The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-25 00:00:00

THE MILITARY BOARD OF INQUIRY:

(This Day.)

The Board resumed its sittings to-day at 11 o'clock.

Lord Lucan repented his application to the Board to
be allowed to put in Sir D. Dundas's written answers
to certain queries he (Lord Lucan) had addressed to him
relative to the facilities for obtaining material, &c., from
the fleet for the temporary shelter of the horses.
The Judge-Advocate-General said that the Board
were of opinion that at this stage of the proceedings
sufficient reason had not been assigned for their receiv-
ing secondary evidence. In the event of the Board
finding it necessary to receive further information on
the point it was intended to call Sir D. Dundas, and if
he was unable to attend they would consider how they
would receive his evidence.

Col. Tulloch then referred to Sir R. Airey's evidence
given on a former day, wherein he stated that he gave
the Commissioners general answers to general questions,
in order to put in an official communication from Col.
Gordon, wherein he asked for time for himself and
General Airey to answer the questions, 52 in number,
on the ground that every one of them appeared to con-
tain an accusation against some one, and required to be
well considered before answered.

The letter wag then put and read.
Cul. Tulloch then proceeded to address the Board on
the evidence that had been adduced before the Board,
but before doing so he called attention to the difficult
task he had to perform, in supporting the report he and
Sir J, M'Neil had presented to Government, by the in-
complete evidence at his command in this country. Had
this inquiry taken place in the Crimea he would have
been in a different position as regarded the military evi-
dence, and he would then have been able to show the
daily labour of the cavalry. He had only two courses
to pursue with regard to this inquiry—one, to come for-
ward regardless of these disadvantages; or, on the other
hand, to leave the report at the mercy of those
who thought themselves aggrieved by it, and who
alleged that the Commissioners had distorted
the facts presented to their notice. Not the
least difficulty the Commissioners bad to contend
against was that military officers did not appear to
comprehend the guarded expressions which persons em-
ployed to report to Government were obliged to use,
and they appeared to be unable to understand the reason
why certain officers were not pointed out at once by
name, so that they might come forward and defend
themselves, and another difficulty was to ascertain
where responsibility commenced and where it ended in
reference to the requirements of an army in the field.
The gallant Colonel then entered at great length upon
an examination of the evidence taken by the Commis-
sioners, contrasting it with that given before the Board,
and the statements that had been made by Lord Lucan
and others, principally with a view to show that there
must have been a want of promptitude and ingenuity
somewhere, when three months were allowed to elapse
between the time when an order was issued for pro-
viding shelter for the horses, and the time at which
it was attended to, notwithstanding that the
winter was fast setting in. The Commissioners in con-
ducting their inquiry in the Crimea did all they could
under the circumstances to bring out full information,
even to the extent of putting their questions in a tone
requiring careful and circumspect answers. The want
of promptitude and ingenuity resulted simply into this,
that the military authorities knew from the middle of
November the difficulties in which they were likely to
be placed from the want of shelter for the cavalry. Week
after week passed, and yet no shelter was provided, al.
though the severity of the winter was setting in so fast
that numbers of the horses were dying daily. Under
these circumstances it was natural for the Commissioners
to consider what facilities could be given for sheltering
the cavalry before the end of winter, and the evidence
in the Crimea as well as that given before the Board by
Col. Thompson, Col. Doherty, Col. Douglas, Col.
Griffiths, Col. Low, Mr. Bracebridge, and Mr.
Rawlinson, showed that temporary shelter might
have been provided for the horses by digging trenches
mid the use of sailcloth, which was plentiful on board
the vessels in the harbour, &c., and the Commissioners
were therefore, he contended, justified in coming to the
conclusion that there had been a want of promptitude
and ingenuity displayed by some person in not provid-
ing temporary shelter for the horses. He was much
surprised at the evidence given by Sir Ed. Lyons rela-
tive to the spare canvas on board a vessel, and he asked
the Board to suspend their conclusion on that subjen
until after the production of the returns he had sug-
gested should be called for by the Bard, stating the
amount of reserved sails and canvas en board the fleet
at the time alluded to. He called the attention of the
Board to the fact that no sailcloth was asked for, nor
suggestions made to Lord Raglan that it .should be pr•
cured for shelter, nor did Lord Raglan apply to the Ad-
miralty for any. As to carpenters a full supply might
have been obtained in a few days from C mstantinople.
The gallant Colonel next referred to the detailed infer.
mation furnished to the Commissioners relative to the
employment of the cavalry in the Crimea, and of the
number of available men and horses for the various
duties they had to perform, which Lord Lucan charac-
terised as minor objections in the report, and contended
that the Commissioners were justified in coming
to the conclusion, on that evidence, that suf•
ficient promptitude and ingenuity had not been
displayed in providing shelter tor the cavalry, lie then
defended the Commissioners from the charge made
against them by Lord Lucau that they bad exceeded
their instructions, and looked upon the approval of their
report by the Government and the country as a com-
plete refutation of that charge. Where the Commis-
sioners bad had occasion to charge blame they had done
it in the most guarded manner, but be was sorry to
find that caution on their part had raised up enemies in
various quarters when a more decided opinion would
have involved the hostility of but one individual.
The statement of the gallant colonel was received
with applause.
The Judge-Advocate-General asked Lord Lucan if he
could proceed at once with his case.
Lord Lucan said he should like to have an opportunity
of reading Col. Tulloch's statement first, and asked the
Board to adjourn over till Monday.
TLe Judge-Advocate-General said that the Board re-
gretted the postponement of the Court over till Monday,
but as he bad stated it was necessary he should have
that time to prepare his defence they would accede to
his request. If his lordship's case was concluded in time
on Monday the Board would proceed with that of Lord
CArdigan.
The Court then adjourned till Monday.

Sporting Intelligence.

TATTERSALL'S.-THURSDAY.

Many of the members being still in the north, the
room was thinly attended, and only a small amount of
business was transacted.
The principal outlay was in support of Pamlotto for
the Two Thousand : 4 to 1 was taken to nearly 3001.,
sod, towards the close, two or three investments were
made at 7 to 2.
The transactions on the other events named below
presented nothing worthy of particular comment.