The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-01 00:00:00

DINNER TO LORD PANMURE.

On Tuesday evening Lord Panmure was entertained at a,
public dinnor by the county gentlemen of Forfar to testify
their respect for his .Lordship as Lord Lieutenant of the
county, and as an acknowledgment of his public services
as Minister of War. To accommodate all parties in the
district, Arbroath was selected as the most central place of
meeting, and the new Market-hall was elegantly decorated,
forjthe occasion. The building is constructed after the
model of the nave of the Crystal Palace, and when laid oat
with tables for a party of 800 gentlemen and brilliantly lit
up had a very imposing appearance.
The company assembled at 4 o'clock, and occupied every,
seat on the ground floor, while 200 ladies filled the galleries.
The chair was occupied by Sir J. Ogilvie, Convener of

the county, supported on the right by Lord Panmure,
Lord Kinnaird, the Hon. W. Maule, Viscount Melville,
Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, Col. Ogilvie, Mr. Duncan,
M.P. ; and on the left by the Marquis of Breadalbane, the
Earl of Southesk, the Earl of Kintore, Viscount Duncan,
M.P., the Lord Advocate for Soothed, and William J.
Baxter, M.P., for the Montrose burghs.
The CHAIRMAN gave the usual loyal toasts, and called
for a special bumper to "the Navy and Army," alluding
in happy terms to the presence of Admiral Sir Houston
Stewart and 'Viscount Melville, the commander-in-chief
of the forces in Scotland. The toast was drunk with im-
mense enthusiasm, the band of the Eorfarshire Artillery
corps playing appropriate music.
Admiral STEWART, in rising to retarn thanks for tits
navy, was long and loudly applauded. He said—l read a
motto opposite, "Commerce makes all the world akin_
But let me tell you that if you would have your commoners
profitable you must protect it; and if you would have it
protected in every part of the world you must be always
prepared to uphold your navy. (Cheers.) I see by the
newspapers to-day that one of our admirals has been
breaking teacups in China, and this shows, when you,
view it in connection with protection to your cora-
merce, how much you have to depend on our British
navy. My hon. friend in the chair says the British navy
is sufficient for all that can be required of it. He is right.
I gladly reciprocate that fact ; for I declare that, after 1.0
years' service, I never knew the navy in a more efficient
state than it is at present. (Cheers.) It is only deficient
in one'thing—we have very few Scotchmen in it. lam
very sorry for this, and I can't understand the reason of it.
Viscount MELVILLE returned thanks for the army. Ho
had no occasion to complain of any reluctance on the part
of Scotchmen to enter the army, whatever might be the
experience of his gallant friend in regard to their unwil-
lingness to enter the navy. While there had been no want
of recruits for the regular service:there had been a cheer-
ful readiness to come forward in the militia, especially in
that part of the country where they were then assembled.
They had drunk with enthusiasm the toast of " the
Army and Navy." He was proud of the army. Dis-
persed as it was all over the globe, it had opportuni-
ties of active service which prepared it for great emer-
gencies, and the experience of the late war had shown
how important it was to have a sufficient force thus always
ready. He did trust that if ever they were again to be
engaged in such a war they would guard against the dangers
of a divided command, for nothing could be more disastrous
than divided counsels, and nothing more essential to suc-
cess than that one mind should be charged with the full re-
sponsibility of the supreme command. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then gave the toast of the evening, " the
health of Lord Panmure." After eulogising his lordship
as the Lord Lieutenant of the county, he referred in highly
laudatory terms to his conduct as Minister-at-War. He
said he had not displaced but succeeded the Duke of New-
castle, and he was glad to find that the country was now
generously viewing that noble lord's command in its true
light, and he felt assured it would yet do him justice.
Lord PANMURE, on rising, was received with long con-

tinned applause. After remarking at some length on his
local connexion with the county, and congratulating the
meeting on its present prosperous state, he said—l will
now address a few words on the second ground ca
which this compliment has been paid. You have been
pleased to signify by this great assembly the approbation
of mz native county of my public course as a public man. I
may safely say that I have rendered these services,of which
you have been pleased to approve, without hope of such a
reward as this ; and I believe, were it not for the familiar
friendship that has inspired this assemblage, that I deserve
nothing mere than the man who has simply done his duty
in the place to which Providence has called him. (Cheers.)
It is quite true, as has been said by Sir J. Ogilvy, I did not
seek the office in which lam placed. It was offered me.
Cogent reasons were stated for my acceptance, and, among
others, my familiarity with the habits of the British army
—(cheers)—from having served an apprenticeship as a sol-
dier, and from my acquaintance with the management of the
British army from having been 6 years Secretary of War.
These were the recommendations which were urged as fit •

ting me for office. I never hesitated for a moment, from
the circumstances of the times, in accepting that office.
(Cheers.) I saw, as others did, the state into which, from
circumstances over which no man had any control, the
army in the Crimea had unfortunately fallen, but I saw,
too, that that army was rallying from these circumstances.
And I had such reliance on the British soldiery, and on
the intelligence and energy of the officers of the British
army, that I was quite sure any responsibility I might
have with regard to the army itself would be light if I
would only trust to the army and those who composed it.
(Cheers.) There were circumstances certainly connected
with the army in the Crimea which calla for immediate
and active measures. I have stated to you, and Sir Johi
Ogilvy has repeated it, that the army in the winter of
1854-55 had fallen into a condition which aroused the in
dignation and excited the deepest sympathy of the British
nation. No man seemed well to know to what ciroum
stances to attribute so heavy a disaster ; and I made it my
duty, with the consent of my colleagues, to send out two
gentlemen to inquire into the nature of these circum-
stances—not for the purpose of seeking victims for public
indignation to punish, for I think that has been some-
what misconstrued as the intention of the appointment of
Sir John Al`Neill and Colonel Tulloch,—but to gain infor-
mation, so that we might know the errors which had been
committed, and be able to avoid them on all future occa-
sions. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, the people of England are
notnaturally a vindictive people ; they desire to see public
men properly discharge their public duties ; they desire to
see the officers of the army discharge their duties efficiently;
but they can make allowances for difficulties. (Cheers.)
And now that these circumstances have passed away I
trust that justice will be done to the officers, for I do
believe that every one of these things in the Crimea arose
from circumstances over which no man had control ; and I
do hope, now that they have passed, and that we have
read the lesson, and studied the lesson, the people of Eng-
land will let the matter drop asleep, and not avenge on a
single individual that which was the result of a system
rather than the fault of any single individual. I have not
had an opportunity of recording in public the approba-
tion of the Government of tie report of these two gentlemen.
(Cheers.) The information in the report was accumulated
under many difficulties, made with great fidelity, made,
not with the intention of injuring the feelings of any Bri-
tish officers, but of telling the truth. And neither Sir
John 31'Neill nor Colonel Tulloch, in placing the state-
ments in my hands, and before the British public, had the
slightest intention of injuring the feelings of any one.
Having stated this much, permit me only to add one sen-
tence in regard to my appointment as Secretary of State ;
and that is that in all that I did I studied, in the first
instance, to follow up what I approved in the conduct
of my predecessor, and many things which I worked out
took their origin in his administration. (Cheers.) In
the first place, it was my lot, with the aid of my colleagues,
to make a radical change—and I do not use the term
offensively—in the constitution and command of the Bri-
tish army. Already had the Duke of Newcastle been
hear . I
establishing a distinct department which would
•manage
the affairs of war in this country. (Hear, ) tis
not only essential that such a department should exist in
time of war; for, believe me, there are matters sufficient
for a very large department even in times of the most pro•
found peace. I was accused of applying too stoutly to
reform during a period of existing war ; but the fact was
I found we could not carry on the war without the reform,
and I determined, whatever the risk, to accomplish the
change. You will readily believe the necessity of this
when I tell you that till within a year and a few months
the Commander-in-Chief had only the cavalry and the in-

fantry under his charge. With the artillery he had nothing
to do, and they were placed beside him on the field or in
some camp adjoining. I have, with the consent of my
colleagues, placed the artillery and engineers of this coun-
try, as they ought to be, under the immediate command

of the Commander-in-Chief. (Applause.) The officer at
the head of the army now commands all arms of service.
They look to him as their military head, as the fountain
of military honour, as the source of military promotion
In doing so we have separated between the civil and the
military portion of the administration of the army ; and
I have taken under the control of the Secretary of State
all the civil branch of the administration of the army,
which consists in the provision of military material and all
the means of carrying on any war, however great or exten-
sive it may he. (Applause.) I confess that, owing to this
divided administration, delays had occurred which ren-
dered the efficiency of the service almost impossible. And
from the moment that one single eye on the part of the
military commander was spread over the whole army, and
one single eye was spread over its civil administration, we
were enabled no sooner to determine than to strike—(ap-
plause)—and everything went on with greater ease than
when lat first assumed the reins of office. Now, gentle-
men, I think the present Government has only done in
this what any other Government would have done if
occupying their place. They have had the opportunity,
and therefore they have gained the credit—and I say
that it is a credit to any Government to have simpli-
fied and modified the military administration of this
country so that—l shall =swat. for it, should due ne-
cesity call for it—we could embark any number of
soldiers this country may be called upon to provide com-
plete in all their equipments, ten days after the order had
been given. There aro some gentlemen—but I believe
there are very few—who question the policy of our enter-
ing upon any war with Russia. I am not going back to the
times which led to these changes in the relations of the two