The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-17 00:00:00

TEE CRI MBA IV INQUIRY.

The military commission, appointed by Royil War-
rant, to inquire into the allre;ations contained in the re-
port of Sir J. M`Neil and Col. Tahoe's. on the condition
of the Crimean army, held their 22,1 sitting yesterday,
in the Great Hall of Chelsea Hospital.
At the opening of the court,
Mr. Commissary General Filder proceeded to read the
concluding portion of his statement, but in so low a tone
of voice that very little of the substance reached the re-
porters' table. He was understood to bear testimony to
the zeal and activity of all the officers connected with
the commissariat department. Referring to the supply
of forage adverted to on the previous day, he stated
that he had left nothing undone to supply the exi-
gencies of the army, but that the means of transport,
although adequate for Sir Charles Trevelyan's estimates,
were wholly unequal to the supply of the army. He
denied that the present efficient state of the commis-
sariat department was to be attributed to the sugges-
tions of the commissioners, as great improvements had
been effected before they arrived in the Crimea. The
commissioners did not arrive until the spring, at which
time it was impossible f.ir them to form a just opinion of
the previous difficulties the army had to contend with.
He thought the commissioners ought to have inquired
more fully before they made suggestions upon subjects
which, upon inquiry, would have been found already at-
tended to. The commissioners were in error in stating
that there was a great deficiency in the amount of tea
supplied to the army. They had been guided in this
trotter, as well as in their statements respecting lime
juice, by inaccurate documentary evidence, although they
might have obtained a correct statement of facts from
persons on the spot. He trusted that he had shown the
board that he was not responsible for the deficiency in
the supp,y of forage, and thet he was not chargeable
with having failed to avail himself of all the means of
sea transport at his disposal. Without claiming for
himself an undue amount of capacity, he trusted he had
proved that ha and the rest of the commissary
officers had done the very best they could do under
the difficulties and unparalleled circumstances in which
they were placed. Atter referring to his past services in
the Peninsula and elsewhere, and to his motives for j
itig the army in the Crimea, Mr. Filder concluded his
statement by expressing tee confidence with which he
left his case in the hands of the Court. He ventured to
express a hope (with a view, if necessary, to a more for.
mal inquiry hereafter) that the board would state posi-
tively whether in their judgment he had been shown to
be guilty of the charges contained in the commissioners'
report.
General Knollys—Did you ever take any steps to
make Lord Raglan acquainted with the stock of bay
which you had in hand ?

Mr. Filder was understood to say that he had ❑ot
made any formal complaint on the subject until the 21st
of January, 1855.

General Knollys—Had you rusntioned to hia lordship
Any apprehensions that you had on this subject in your
conversations with him ?

Mr. Filder—No, I had not.
By General Peel—Lord Raglan was always satisfied
that I had abundance of supplies with the exception of
forage, and he was well aware of the difficulties on that
head. He (Mr. Filder) considered that Lord Panmure
was the present head of the commissariat.
The President—lt was intended by the Government
to form a depot at Malta; do you know why that was
not done?

Mr. Filder replied that the requisitions for hay came
iu faster than they could be complied with, and that con-
sequently there could be no necessity for a depot at
Malta.
i►lr. Filder called attention to a statement made by
Lord C srdiga.n, that, in October, 1854, a number of
ammunition horses were shot because there was no
f rage for them. He contended that this could not have
been the case, as there was no want of forage at that
time, and that the cause of the horses being shot was no
doubt that they were labouring under disease.
In answer to a question from General Peel,
Mr. Filder said that he never heard of any complaint
among the troops about c iffee until the month of Nov.
He wished to observe, with reference to Lord Raglan,
that he did not believe auy Commissary-General had
ever received so much assistance from a Commauder•in-
Chief as he bad received from Lord Raglan.
The Judge-Advocate reminded Mr. Filder that, in his
evidence on the previous day, he had attributed the defi-
ciency in the supply of forage to the circumstance of the
authorities at home not compiying with his requisitions
and sending out a sufficient quantity of hay ; and inquired
how he could reconcile that evidence with his representa-
tions to the Commander-inCnief and the Under-Secretary
for War, that at no time was the harbour at Balaklava
withou two er three vessels laden with chopped straw ?
Mr. Filder stated, in reply, that chopped straw did not
altogether answer the purpose of hay, and that there
were great difficulties in the way of landing chopped
straw which did not apply to hay. He added that he
did not consider the reasons assigned by Sir C. Treve-
lyan for not sending out the hay to be FiL tisf ,story.
The Judge-Advocate—Noon you applied to Sir Chas.
Trevelyan for machines for pressing hay, did you get
them ? •

Mr. Filder—Yes, I believe they were sent out as soon
as possible ; I applied for a set of presses, and got them.
The Judge-A,lvocate—You stated yesterday that, on
the 13th of September you wrote to Sir Charles Tre-
velyan to send you 2,000 tons of hay, and that you did
not get one-tenth of the quantity ; is that so
Mr. Filder said that was so. He never got a tenth of
the forage he wrote for on that occasion.
The Judge-Advocate—Have you any letter from Sir
Charles Trevelyan in which he states why he did not
comply with the requisition ?
Mr. Filder said he had not any letter explanatory of
the reason, and added, in reply to a further question,
that ho was net aware of any difficulty in purchasing
hay in this country in the autumn of 1854.
Col. Gordon was then called by Mr. Filder, and in an-
swer to questions put by him with reference to the sup-
ply of transport vessels, said at the a❑d of October Capt.
Christie was desired to place the horse tran,ports at the
disposal of the commissariat. They were then lying at
Kalatnita Bay and other places along the coast, and
some at Balaklava. In December (after the great
storm) another letter was written directing Col. Christie
to place all the transports of whatever description at the
disposal of the commissariat, as all were required for the
exigencies of the army. A great many of the transports
were lost in the great storm.
This being the whole of the evidence, the board ad-
journed for half an hour, and on the return of the cora-
missionei u,

The Judge-Advocate said that Dr. Balfour had ex-
pressed a wish to hand in a paper which had received the
satiction of Colonel Tulloch with reference to a portion
of the evidence given by Colonel Gordon. As
Dr. Balfour was now present, the board had dir2c'od
bun (the Judge-Advocate) to state that if Dr. Balfour
would furnish Colonel Gordon with a copy of the state-
ment, he could reply to it in writing, and the board
could then consider both together. The board consi-
dered this a more desirable course than to re-open the
case.

Dr. Balfour said he would take care that Col. Gor,lon
should be furnished with a copy of the statement either
that evening or in the morning.
Col. Gordon asked that he might be furnished with a
copy at once, as in that case he would proceed to answer
it immediately.

The Judge:Advocate—A copy will be sent to you, and
you can forward your reply, when the board will consider
both statements together.
The Presideat said that would be a more desirable course
than to re-open a case which was already closed.
The Judge-Advocate said he thought it right to inform
Col. Gordon that Capt. Heath had asked pe mission of
the board to read a statement relating to a portion of his
(Col. Gordon's) evidence ; and that, as the board did not
wish to deprive him of that opportunity, they proposed
to adjourn the inquiry until Monday next, when Col.
Gordon could attend if he thought fit.
The President asked whether Col. Gordon was aware
of the portion of his evidence to which Capt. Heath in-
tended to ref r.

Colonel Gordon replied in the affirmative.
The inquiry was then further adjourned to Monday
next, at eleven o'clock.
The attendance of the public throughout the day was
extremely limited, and had it not been for a strong mus-
ter of pensioners, the hall would have presented a very
dreary appearance.

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RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

RAILWAY REFOlt,'‘l.

A meeting of the members of the Reform Association
was held yesterday at the office in the Strand to consider
the provisions of the Eastern Counties Railway Bill, as
passed by the House of Commons, authorising the raising
of additional capii al—Mr. Malins in the chair.
Mr. Browne, the secretary, read the advertisement
convening the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN stated that in addition to the adver-
tisement circulars had been sent to the proprietors. The
last day for presenting a petition to the House of Lords
was the 27th inst., and the present was the latest period
they could conveniently call them together to consider
the subject. The association had been exposed to consi-
derable opposition from railway companies, and he hoped
the members would not fail to make any suggestions they
thought proper, with a view to carry out the objects the
association had in view. They found that other compa-
nies were prepared to assist the chairman and directors
of the Eastern Counties Companies in opposition to the
efforts of the Reform Association. A code of bye•laws
for railway companies had been prepared by Major Court,
and, if generally adopted, he believed it would confer a
great benefit on railway property. The financial position
of the association showed that they had funds quite suf-
ficient to meet any expenses that would oceur. They had
resolved not to get into debt, but to close their affairs if
not supported by those whose interest it was to do so.
Every member of the association might feel assured that
no liability would be incurred for which they had no
funds, nor would they carry on proceelings one atom
further than their means would allow. It was proposed
that they should apply to Lord Dalhousie to become their
patron. It was well known that he had made valuable
suggestions in respect to railway legislation, which, if
adopted, would have conferred great oentfite on railway
property. It they could obtain the assistance of teller
noble lords it would have the effect of overcoming, to a
great extent, the opposition with which the association
had now to contend. With regard tothe bill promoted by
the directors of the Eastern Counties Railway Company,
they should bear in mind that the House of Commons did
not recognise shareholders in a company appearing against
the directors, as it was presumed that the directors
represented he company, and consequently the whole
of the shareholders. The only mode of opposing a
bill was in the character of landowners, but on proceed.
ing to the merits of the case they would be immediately
stopped by the committee on the bill. The bill contained
25 pages of recitals of former acts of Parliament relating
to the company, from which it was impossible to unravel
what those acts empowered the directors to do. The
only chance of opposing the bill with success was in the
House of Lords, and they would call upon the promoters
to show what powers they had by former acts, and what
powers they sought by the bill. Although the directors
had stated in their last report that they wanted nothing
more than to consolidate the powers of the com-
pany, it appeared the object was to enable the directors
to raise a further sum of 800,0001. on mortgage. It was
by no means easy to understand the bill. Tue borrowing
powers of the company were exercised to the extent of
2,420,0001., but it appeared they were to be extended
ti 3,195,0001. In order to accomplish this object it
was stated in the bill, among other matters, that the
capital of the Eastern Counties Company now consisted
of 1,180,4001., Northern and Eastern stock ; 641,8001.
six per cent, stock ; and 5,854,0151. ordinary stock ;
,whereas, in fact, the Northern and Eastern stock was
not a part of the Eastern Counties capital, but a first
mortgage of preferential debt on the entire profits of the
company, bearing interest at 5 and 6 per cent. per an-
num. It was a most injurious course towards the ori-
enal shareholders to increase the preference charges.
The promoters of this bill said these figures gave the
amount of their capital, and that they were entitled to
borrow money to the extent of one-third of the total
amount. The Northern and Eastern Railway was leased
for 99 years by the Eastern Counties Company, and
they had no power to borrow money on account of that
company's capital. By withdrawing certain clauses
which were originally in the bill, such as giving autho-
rity to the Eastern Counties Company to lend money to
the Eastern Union and Norfolk companies, and to sanc-
tion all former acts of the directors, it would not be ne-
cessary to hold a Wharncliffe meeting, at which a mino-
rity holding one-foarth of the capital represented at such
meeting would have the power to reject the bill. After
alluding at considerable length to other matters con-
nected with railways in general, he concluded by ex-
plaining that he had retired from the chair and the board
of the Metropolitan Railway Company in consequence
of his connection with the Reform Association ; and
said that, so long as he was supported by the members
of the association, no consideration would induce him
to forego his exertions in carrying out the object they
had in view.

Mr. MITIIHELL remarked that it had been very truly
said by Mr. Hadfield's committee on the affairs of the
London and North-Western Company, that the share-
holders should understand that augmentation of capital
meant reduction of dividend. If the directors were
allowed to pass the bill, the effect would be that the in-
creased preference charges would swallow up the small
dividend on the ordinary stock. He concluded by mov-
ing a resolution to the effect that it was necessary for the
protection of the 01 i;inal stock to oppose the further
proureis of the bill.

Mr. GARB TT seconded the motion, and it was carried
unanimously.

Resolutions were also passed to the effect, that the pe-
tion against the bill be presented to the House of Lords,
and that the Railway Defence Committee be requested
co continue their opposition to the bill, and receive sub-
scriptions to dafray the necessary expenses.
A cordial vote of thanks was passed to the chairman
and committee for their unremitting exertions in the pro-
motion of rail way reform. The meeting then separated•