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

LINES beASEI) I+lXl t) KENTAL IN.

THE MILITARY BOARD OF INQUIRY,

(This Day.)

The Board resumed its sittings to-day at 11 o'clock.
Lord Lucan repeated his application to the Board to
be allowed to put in Sir D. Dunda'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 g,eneralanswer: to general questions,
in order to put in an official c.mamunication from C)1
Gordon, wherein he asked for time for himself and
General Airey to answer the questions, 52 i❑ 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.

IThe letter was then put and read.
Col. 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-
deice, 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
.band, to leave the report at the mercy of those
ivho 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 had 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 i❑
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 whicli 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 Mee
Rawlinson, showed that temporary shelter might
have been provided for the horses by digging trenches
and 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 rola.
tive to the spare canvas on board a vessel, and he asked
the Board to suspend their conclusion on that subjec
until after the production of the returns he had sug-
gested should be called for by the Board, 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 niade to Lord Raglan that it should be pro:
cured for shelter, nor did Lard Raglan apply to the Ad-
miralty for any. As to carpenters a full supply might
have been obtained in a few days from Constantinople.
The gallant Colonel next referred to the detailed infor-
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 bad 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 for the cavalry. He then
defended the Commissioners from the charge made
against them by Lord Lucan 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 had had occasion to charge blame they had done
it in the most guarded manner, but he 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.
The Judge-Advocate-General said that the Board re-
gretted the postponement of the Court over till Monday,
but as he had stated it was necessary he should have
that time to prepare his defence they would accede to
his request. If his lordship's cage was concluded in time
on Monday the Board would proceed with that of L ri
Cardigan.
The Court then adjourned till Monday.

Sporting Intelligence.

TATTE RSALL'S.-TIMRSDAT.

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 Fazz)letto for
the Two Thousand : 4 to 1 was taken to nearly 3001.,
and, 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.

CLOSING PRICES.

TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.
2to 1 agst Yellow Jack (offered)
7 to 2 twat Fazzoletto (4 to 1 taken freely)
7 to 2 agst Porto Rico (take 4 to 1)
Bto 1 agst Bird-in Hand (taken)
12 to 1 agst Enchanter (taken)
100 to 8 agst Milton (offered)
15 to 1 agst The Prince (taken)
CHESTER CUP.
9 to 1 agst Imogene (taken)
10 to 1 agst One Act (taken to 1001., 12 to .1
also laid)
10 to 1 agst Yorkshire Grey (taken)

THE DERBY.
100 to 40 agst Wentworth (taken)
10 to 1 agst Cannobie (taken)
12 to 1 agst Artillery
1000 to 30 agst Fly-by• Night
40 to 1 agst Fazzoletto (taken)
50 to 1 agst The Prince (taken)
NOTICE.—The Subscription Room will be opened on
Saturday (to-morrow).

MALTON RACES.--TuunspiT.
The Birdsall Sandleap. One mile.
8racken................................................

Pembd w ........ .. ...... ..........
Five ran. Won eabily.
Norclirfe Stakes. Half a mile.

Eugenio ....................
M0f0t0................................................... ,
Ge1dart...................................................
Won easily.
Halton Handicap. One mile and a half.
Alaid of Derwent
A55ayer...................................................

Eleven ran.
The Two-Year•Old Stakes. Half a mile.

Peto
Marrnion

Five ran. Won by a length.
Selling Plate. One mile and a quarter
Heiress
Exmouth
Four ran. Won by a length.
The Amateur Stakes. One mile.
Bright
Miss Allen

Three ran.
-Union Hunt Cup. Two miles.
Sir Richard
Venture
The Hero
Sir Richard and Venture objected to.