The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-12 00:00:00

terminationt of the Government to withhold pensions
0, he widows of all officers who fell in duels, they
-;rlu.,e_etter record their determination publicly ; buthe
~,u_al.ct still entertain a hope that Government would re-
-I,u:slider the present case, and if there were not some
net yaefgra Yating features in it, which the public were
the 9Prised of, that they would grant Mrs. Fawcett
Pension.
Sir •
Lati ROBERT PEEL said he gave his cordial appre-
L:il to the course pursued by the Secretary at-War.
thattilet salon he (Sir R. Peel) had acquainted the House
rage
tswi,as the intention of the Government to discou-
thoupt 'air as they could the practice of duelling, al-
aetz4zet t --
nej dispaired of introducing any effectual en-
ofiktind on the subject. The Government disapproved
tsitan bng, any enactments, and approved of the course
ruleof kois Right Hon. Friend. There was a general
orthe ", that it was not the circumstances
pen., Merits of the widow that should entitle her to the
141441, but the merits of the deceased officer. Now,
l'aw3r it was no additional claim in favour of Mrs.
ett that her husband should have fallen in a duel.
t:l,ne,ubt there might be circumstances of hardship at-
zsueee. to her case, and so there were in every
If thin which a rule was rigidly acted upon.
widoweY merely looked at' the condition of the
by hi
s, the case of a widow whose husband had fallen
ease ci.Own hand, might be quite as distressing as the
regardan officer who had fallen in a duel. Now, with
Ilasutonletritis particular case, he did not think it such
tio any exception; at the same time he would
in
Colol
elcus'loY guard himself against using any expression
,east disrespectful to the memory of Lieutenant-
It IC,e`,„Pawcett, or the character of Lieutenant Munro.
oftoe;lP be recollected that Lieut.-CoL Fawcett was an
.44.'40 in rank—he admitted a distinguished officer
ek ;it Should not be forgotten that, with all his experi-
(sir ite selected as seconds two very young men. He
obli ed feel) must again express his sorrow at being
thiat, to enter into these matters, but he really did
from all the circumstances that had come to his
the h, ge, that it:would not have been inconsistent with
31D010 '4"r of Lieut.-Colonel Fawcett to have offered an
tc,ll gt.Y to Lieutenant Munro, and he (Sir R. Peel)
If his was his duty to have tendered this apology.
in tbi Right Honourable Friend gave the pension
to dosthe iling in the army. Now, with respect to
that ismissal of Lieutenant Munro, he hardly thought
)444orse could have been objected to. Lieutenant
told 11 Was not dismissed in the first instance. He was
tbsente,would be tried for wilful murder, but he chose to
thee Ptrself for two sessions, and then, and not till
Ito otCld the Commander-in-Chief dismiss him, having
Gentle course left open to him. (The Right Hon.
tar4:tan then read the new articles of war, which
ties 0f`,37 recommended the discouragement of the prac-
sear duelling in the army ; and if one officer had the
frac'i'lrtune to offend another, he should offer a fair and
1),,ee1l or
_,°gi ; and if, on the contrary, an officer had
°Mk a enned. he should receive an apology, in the same
ofee generous spirit. They further declared that
forteit.Aer should be considered as. having in the least
'enge''" his pension for having refused to accept a chal-
ented and in cases where an amicable arrangement
sheie ;tot be effected, it was recommended that the matter
leswiu be laid before the commander of the regiment.)
torsi' &aid the Right Hon. Baronet, if these declarations,
g from so high a quarter, do not discourage the
eouidtee, he feared that any step taken by that House
ea not have so desirable a result.
affair 15b4tin., VERNAL was sorry that this unfortunate
kt0n.,40 been so re-opened, particularly by the Right
14,• Baronet, who had just sat down, and agreed in the
at. ken by the Right lion. Gentleman the Secretary-
The ar, that the pension could not be demanded as a right.
titiowep:vrerieesidnrgiven to the necessity of either fighting a
li
caste in society ; yet the Government
l'aw,refused to grant a pension to the widow of Colonel
icireah74- He knew nothing about that lady's present
,n 8.4 catances, but he was aware that Colonel Fawcett
Lieu
we:4 ,signalised for his bravery in China during the
•Lieat,74. n that country. He knew nothing either of
tall tenant Munro beyond the fact that he was univer-
4gapken of as a gentleman. After considering the
1.°48 and the Articles of War, he (Captain Ber-
tele coons
sure that no officer in that House would rise
liariaaY but that a military man was placed in pecu-
-1,3„; ,trYing circumstances in some of those matters.
°arullOWICK said, that after what he had stated
fe
do ub rktier occasion, no person for a moment could
'lent-t 't"e sincerity with which he would join the Govern-
Pute anY course which would have for its object the
thehi°g down of duelling. He should, in touching upon
Istiv,,resent case, not at all allude to what was called the
ject v4a.,. causes of aggravation to which men were sub-
tour if the object the Government contemplated by the
te:elhich they now adopted towards Colonel Faw-
e,tleie,,""ow were likely to put a stop to the practice of
he no man would sooner coincide with them than
; and be should be at once in favour of
a vraw—
e,„ ,ntv lug the pension ; but if there existed
at this on the part of those in authority
Was 'a custom, he thought the withdrawal of the pension
Ivhi,thc'thing more than a case of individual hardship,
asic,„,7 Was likely to produce no social effect. If he were
`4 Whether, during the course of this debate the effect
tote( Y to
be produced upon the public mind was not
cf.:no reverse of a tendency to put down duelling, or
ite,2'Nintenance it , he should answer distinctly, that
raonid have a wholly different effect upon the public
NZ% The tone of the debate was merely that the two
tms_were both to blame, and no strong criminality
e; attached to either. According to the doctrine
eet laid down, officers in the army were
11411102ved the same privileges of protecting them-
-1/0 trona insult as civilians were. This he (Lord
q4icit) thought was most essential where a number
eoetZra were serving in the same regiment, because a
eile,„--`l7 course would be subversive of all military dis-
tis-le ; but, in the case of Colonel Fawcett he did think
"Wontairinciple was inapplicable. The practice of duelling
preyto 'lever cease in the army so long as it was allowedth
Gore amongst civilians ; and he called upon e
tee;rimaent to put it down amongst that class, first,.
411el-at,theY punished the widow of an officer, who fell in a
h' withholding her pension. Before sitting down
!,0118e-n'ti Id say that he agreed with the Right Hon. Ba-
tneret his assertion, that, speaking comparatively,
nails, were fewer duels amongst military men than civi-
l'ee,'+_,and he also concurred in the opinion that that
ettse.7 much credit upon, them. The only possible ex-
that tO render for the course adopted in this case was,
atghtealight tend to prevent duelling, but it had not the
it wlt likelihood of producing that effect ;he thought
of e„ts," most severe course to adopt towards the widow
k-r•tel Fawcett.
114 fir • COWPER said he quite agreed with what
4erisk„en from the Noble Lord, the Member for Sun-
(leroe-'„u,', He believed that duelling was a crime con-
'bee oy the laws of God and man. He believed that
instief Were no circumstances which were sufficient to
Y a duel. The Hon. Member for Weymouth said
ttol°,,ted whether there was any one who, on religious
olyZs, would refuse to fight a duel. Now he (Mr.
ii-.orti`r) felt it his duty to state that he, for one, would.
to th„eera-) There were many persons, who stood high
meelit- "My and navy, and whose courage was uil.r-
Poe,„"`u, who had pledged themselves to do all inthe
Go,: for the suppression of duelling. He thought the.
114.43. Lent had taken a step in the right direction
ttn recommended that disputes between officers
ue referred to the commanding officer of the
lie C.,4t:* but this, however, did not go far enough.
',4st -I.°glat that all' commanding officers ought to have
ilec,'„l°lts given to them of summoning courts-martial
,Aneletr 're into the merits of disputes between officers.f
Ztoe:ere precedents for this. During the reign o
.4c, 47 the Third two cases occurred, in which the
us.'llad, Was settled by the intervention of the Horse
Zntrrisr One was a dispute between Lieut.-General
al'ett„ iesJ and Sir William Draper. In both cases, the
abide" Concerned pledged their honour that they would
(liffe,ehe decision of the court, and in this way their
Sir it'e.e4 Were settled.
:et INGLIS could not sufficiently express his re-
dtt ;,,...the moral courage which had been shown by
uentleman who had just sat down.—(Hear.)
eclaiatght that it required more courage to make a
t '''°ll like that just uttered by the Hon. Gentle-
*llo4ili'tan it did to fight a duel He (Sir R. Inglis)
titeli-h," the Government was now called upon to adopt
'4°ll Ceasures as would show that they had a disposi-
ketin discourage to the utmost of their power the
o°l ‘3f duelling. It might not be in the knowledge
mhllatsi,Membersof that House, and the Hon. and
An II Gentleman who had just sat down—
, /1°.,.'1 MEMBER—Not Gallant.
t'kie ti; INGLIS—Yes, Gallant ; and it was this that
'too ti:Le declaration which the House had just heard
t°t•th,,"`e lion. and Gallant Gentleman the more praise-
orcie; It might not be in the knowledge of many
let the'ae.ntielnen-, that an association had been formed
„,ginlatimtscontinuance of duelling. They sought for no
d'aec,'°4 on the subject they only sought the means
Zressol Araging the practice of duelling. They had ad-
;•sa er Majesty on the subject. The memorial
hQ th-enutco the Right Hon. Gentleman, the Secretary
/1.11.1 e Department, for presentation, and though
e toward •
Inglis) did not complain of a want of cour-
, ett. )3 3 hll3l personally, on the part of the Right.
"hi hth yet he did complain of the manner in
Is,the Lord,
had been. received. The answer to
4rais nie"re-ti, rd, who was chairman of the Association,
to he the Y, " I have the honour to acknow-
Lee er Mt receipt of your. memorialL for presentation
11 bercy, and to inform, your Lordship that it has
threes urah e her Majesty.' Hear, hear," from Sir
toeHat.urtsc,,,am-) The Rightßaronet recognised
411"11k of his (Sir R. Inglis's) detail, and hegrieved
„." he also recognised the proprietygo.f the
fitwerT4l ? thought the Right Hon.. Baronet, in his
Pra ignt have thrown some discouragement upon
dest %ce .
y had t L duelling, by simply stating that her Ma-
ieht teak
the subject into consideration ; and he
ties-, least
have appreciated the purity of the mo-
lt,. I,,tbiose from whom the memorial had emanated.
t°tne V. Q. STANLEY thought the time was now
Pat inkwhen the law
r with respect to duelling ought to be
%a id 11 force. He thought the public out of doors
'e.v-rernenrlttlibe satisfied with the explanation of the Go-
d adoPted, that night. He trusted that measures would
.11:1shos., by which every officer guilty of fighting a
ordic",,r be tried by a court-martial, tied punished
I,b,V•
Z.tge.h:dt'illlNEß thought the feeling of the public at
'ater here"' so roused upon this subject, that sooner
brin, ,IYlajesty's Government would be compelled
on 0e'd,,,4 19 into Parliament for the entire suppres-
tom eeding.
meet fore GROSVENOR felt grateful to the Govern-
thehaving Y had d g taken the subject up in the manner
gene
a one, although he regretted that they had not
reed h further. The discussion that night had
the ~ on the cub-
-4 Practice subject of duelling in the army only, but
duelling amongst the other portions of
kvurtteti.astetatY): subjects it had left untouched. The
‘°cd.-Tyrefore, could not rest where it at present
(Gear,Passe hear.) He was sure, after what had
'who
"'•' e would be done. He trusted that those
'l' With hitaself would give due time for these