The Sun.
London, England, 1832-06-20 00:00:00

the rank of Lieutenant, bad originally been a dratnnter,
and who stated that he had himself inflicted this torture
three times a week upon his comrades during the eight
years which he remained a drummer. That letter had been
written to Sir F. Burdett (who he was sorry not to see in
his place that evening, for the Hon. Baronet must have been
an able advocate of his motion), by a Mr. Shipp, who
had risen from the ranks to a Lieutenancy in the ser-
vice. It was entitled, " A Voice from the Ranks,
by John Shipp, late a Lieutenant in the 87th Foot."
He (Mr. Hunt) was prepared to bring Lieutenant Shipp
forward to substantiate the facts in that letter, either at
the bar of the House, or before any Committee that might
be appointed. There were many officers, Members of
that House, who could speak to the gallantry of Mr.
Shipp, but unfortunately they were not present, as they
deemed Ascot-heath Races better amusement than listen-
ing to a speech from him (Mr. Hunt.) Sir John
Malcolm, and several military officers who had served
under his command had, he believed, read every word in the
very instructive yet entertaining volume which he then
held in his hand. Mr. Shipp expressed himself in the
following manner:—" It is sonic consolation to me to be
able to say, that my present views are not induced by the
remembrance of personal castigation ; but from the prac-
tical observation of its effects on others, I can most
solemnly affirm that, in my opinion, flogging is, and
always will be, the best, the quickest, and most certain
method that can he devised, to eradicate front the bosom
of a British soldier his most loyal and laudable feelings.
During the whole of my career, which includt d a period
of upwards of thirty years, and the length and nature of
which afforded me opportunities for extensive inquiry,
and accurate information, I never knew but one solitary
instance in which a man recovered self-respect and general
reputation, after having been tortured and degraded by
the punishment of flogging." This islocated case was as
follows :—" When I was regimental sergeant-major in
the Light Dragoons, the regiment was one evening
paraded, for the purpose of seeing punishment inflicted.
The delinquent was a private soldier, who had, on pre-
vious occasions, received, altogether, some thousands of
lashes. Since his first flogging, his name had been con •
stantly in the guard reports, and he had scarcely ever
done a day's duty. His offence, on this occasion, was
being drunk on guard, and his sentence was 300 lashes.
The court-martial was read, and even before it was finished
he began to undress with apparent and sullen apathy.
Ile knew the heiousness of his crime, and he was well
aware of its certain consequences. When he was tied,
his naked back presented so appalling and frightful a spec-
tacle that his kind-hearted commanding officer, on viewing
it, turned his head instinctively from the eight, and stood
absorbed in thought, with his eyes in another direction, as
though reluctant to look on it again. Thus stood the
commanding-officer until the adjutant informed him all
was really. These words roused the colonel from his mo-
tionless position, and he started when the adjutant addressed
him. I can well imagine the struggle between duty and
mercy by which his benevolent heart was assailed ; but
the latter was always his motto, and thus kindly predis-
posed, he walked slowly up to the prisoner, and viewed
more closely his lacerated back, on which were visible
large lumps of thick and callous flesh and weals which
were distressing to behold. The colonel viewed his back
for some seconds unknown to the delinquent, and when
he at length turned round (more from surprise that the
flogging did not commence than from any other motive) his
commanding-officer addressed him in the following words :
C—, you are now tied up to receive the just reward of
your total disregard and defiance of all order and discipline.
Your back presents an awful spectacle to your surrounding
comrades, and for my own part I would willingly withdraw
it from their sight, but I fear that your heart is as hard
as your back, and that I have no alternative but to see that
justice administered which the service require.. What
possible benefit can you expect to derive from this con-
tinual disobedience of orders, and disregard of the regu-
lations of the service ?' Thus addressed, in a mingled tone
of benignity and firmness, the poor fellow seemed touched,
and he wept bitterly. For a time he could say nothing;
but at last he exclaimed, I wish to God I was dead
and out of your way. lam an unfortunate fellow, and I
hope this flogging may be my last, and put me beyond the
reach of that cursed and vile liquor which has been my
ruin.' The Colonel anti the whole regiment were now
much affected, and many of the soldiers turned away their
beads to hide their emotions. Seeing this, the Colonel
called the attention of the offender to the commiseration
of his comrades. The unhappy man looked round as he
was directed, and seemed much distressed. The Colonel
then said, I cannot bear to see your brother soldiers so
much affected for you without removing the cause. Your
sentence, therefore, for their sakes, I will remit, and in
stead of the chastisement which has been awarded you, and
which you so well deserve, if you will pledge yourself to
me, in the presence of your commiserating comrades, that
you will behave well in future, I will not only pardon you.
but promise, when your conduct shall merit it, to pro-
mote you to the rank of corporal.' The astonished cul-
prit called on his comrades to bear witness to his words,
while, in a most solemn manner, he protested his firm reso-
lution to amend. A short time after this man was pro-
moted, and proved one of the best noncommissioned
officers in the service. The unlooksd for mercy which
had been extended towards him, and the totally unex-
pected turn which the affair had taken, raised the
feelings of his heart far above the level to
which disgrace had plunged them, and every ex-
ertion was made by him to merit the kind consi-
deration with which be had been distinguished. This
man would often speak to me, on this happy event in his
life, with feelings of ineffable pleasure." Mr. Hunt then
proceeded to read other extracts from Mr. Shipp's letter.
Mr. Shipp mentioned another case which had taken place
under his own eyes. It was the case of a man who had
been sentenced, for some military offence, to receive 300
lashes. The man received them without a groan ; but, as
be marched out of the square, said, on passing his com-
manding officer, " The devil a day's work will you ever
get out of Paddy again." After stating that the man kept
this promise with the most religious fidelity, Mr. Shipp
proceeded to say that, when he was orderly-officer at
Cawnpore—(A laugh)—Hon. Gentlemen might laugh,
but, if they had not hearts as hard as a stone, he would
make them laugh, before he had done, on the wrong side
of the face.—(Hear.) Yes, when Mr. Shipp was orderly
officer at Ciwnpore, a soldier was flogged for some mili-
tary offence, and, from the day of his flogging, he was
never sober for two hours together. He entered the army
at 19, and died of a broken heart before he was 26. Mr.
Shipp also recollected a case in which two soldiers were
ordered to be punished. Their punishment was 1,400
lashes. One of them bore his punishment without a mur-
mur. This irritated the commander of the regiment
against the other, and in consequence he received 1,400
lashes also. Mr. Shipp also mentioned the case of a
man who had shot himself in the barrack-room after
he had undergone the ignominy of this punishment.
He also mentioned the case of a sergeant of distinguished
bravery, who, for some offence, had had his chevrons
stripped from his shoulders, and had been sentenced to be
flogged. The man had not received more than five lashes,
when his wife, in a state of distraction, burst through the
ranks and flung herself between her husband and the
drummer who was torturing hint. The woman was soon
forced away, in a swooning state, from her husband ; the
punishment was then inflicted on hint, and within a few
months this brave soldier drooped and died of a broken
heart. Mr. Hunt continued to read the letter of Mr.
Shipp for some time longer ; but on symptoms of weari-
ness appearing in the House, stopped suddenly, and said
that he was serious in bringing the motion before the
House, and offered to prove all that he had hitherto stated,
by competent witnesses, at the bar. It was better, he
thought, for the House to have this statement from those
who could prove it by their own testimony, than to take
it front hint who had never seen a punishment of this
nature. No, be never had the courage to see a single blow
inflicted on a military man in all his life. This was a
matter well deserving the most serious consideration of
the House, for when it was recollected that a soldier of the
name of Somerville, belonging to the Scotch Grey's, bad
been sentenced to be flogged for an offence which he had
never committed,—when it was recollected that he bad
already received 100 lasheg, and was now lying in the
guard-house to receive another 100 lashes, as awarded by
his sentence—
Mr. R. GRANT (interrupting)—That cannot be. By
law it is impossible.—( Hear, bear.)
Mr. HUNT was merely repeating the statement con-
tained in a petitions then upon the table. He was not pre-
pared to prove the allegations in the petition, but he was
prepared
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had been inflicted upon private soldiers to the injury of
the service, and to the destruction and not to the amend-
ment of the parties punished. After be had occupied the
attention of the House for more than half an hour with
reading the facts of this pamphlet, and was commencing to
read the arguments which Mr. Shipp built upon those facts,
Mr. ROBINSON rose to order. The House had
listened with the greatest forbearance to the statement of
facts which the Hon. Member for Preston had just read to
it, but he could not help submitting to the Speaker, that
when the Hon. Member proceeded to read voluminous ar-
guments on those facts, out of a printed pamphlet, he was
violating, to a certain degree, the orders of the House.
The SPEAKER said, it was difficult for him to draw
the limits, within which an Hon. Member could be justly