Star.
London, England, 1814-11-01 00:00:00

sations of mortification and regret. Now he had to
say that this was a direct attack on the conduct of
the Officers of the regiment, and required explana-
tion. He wished to refer to the Courts-Martial.
General VYSE said he hoped Colonel Palmer would
not read the whole of the Courts Martial, as they
were 7'2 in number.
Colonel Painter said the Court were aware that it
was impossible to preserve discipline in a regiment'
without having recourse to corporal punishment.
With respect to his punishments, he had not a fourth
part of the number of punishments. inflicted by Cola
Del Quentin, notwithstanding the relaxation of disci.
pline under him. He (Colonel Palmer) had arrived
at Lisbon on the 17th of February. At that time he
bad called the regiment together and told them that
he was determined to enforce discipline, and that
every man reported to him by his Commanding Offi-
cer should be subjected to punishment. After that
the first thing which 'he did was to break four of the
best serjeants in the regiment, by bringing them be-
fore a Court-Martial. He had thus given the men a
warning of what they had to expect. The men, in-
cluding °Meets, amounted in all to 603. and out of
600 men, in two months, from the 17th February to
the 12th April, there were but nine *puaislied for
drunkenness.
General V YSE said Colonel Palmerwas giving him-
a 'great deal of unnecessary trouble, -as. his conduct
while in the command of the regiment, had been so
eatistactory, that every man saw that he was not
called on to enter into any justification of himself.
Colonel Palmer said the question respecting 'cor-
poral punieiment Lad been brought forward year
alter year in Parliament. If the opinion that cor-
poral ptini,halent was unnecessary, was not contro-
verted, it would be impossible to preserve discipline
in a regiment. It had been said that it was impossible to
prevent men from getting drunk, and as punishment
would not prevent the evil it was unnecessary. But be
would maintain, that if a Commanding Officer did
justly by his troops, there was nothing so easy as to
stop drunkenness in a regiment. When men knew
that whenever they got drunk they were sure to be
punished, they would take care to abstain:from drink-
ing. The evidence brought forward by Colonel
Quentin had stated, that the drunkenness was effec-
' tually stopped before his arrival. It was much
more easy to prevent drunkenness in quarters than on
a march ; for on a march it was not always easy to
catch a man. From the 19th of April to the 16th of
June there were bin eight men punished for. drunken-
ness. On the 27th and 29th June there were twelve
men punished for it. This required some explana-
tion. After the affairs of Vittoria and Moralez, and
the rapid advance of the army, nothing could exceed
the joy of the people at the arrival of our troops, never
having seen British troops before. They absolutely
pulled the men off their horses and gave them drink
whether they would or not. When Lord Wellington
and his Staff came through the quarters, and the re-
giment was called wee to receive them, three fourths
of the regiment were dead drunk. On this occasion
it was thought proper that some o( the greatest vaga-
bonds of the troops should be selected for punish-
ment, by way of example to the rest. From the 19th
of April to the 19th of July there were but ten or
eleven men punished, with the exception of the above
Individuals. But when Colonel Quentin came to the
regiment how did things go on ? With respect to five
men of Captain Wyndham's troop, who had been
punished, he had to state that Captain Wyndham,
who was a good officer, atid sensible of the mischief
of Colonel Quentin's system, took the advantage of
Colonel Quentin's absence in the Pyrenees to flog five
of his troop, which behaved incomparably better af-
terwards... The first man who had been brought to
punishment by a Court Martial was Abbott, a man
whose conduct had been shockingly bad. It had been
bald the other day that this man had died in conse-
qnenee of his illness, and that it was at the intreaty of '
Captain Gordon that he was not punished. So far
from this being the case, Captain Gordon had ac-
tually complaiiled to him that Colonel Quentin did
not punish him.
General VICSE observed, that it had been stated by
a serjeant in evidence that the man had walked till he
Icould walk no longer.
Colonel l'elmer •;aid, that this man's condttct had
afterwards been so riotous, that Major Robarts, w!“o
was opposite him, was obliged to send to him to be
quiet.
General V YSK thought it but right to the defendant,
to mention one circumstance in his favour. It was
very natural for him, as corporal punishment was so
fontrary to the spirit of the English Constitution, to
4.4 y to himself, 1 will endeavour to recur to measures
"of greater lenity, and adopt a contrary system, as 1
cannot but think that English soldiers will be more
disposed to behave properly by gentle than by severe
means. Colonel Quentin had very modestly said,
that he endeavou'red to adopt a system more conso-
nant to the spirit of an Englishman.
• Colonel Nee= proceeded to observe, that Colo-
nel Quentin arrived at the regiment in August, and
from August to November, it appeared that four men
were Finished. When soldiers were in quarters It
was comparatively easy to keep theta quiet. When
once, however, they got into habits of drunkenness,
• it became almost impussible to stop them. But how
did Colonel Quentin act ? WI en they were in quar-
ters he would not punish them ; and when they went
intuthe mountains the punishments increased at. an
amaz ng rate, when the men `'were in the midst of
arrow; and were entering all manner of hardshipse--
In one day le punished seven men for drunkenness.
The punishments under him, without being produc-
tive of any good, were much more numerous, were
its three to one, when compared with -those of Major
!lobar: or himself. If punishment did not prevent
the offence it was unjustifiable, nothing but absolute
necessity could justify it.
Colonel PALMA then began to read his written
reply, .which was nearly as tollows
et Colonel Quentin has prefaced his defence against
the cherges by observations on the circumstances in
wlech he was placed, and animadversions on the cies-
duct of his accusers, but though I think it necessary
they *WNW be answered, alai nut now indulge
ro) self in pleseevatiens on any point 'which does Inns
bear 'elation to some one of the charges. But I think
it first proper to detain the Court by mentionin
the circianstauces of ivy return to this county);
and Li my lieavieg Ike pot:tweed of the Telemeter,
arid to pistil.), myself from any imputation ot.