The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-14 00:00:00

NEWMARKET RACES.—(This Day.)

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. )

CRAVEN STAKES. A.F.

Napoleon 111.
Fisherman

Won by a head. •
BENNINGTON STAKES. D.M.

Tyre
Druid

Three ran.

THE MILITARY BOARD OF INQUIRY.

(This Day.)

The Board met, this morning at the usual hour when
the examination of

Sir R. Airey was proceeded with. He said that an
answer giden by him on Saturday to a question put to
him by the Commissioners, why nothing had he'll done
to shelter the horses on the 12th Nov., referred not to
that particular date, but generally m to the cavalry up
to that time.

Col. Tulloch submitted that as the report of the Cri-
mean Commissioners was founded entirely on the infor-
mation given to them by officers in the Crimea, it could
not be impugned by any subsequent explanation.
The Judge-Advocate-General said that Col. Tulloch
had better confine himself to examining the witness
rather than enter into explanations by running corn-
ment3`on th'e witness's evidence.

Colonel Tulloch wished to know if he was to under-
stand that Sir R. Airey's explanation was to cancel his
former statement made to the Commissioners r?
The Judge-Advocate-General—l think you are.
Colonel Tulloch (to witness)—Are these, then, the
effect of your answer—that on the 12th of November
last the site of the camp had been fixed, that engineer
officers were available, that Turks and tools were ready,
and that there was nothing to prevent the construction
of shelter?

Air R. Airey said that the great uncertainty that pre-
vailed of the cavalry remaining on that spot at the time
alluded to prevented the er.ction of shelter. He ex-
pressed his regret at the indisposition of the C3mmis-
sioners to examine him personally, for, had they done
so, a great many erroneous impressions and conclusions
might have been avoided.

Colonel Tulloch—Why did you neglect to explain
this important circumstance to the Commissioners

Sir I. Airey said because he really did not know the
object of the Commissioners was anything more than to
obtain general information upon general subjects ;` and
that a Quartermaster-General's time was fully occupied
in tbe discharge of his official duties—not having five
minutes to spare in the day?

Col. Tulloch—ln the absence of that information
could the Commissioners have possibly known that your
answer did not refer specifically to the 12th Nov.

Sir R. Airey said he was unable to answer that (pies-
tion. He was not aware that Lieutenant-Colonel
Gordon had offered an explanation to the Commis
sioners to leadithem to conclude that everything would be
ready except the timber. He felt sure Lieut.-Colonel
Gordon was anxious to give them all the information in
his power. He was not aware that such an explanation
as he had given to the Board was given to the Commis-
sioners. Any alteration of witness's orders would not
appear in his office register, because in carrying on such
a great war as that they had lately been engaged in
many of the orders were given and countermanded orally.
A great deal more was done than what appeared in his
office register. With regard to Lord Lucan's statement
of the 12th November, that an engineer officer would be
placed at his disposal, arrangements were made fur that
purpose, but beyond that he was unable to state any-
thing. He, of course, expected they would have been
carried out. The Commissioners called at his office
three times after Lieut.-Colonel Gordon's examination tee
take his (Sir It. Airey's) evidence, but on each occasion
he was peremptorily called away. He found by refer-
ence to his book that on the 12th Nov. Captain G.rdon
was written to by order of the Commander of the Forces
to place an engineer officer at the disposal of Lord
Lucan, and that the commander of the Engineers was
written to accordingly.
On being again pressed by Col. Tulloch to say whe-
ther it would not have been better had the witness
afforded this information on subjects on which the
Commissioners were desirous of obtaining the fullest in-
formation at the time they were in the Crimea, he said
he was unable to do so from press of business, and that
his answers were as short as possible in consequence.
Witness continued—The great and primary cause of
delay was the want of labour. .With.aufficient labourers
they might have done anything, even before the site of
the camp was permanently fixed on. He was unable to
say if the permanent-site of the camp had been fixed on
by the 16th December.
It appeared from remarks made by Lord Lucan, and
a reference to his evidence before the Board, that the
ground for stables for the cavalry had been masked out
before the 16th December.

Colonel Tutloch said that perhaps Lord Lucan would
have no objection to afford the Court the information
desired—viz., when the ground was marked out.
Lord Lucan—lf you will examine me I will answer
that or any other quehtiovi.
Sir It. Airey continued his evidence, and said that
the questions the Commissioners required him to answer
remained in his possession several weeks before he did
so.

CAonel Tulloch—Could Lord Lucan have constructed
shelter without labour, without tools, without materials,
and without a permanent site being fixed on before the
12th Nov., arid have provided shelter for the cavalry in
acc,rdance with orders that bad been isiued to that
effect ?

Sir R. Airey—The shelter to be constructed was
such as the circumstances would admit of. That might
have been merely throwing up of embankments for the
night, or any temporary shelter Lerd Lucati might be
able to construct under the then circumstances.
Cul. Tulloch—The Commissioners having received no
ether information except that which they obtained from
you and your officers as to the construction of the
stables, which appeared to embrace a period of three
months, was it not necessary some other information
should have been afforded the Commissioners to pre-
vent them coming to a conclusion that there was a want
of promptitude and ingenuity displayed in providing
shelter ?
Sir R. Airey—Yes. I think it was a great pity they
came to that conclusion without calling for further
evidence.
Col. Tulloch—From whom but from yourself and Col.
Gordon o.ould such evidence have been obtained ?
Sir R. Airey—l think very much might have been
obtained from rne, and I think with one ride between
Balaklava and the camp we might have conversed freely,
honestly, and openly upon these matters, and without
difficulty have set everything right.
Cul. Tulloch—Did not the Commissioners give you
that opportunity in writing to yourself, and by four
days' examination of your senior assistant ?
Sir R. Airey— Of the examination in writing I have
already spoken. Mine were merely general and
superficial answers to general questions. I had no idea
the Commissioners would have blamed or implicated
any body. It I had had the slightest idea they would
have done so I should have gone more fully into the
matter.
Cul. Tulloch repeated the question, and added—Did
not the commissioners attend three times at head-quar-
ters for the purpose of seeing you ?
Sir R. Airey—You attended in person, but no exami•
nation of me took place, and consequently that was null
and void.
Col Tulloch to the Board) said be wished to show
that he gave Sir R. Airey an opportunity of affording an
explanation on this point, and asked him—Do you
think the commissioners could attach blame to no one
when it was found so many horse; bad died ?.
Sir R. Airey—l thought it was quite impossible for
the Commissioners to have found by these inquiries that,
under the peculiar circumstances under which the army
was placed, that any one in the Crimea was to blame.
It is now my impression that some of the persons in the
Crimea were to blame.
Col. Tulloch continued to put questions of a similar
character to Sir R. Airey, and he replied that if he had
had any idea that there would have been a subsequent
inquiry, he ;would have afforded the Crimean soldier
fuller information. He considered from their question
that they were seeking merely for general information,
and he gave his answers accordingly.
Col. Tulloch—lf the Crimean Commissioners had to
report to the Secretary of State for War and ultimately
to Parliament, could they have omitted such an impor-
tant circumstance as when shelter was ordered and pro-
vided, and should not the information thereupon given
to the commissioners been of the most specific character?
Sir R. Airey—l don't know what were the instruc-
tions given to the commissioners, but I thought they
merely embraced commissariat duties. I did not know
that you were called upon to report on other matters.
Col. Tulloch—Could they in "any report " have
omitted such an important circumstance ?
Sir R. Airey—The question is so vague and indefinite
that I really can't answer it.
Colonel Tulloch—Did it not occur to you that in "any
report" made by the commissioners to the Government,
that in the absence of such information, if the Quarter-
master-General's department had done its duty, that the
cavalry had neglected theirs.
Sir R. Airey—l don't admit the inference that is
drawn here, that the cavalry neglected their duty.
My impression is that the cavalry under the circum•
stances in which they were placed, did all they could.
• I can't answer the question in any other way.l
Shortly after 2 o'clock, the Court adjourned for half
an hour.
[We will give the eenelneion in our last Edition.]

SACRED HARMONIC SOClETY.—Costa's oratorio "Eli,"
will be again performed at Ezeter-Hall on the 25th
inst. Madame Viardot Garcia will arrive from Paris to
sustain the "part of Samuel in the oratorio, as at Bin
raingharn, the ,other principal vocalists -being 1114ds,nal
Clara No'vello; 24r. Sian LepTo, aad Zieir

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