FOREIGN LEGION.

We are sorry to say that serious disturbances have
taken place among the British Foreign Legion stationed
at Browndown. These disturbances have not been con-
fined to themselves, but have been i❑flicted on the ir.-
habitants of Gosport. On Monday the Camp at Brown-
down was in a state of great excitement, and events oc-
curred of which the following is an authentic and official
account:—

Between nine and toe o'clock on that night Police-
sergeant Stanward, hearing a noise outside the station,
opened the door, when a number of men of the British
German Legion. rushed in, having their bayonets fixed to
their guns. The rooms, yard, passages, cells, &c., were
soon filled, as also the parlour and bedroom of the police-
officer in charge of the station. Several of the rioters
had swords drawn, and others, who had no guns, had
their bayonets in their bands. Their talk was of the
most vehement character, it being impossible to under
stand what they said. Two men got hold of the sergeant
of police, and another held a drawn sword to his breast.
A. German officer was present, and the police-sergeant
said to him, "For God's Fake what is this about ? This
is very disgraceful conduct." The officer replied in Eng-
lish that one of their men was in custody, and his com-
rades were determined to release him. The sergeant
told the officer that he had no man of the German Legion
in custody, and that be would open every cell if the men
would be quiet. The officer explained this to the men,
and they were quiet for a time whilst the examination
was being made ; but before it was completed the in-
truders rushed forward again, filling every passage and
room in the building, and uttering the most dreadful
yells. The German officer then went away, saying he
could do nothing with them. The men, however, re-
mained, and retained possession of the police-station for
nearly an hour. There were only two police-constables
at the station at the time, and they could not get out,
and other police-con tables who were outside could not
get in. Ultimately, owing to information given to Col.
Commandant Graham, of the Royal Marines, 400 men
of that corps were turned out ready for "action," and
200 at once marched o the police-station. The Germans
had, however, on their approach, fled, but they left one
man to see what might take place. The officer in charge
of the Marine Detachment summarily sent him off. The
police agree that the German officer above referred to
did everything in his power to quell the riot, and that
the men were very violent towards him even. It was
noticed, however, that several sergeants took a promi-
nent part in the riot.
So far as the affair of Monday was concerned, it must
be confessed that it bas produced a painful sensation
in the minds of the inhabitants of Gosport and of the
troops stationed there. On the part of the inhabitants,
we are justified in thanking the commander-in-chief,
Major-General Breton, for the prompt measures he has
taken to prevent a recurrence of such proceedings.
General Breton lost not a moment in writing to the
Gosport Bench of Magistrates to exp;csusrhaigsarineg. regret
With
what had occurred, and to assure them that it would be
rmeagdaerdimtopothsseibtlreoofoprs sounchthaenGaffosrptaoyrtostde, we know well,
from private sources, that a deep, though silent, feeling
of has been evoked I,y the proceedings to which
we refer. It is too much to expect that an officer or a
soldier of the troops at Gosport (the 22d Regiment and
the Royal Marines) would allow the town in which they
are quartered to be in the hands of a baud of foreigners
for five minutes. General Breton, perceiving this feel-
ing, has written to the commanding officers of the various
corps in this neighbourhood on the subject. The follow-
ing divi,ional order from Colonel Graham, of the Royal
Marines, may serve as a proof of the great anxiety of the
Lient.-Governor for the maintenauce of the tranquillity
of his district :--
"The Colonel Commandant publishes, for the infor-
mation of the division, the following extract of a letter
addressed to him by order of the Major-General com-
manding the district :
" Major-General Breton will thank you to express to
the division under your command the great reliance he
has in their good sense and conduct, and the full convic-
tion he entertains that nothing will induce them to come
into collision with the men of the British German Le-

gion.'
The disturbance, we are sorry to say, is not the only
one that has occurred this week. On Thursday the troops
in Gosport and around were kept under arras, owing to
information of the conduct and proceedings of some of
the Legion. Again, today, the Marine Corps, in going
ceanrry their
r 0
weekly
ys
of march
ammunitiont to S bb ienage tho were ordered to
. Hampshire Tele-
graph.

The town of Coalommiers (Seine-et-name) has just
given a brilliant reception to the 7th Reg,ment of the
line, commanded by Colonel de Mansnon, a native of
that place, and who was severely wounded in the assault
on the Malalihoff tower.