The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-01 00:00:00

a:on to inquire into the Crime m report ; and no doubt it
ems intended to hive sat with closed doors, but the popu-
lar feeling, was so decidedly•against such a course that the
noble lord came down to the house and said it Was never
intended to b.: otherwise than open. However, as the
proceedings of the commission wore to be opou, he (Mr.
Laytrd) should pursue a diflcront course to that which he
should have taken if it had been a closei ono. He had se-
veral objections to the commission. One was, that it was
to inquire into and report upon a report. The warrant
stated "that an inquiry should bn made by the general
officers hereinafter named into the statements contained in
these reports, and evidence affecting, our °aims above re•
ferred to; and that they are hereby directed to summon
such persons as may be judged necessary by the said got;e-
rat °dicers to give information upon the said matters; ass'?
the seul general officers are hereby directed to hear and
examine such persons touching the same aad they are fur-
ther hereby authorised, empowered, and required, after
strict examination into the matters before mentioned, to
make a report thereupon, together with their opinion whe-
ther the said officers of oar army above referred to be or be

not responsible to auy and what extent for the unsatisfac-
tory condition of our said army, or any portion thereof.
noticed by Sir J. M‘Nuil and C donel Tulloch in their
reports, and the evidence thereunto attache 1." It di-
rected an inquiry into the report which had been accepted
by the Government and made by the men chosen by
the Government. The mode in which Sir Johu M'Neil
and Colonel Tulloch condneted the examination eves re-
markable. They aid not counneece by examining general
officers; but they went to the lowest in rank and took the
Junior officers first, and then worked their way up to the
high r grades; for they knew that not a single teal among
the junior officers would say a ward to contradict the evi-
'knee of their superiors in rank. He had read the whole
,Jf the evidence, and though there was much of it that was
readily given, yet there wits much more that many of the
officers were afraid te give. Thu course which the Go-
vernment was now t thing jurtitied those officers in being
eft ai I to give their evidence, fur no one could assert that
the junior officers would dare to speak the whole trall
before the new commission. Any one who knew anything
of the Horse Guards knew that; and he would appeal to
any officers of the army or of the navy in the house to soy
whether a junior officer would dare to give evidence to
contradict that of bin senior iu rank? He would refer to
case which would illustrate the position he had laid
down. S )me time ago there was a rebellion in Ceylon,
and certain proclatu itions were issued by a Captain Wat-
eon, which were very aibitraty and violent in their lan-
aeiege, so much so that an inquiry into the iliAtter wa
ordered. Two civil servants in the Madras service—judges,
avid ne n of high cherecter—were sent te Ceylon to itives-
Ligate the subject, and they decided that on the evidence
it appeared that the proclamations were issued by Captain
Wats m' an I that lie was guilty of that with which he had
been charged. The Horse -Gourds; h owe vere-interferfed,
and ordered a court-intsiti .1 on C tptain Watson, wbioli
was a second inquiry, ant .which ended in his being au-
auitted ; and yet there was nut a man in Ceylon who
knew the facts but know that this was all got up, and that
Cent tin Watson was brought to a court-martial only with
a view to exculpate him iu the face ce the former inquire .
tie objected to the commission also because of the mode
of inquiry which it involved. The Commander-in-Chief
bad said the other evening, in another place, that the
officers in this case ought to have the same powers as the
(erienean Cow mission. If that was so, was the whole
of the evidence already taken to be gone over again!—
were witnesses to be called to contradict the assertions
made by those who were now in the Crimea, without tho.o
portent; being heard ? Another objection was, that no oath
was to be taken by the board, or by those whom it was to
examine. He objected also to thtt cotnpetuacy of the officers
of whom the board was composed. He regretted thst the
hon. and gallant member for Huntingdon was not in his
place, because be wished to say to him that he had misun-
eerstood what his hon. and learned friend (Mr. Roebuck)
had said. Both that hon. gentleman and himself would be
he last to say a word against the honour and gallantry of
the hon. and gallant gentleman; and all that was said was,
that the hoe. and gallant gentleman had had no experience
in the field, which the hon. gentleman himself admitted ;
though, with a degree of feeling which properly affected
the house, he had explain° l how that had happened, and
the efforts he hail made to carry out his desire te see
service. lie (iir. Layard) did not think the composition of
the board was such as would be received with con fideuce by
the country. There shou'd have been on it such men as Sir
',V. Napier anti Sir G. Pollock, who had had large experi-
ence of arms in the field, and then the board wunl I have
created confidence in the public. Again, the commission
gas undoubtedly a reflection on Sir J. M4Neil and Colonel
Culloeh. By the terms of the warrant they were to inquire
into the stateeieuts of those gentlemen, and tint was a re-
flection upon them. Besides ell this, it was pe sible that
he proceedings of the comtnitetion might bo for so long a
-.kw delayed that the house would nut be in a position to
;Ake any stops in the matter. The house should be very
watchful ou that point ; for on the pretext of rending for
witnesses to the Crimea, anti so on, there might be a delay
~f months, anti until such time as the session was over.
He Was sorry to hear the Movernment justify ti:e eppoint-
ment of this commission by a reference to the coinihiseion
which at to inquire into the Convention of Cnitra. Theis
were some remarkable comments made on thut comini.-
atm, hich were illustrative of the present ptdti, n
of things, and which he would take the liberty of
easding. Mr. Windham was reported to have :laid as fol-
lows :