The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-06 00:00:00

THE MILITARY BOARD OF INQUIRY.

[A part of the following appeared in our impression of
yesterday.]
The 13,)ard re-assembled at the usual hour.
The proceedings of the Court c numenced this morn-
ing with the examination of Mr. Filder, the Cominiv-
sary-General, at the request of Mr. Cruickshank,
relative to his being placed under arrest.

Mr. Fader said that he perfectly well remembered
Mr. Cruickshank being placed under arrest, and be
forwarded to Lord Raglan a request from Mr. Cruick-
shank that an inquiry might be instituted into his con-
duct. Lord Raglan refused an inquiry, on the grouhd
that it was inexpedient to do so, but never expressed to
him (Mr. Pilder) any disapprobation of Mr. Cruick-
shank's conduct. If his Lordship had expressed his
disapprobation of Mr. Cruickshank's conduct be (Mr.
Filder) must baie known it.

Lord Lucan said he wrote a letter to the Adjutant-
General stating he hat placed Mr. Cruickshank under
arrest, to which he received au answer with his own
letter containing Lord Raglan's remarks on Mr. Cruick-
shank's conduct. That letter, with the other, was
again returned to the Adjntant-General's Department in
the Crimea, and he hoped the CJurt would ask for its

production.
Mr. Cruickshank said he had already applied for the
production of the lett:tr Lard Lucan surmised was in
existence.
The subject dropped.
Sir R. Airey then resumed his car,,And aqkel for the
production of. CA. Xisekenitie,erlce—tipken' in the
Crimea by the Commissioners.

Col. Tulloch said it had already been produced, and
then proceeded to defend his statements made on a
former occasion as to the mode adopted by the Commis•
sioners in the Crimea in taking the evidence of the va:
rious witnesses. He admitted striking out of Colonel
Wetherell's evidence some marginal notes that officer
had placed on it, because they did not bear on the ques-
tions the Commissioners had put to him. After striking
them out he again sent the evidence to Col. Wetherell.
The minutes produced were in the same state as when
they were sent the last time to Col. Wetherell for ap-
proval, and returned by him.
Sir R. Airey read the whole of the evidence given by
Col. Tulloch relative to the manner the Commissioners
took the evidence of the military witnesses in the Crimea,
and submitted the minutes to them for correction and
signature, to insure accuracy, which he said was at vari-
ance with the facts, since the minutes produced showed
erasures had been made in them.
Col. Tulloch could not assent to the term "erasure."
The portions of evidence complained of were not obli-
terated, but merely crossed over. The witnesses, or any
other person, could easily read what was marked out.
Sir R. Airey asked Col. Tulloch why he took upon
himself to alter the evidence of Col. Wetherell ?
Col. Tulloch paid he was not certain that he made the
alterations alluded to. The reason for its being done
was that it was at variance with the actual issue of win-
ter coats, as shown by the official returns.
Sir R. Airey—Then I collect from that you did it to
"square the account" with evidence taken elsewhere.
Colonel Tulloch—l don't say that.
Colonel Wetherall was then re-examined by Sir R.
Airey—The blue-book did not contain the whole of the
evidence he gave before the Commis :loners in the Crimea,
end portions had been omitted without his authority.
The MS. in Col. Tulloch's handwriting, with certaia
portions crossed out, was the evidence he gave in the
Crimea, and he considered the omissions important parts
of his evidence. The printed evidence was not a faith--
full report of his evidence. He thought the comtnis-
eioners were not justified in animadverting in the strong
terms they had on the Quartermaster-General's depart-
ment, and had they analysed the returns he felt confident
they would not have done so. The report stated that
but 460 watch-nate had been issued and drawn up
to a certain period, when in point of fact there
had been 1,061 issued and drawn as stated in the
omitted portions of his evidence. The books were pro-
duced on his examination for hie own reference, but he did
not remember whether Colonel Tulloch examined them.
After he had left the Crimea he wastattached,to the Turk-
ish Contingent, and was stationed 12 miles from Conetan-
tinople ,when the Commissioners returned to that Owe.
If they had wished to have examined him further, they
could have done so easily. Col. Wetherall proceeded
to point out the other defective portions of the Cona•
missioners report relative to the actual supply of
rugs, blankets, &c. The report stated that in Decem-
ber a vessel arrived with sufficient blankets to provide
every man with a third blanket, but they were not issued.
It was true the vessel arrived at the time named with
sufficient blankets, but from the smallness of the har-
bour of Balaklava, and the difficulties to contend with,
she was unable to commence unloading till the Sth Jan.
By that time a number of buffalo robes and sheep skin
coats had arrived, and as a matter of choice which
should be distributed amongst the men, buffa-
lo robes were decided on and issued. It would
have been absurd to have issued blankets in
addition, because there were no means of transport for
stores that had been previously issued. Col. Wetherell
then entered into the details of the delays that occurred
in the issue of stores, and the men not getting them from
the want of !Leans of transport, to show that the
Quartermaster-General's department was not to blame.
In many instances the issue was in advance of the wants
of the army.
Sir R. Airey said that the Quartermaster General had
no power as to the actual issue of stores, but merely the
power of appointment.
In reply to a question from Colonel Tulluch,
Colonel Wetherell said he should have thought that
an officer of Colonel Tullocli's standing would have
known the Quartermaster-General had nothing to do
with issuing, but that he had only to make the orders

for issuing.
Colonel Tulloch asked why the Quartermaster-General
used the word issue in his return ?

Colonel Wetberall said he explained it in his evidence,_
and it was iu that portion which the Commissioners had
erased.

By COL Tulloch—Although his evidence was taken
jointly with Col. Gordon's, he considered it was compe-
tent for him to give the explanation which the Commis-
sioners had struck out of his evidence. Col. Tulloch
did not inform him that he bad sent his evidence to Col.
Gordon. At that time he had left the Crimea. Col.
Gordon made no communication to him on the subject.
The whole of the suppressed evidence related to rugs
and blankets on which the Commissioners had commu-
nicated..
Col. Tulloch7—Elow do you account for Col. G:)rdon
not communicating with you about your evidence ?
Colonel Wetherall—You had better ask him that,
The witness then retired.
Sir R. Airey, in answer to a question from the board,
said there was no actual want of stores.
The Court adjourned for the usual time ; and, on
their re-assembling,
The Judge-Adv ocate-General, addressing Dr. Balfour,
medical officer of the asylum, who has been in attendance
each day with Col. Tulloch, asked him if it was true
Col. Tulloch had been obliged to leave the Court from
ill health ?
Dr. Balfour said he had. He had been very ill for
soma days, and he visited him so late as 10 o'clock last
night. It was much against his wish that Col. Tulloch
attended to-day. He found himself so ill that he was
unable during the morning's proceedings to properly
attend to the evidence.
In answer to questions from the Judge-Advocate
General, Col. Wetberall stated that he gave a notifica-
tion of the arrival of extra stores to the commanding
officers, and that they were to draw their respective
portions as soon as they received information from the
i Commissariat department that they were ready for
i delivery. Numerous delays occurred in sending for
them from the defective state of the regiments and the
I ordinary siege duties they had to perform.
[The manner in which Col. Wetherall answered the
few questions put to him by Col. Tulloch was the most
j flippant and abrupt possible, and did not fail to make an
unfavourable impression on the auditory. A slight hiss
or two escaped from some persons in the body of the
hall, and had it not been out of respect to the Board
they would have expressed in an unmistakeable manner
their indignation at the conduct of the witness.]
Sir R. Airey then called Mr. Commissary-General
Filder and examined him with reference to the great
difficulty there was experienced at Balaklava in obtain.
ing artificers and also of timber and tools in sheltering
the troops. It arose from the demand being so much
greater than the supply from Constantinople.
After some further evidence from Colonel Mackenzie
in support of the Quartermaster-General's department,
The Court adjourned at four o'clock,

DOGS AND SHEEP.—On Fridly afternoon a case was
heard in the Barnsley County Court which excited con-
siderable interest. It was an action brought by Mr.
Shaw, of Acomb, near York, against Mr. Nicholson, of
13,411 k-end, near Barnsley, to recover 50/, damages, sus-
tained on the part of the plaintiff in having 60 sheep
worried by a dog belonging to the defendant. The
flock of sheep bad been removed from Bretton-park to
Wesborough. After they bad been at the latter place
about a fortnight a dog belonging to the defendant got
among them, and worried them to such a degree that 42
died from the injuries he inflicted, and 18 subsequently
from exhaustion. It was shown in evidence that the
dog was known by defendant to have been guilty cf
similar practices, and it was, therefore, his duty to have
destroyed it. After a long hearing the jury retired to
consider their verdict, and, afvr about an hour's deli-
beration returned a verdict for plaintiff, damages 351.