New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-09-25
EUROPE.
ENGLISH ARMY OFFICERS.

matter sjpce the inquiries ln" inc ceso " VIC
n.s. a, York and Mrs. Clarke. TWAS on Lieu
tenant Perry young army oificer OF the 4o.h
pasiment: and the circumstances were SIMPLY
these: II seems that there prevails IN 'he hug-
H.h army A code ofesoteric manners which viorate
between those of the brothel and the dram-shoP'
.,;s evidenced by the revelations made on this
trial. 4 system Of practical joking-the last
thing gentleman should ever resort to, and e1-
elu,iyeDy suited to acfgusrds-prevails; the
youppest new conner into the mess being the Cd
iect Of babitual ribaldry and insult. Lieutenant
Perry on being so indicted into military society
and not wishing to be made the butt OF brutal
iokes. reyolted against this procedure, and the
ye,u,t wss Court Martial, which among other
things dismissed him from the service-but in
copsequence Of the long and meritorious services
Of his atber, who Is likewise an army officer, he
is allowed to sell out.
The trial according to The London Tunes, has
not been equaled in infamy since the days of JEFF
freys. Revolutionary France with Fouquier
"Tinvile as pursuer, might DO doubt show plenty
.of analogous cases; but these are precedents
"on which men in less frenzed times would
"scarcely venture to rely" We extract from
that journal:
"A Court Of fifteen officers has been found not I'M
willing 10 bring in sentence OF condemnation against
unoferding III an upon evidence 80 monstrous, ana
a Commender-in-C Chief TO sanction the verdict. we
sneak advisedy when we say that in no other court
known in these realms could such verdict have been
obtained on such testimony. Odious and disgusting
ne the task may be, will in few words recapitu.
late the leading points Of the case that the conduct OF
the Court Martial and'Of LORD HarulDge may appeH
ia be-iuet what II has been.
Lieut. Perry was charged nominay upon four
points-substaDaly on three. The first two related
10 the commanding officer Of his regiment, Col Gar.
rett The first point is this : The young asserted
that upon one occasion, when he went to his Colonel
with complaint Of the Ill usage he had received at
the hands % the young ruflans in the regiment his
Colonel called him Z" q fool for his pains. Upon this
point this precious Court Martial have found him
mot guilty They could do no less Nov If Lieut..
Perry spoke the truth, Col. Garrett IS guilty Hell
not only guilty OF the original oifense, but he is
doubly guilty inasmuch as he hes soiemniy sworn
that he did not use the epithet in question. Such
then ia the result as affecting the commanding
officer Of Her Majesy's 46th Regiment. BY the
verdict of this tribunal, miserabe rs il has
shown it.elf to be, Colonel Garrett is left in
predicament upon which il would he unnecessary Tor
us TO enlarge. But If the subatern has incurred
sentence of dismissal from the army what does the
commanding officer deserve The second charge
against Lieut.. Perry also affected Col. Garrett:
Lieut.. Perry asserted that the colonel had received
from him letter Of complaint from the General OF
the District, upon which he did not afterward act.
Col Garrett denied the statement upon oath SO far
there is assertion for assertion Perry asked to bee
amined upon OATH but his request was refused Gar
retts statement was that he remembered nothing
sbout the lie produced other Oificers-he
might no doubt have produced every officer seryingin
India at the time of the transacon-to say that they
remembered nothing of il. That is the presumption
in his favor Now for the presumptions on the other
ride. There was violent probability that such an
affair might have taken place from the rufiany tone
of the regiment but as this may be treated as
somewhat too general there is more stringent pre-
sumption which was brought out in the evidence OF
m officer of unimpeachable character, but who was
soon hustled out Of court. Captain and raymas.er
Corcoran proved the points viii appear in the fol-
lowing extract Of his evidence Under other clrcum-
stances should apologize for the length OF 1t, but
at present we would most anxiously avoid even the
appearance Of exaggeration although Heaven knows,
would be difficult indeed TO exaggerate the infany
Of the whole proceeding"
The Times quotes an extract fully sustaining
it's position, aud adds on some of the points of the
trial:
"The third and fourth points easily disposedcf
They refer 20 one Captain Nicholas. The substance
Of the two charges that young Perry had asserted
that this man Nicholas in the habit OF playing
the bully toward young officers. Now, If anything
10 clear throughout the whole Transaction 1t is the
rufanism of the great bulk of the officers OF the
46th regards these practical jokes. The course
adopted by the prosecutor produce these young
men one after another, who all duly swore that they
did not remember anything about such transactions
any thlng 10 tnc utpbrdStineut oi II
was by perfect miracle that young Perry was en-
abed 70 put any of them to shame, for what can you
do with men who simply assert that they don't re-
'memberi" One of these men, however certain
Lieut.. Waldy, who swore as hard against Perry as
any of his brother officers, was suddenly asked II he
Acknowledged bis signature 10 certain let .er which
was handed TO him for his inspection. He could not
deny il. The letter was read and it then appeared
that the miserable lad who had just been whitewash-
ing the captain upon oath had Just before written TO
young Perry, saying that this ehivac and spotless
ofhcer-tkis model Of lofty department and mirror of
courtesy-had at the mess-table of the doth roared
out to young officer present to hold his tongue for
ID id son Of b-h of an ensign. this Nicholas
was the man whom the Windsor Court Martial have,
by their sentence declared TO be free from the mpu.
Hardnge--we blush to write it--has confirmed the
discreditable verdict.
The practical joker" included dragging
Lieutenant Perry out Of bed, beating him naked
before the mess with an umbrella, and so on, &C
cordipg to the ngenuities Of rowdysm rampant.
The feeling in favor of Lieutenant Perry is very
strong. A subscription for him is afoot, and
there appears to be fair prospect that the
whole matter will be brought before and rectifed
by Parliament. But what picture does i. pre-
sent OF the amenities of military life among edu-
Gated gentlemen What would not British
tourist say of the graduates of West Point if
they could so forget their good manners and good
feeling
v,rx-Ar Y.-pynNInv cnlrN