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    April 12, 1856.] THE LEADER. 34I

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    THE CRIMEAN L0A11D OF INQUIRY. I-iORD LT...

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    Thursday, Ajwil 10t7i. St. James's Park....

    since lie could not conseafc to get rid of Lord John Russell ' s resolution in so summary a . way . Nevertheless , though he approved of the principle of a local educational rate , as the most effective naea , n . s of promoting a national scheme , he thought that the plan is at present impracticable , owing to our differences in religious faith , accompanied by the strong desire of the majority that education should not be secular , as in America , where they substitute for religion in their schools " a code of morals which has about as much to do with religion as the philosophy of Socrates had . " He believed that a revision and extension of the existing plan would afford the best means of carrying out an improved system of education . He therefore moved an amendment to that effect .

    Mr . EliUCB objected to that part of the scheme which , related to the appropriation of the' charities , and sjioke of the hardship which the proposal would inflict upon the people of Coventry . —Ml * . Liddell was in favour of an extension and improvement of the existing system , and , entertaining that opinion , he anticipated with pleasure the appointment of a Minister of Education . Mr-. Samuel Waeeen ( in a first speech ) spoke strongly iu favour of a compulsory' system of education . The voluntary principle , be admitted , had done well and even admirably ; but it did not come up to the mark , and all that was proposed by Lord John Russell ' s plan was to aid it . It would he well ,

    however , if Lord John Russell woxild reconsider the proposal with respect to the alienation of charities . — Mr . Ewakt heartily supported the resolutions ; and said he apprehended , with , respect to the charities , that it was only intended to apply to the purposes of education such charities as were originally- intended for those purposes . — -Mr- Moxckxos Mllnes also spoke in favour . of the resolutions , which were conceived in a . most moderate spirit . It was highly necessary to cope with e ' the great and palpable danger " of ignorance . —Lord Robert Cecil conceived that local rating would extinguish voluntary aid ; and he thought it unjust to charge upon aoy one part of the community a burden which ought to . be borne by all .

    Sii James GUAHA . M , in a very elaborate speech , opposed the whole scheme contemplated by Lord John Russell . Details and principles were jumbled together iu great confusion , and the proposals , instead of being tentative , wtre rash and headlong . The parochial boundary was abolished , and no union boundary was recognised . The majority of the ratepayers being allowed to tax the minority would give rise to all the evils of the church-rate . The Quarter Sessions were also enabled to levy this tax ; bxtt a more unfit body could not be conceived . Wow , he thought that , if a compulsory rate were adopted , education should he secular . The plan would he

    most expensive and prodigal , t le cosfobenig equal to the poor-rates and the county-rate combined ; all voluntary help would cease ; everything would be done by tho Government , except what the rates would afford , and a dangerous influence would thus be established ; the measure would oppress tho poor , aud destroy the free competition of labour ; and it would tamper with the religious principle , which was the mainspring of the voluntary system . Furthermore , the proposed plan was unnecessary ; for , as shown by Mr . Barnes , and Mr . Umvin ( from statistical pamphlets by whom Sir James quo : ed largely ) , education in England had advanced more rapidly during ' tho last forty years than in any other country .

    Sir John Pakinqton replied to tho arguments of Sir James Graham , asserting that his statistics were absolutely wrong , and contending that , as the voluntary system had faile d , some other was absolutely necessary . He concurred in tho genoral spirit of the resolutions , but should propose aorno amendme nts in tho details . The Chairman was ordered to report progress , and ask leave to sit again on tho following day , after an ineffectual attempt made by Mi-. Disuaixi to extract from the Government a declaration of their views upon tho subject of the resolutions . —The Mepioax Profession- Bill was referred to a Select Committoe . —The report of tho Committee of Ways and Means wna brought up and agreed to ; and , shortly afterwards , tho House adjourned .

    April 12, 1856.] The Leader. 34i

    April 12 , 1856 . ] THE LEADER . 34 I

    The Crimean L0a11d Of Inquiry. I-Iord Lt...

    THE CRIMEAN L 0 A 11 D OF INQUIRY . I-iORD LTJOAN ' S OASB . The real business of tho Board commenced on Monday , when Lord Luoan requested that liis case might be taken , saparatoly , and decided upon separately . 1 ho tovmov was granted , after somo discussion ; but , with rospoct to tho lattor , hia Lordship was Informed that , although tho Board would nlso report on his onso separatel y , they could not undertake to consider or deoido on it until thoy lud hoard tlio other cnaoa . 10 » o "vgontly objected , Haying ho " did not wish to oomo before tho Board again . ' Tho Judge Advocate informed him that , if ho should fool himself imnlicatod by tho observations of any of tho witnesses in subtseqiiGiifc cuhch , ho would be at liberty to oomo again boforo tho Court ; but him Lordship replied that " what ho wished" Waa that tho Board should deoido

    upon his case without first hearing that of other parties . Beingtold that the Board could not receive any instructions as to the course they should pursue , Lord Lucan disavowed so " improper and unwarrantable an act as attempting to direct the proceedings of the Court . All he intended was to suggest , in the most respectful and submissive manner possible , what he considered necessary for his own vindication . " He then requested that the proceedings might be adjourned for a day , to consider whether he could go on under the arrangement proposed . The Board retired for about twenty minutes , and , on its return , granted the request . Lord Lucan , however , after expressing his thanks , said that , during the absence of the Board , he had been

    reconsidering the matter , and ( hat he now waived the sanction to adjourn ; " but , with permission , he should expecb that there would be no objection on the part of the Board to his entering a protest against his case not being heard separately . " The Board reminded his Lordship that it would be heard and reported on separately ; to which Lord Luc . ai rejoined : — " I am aware that the report will be a separate one , but that does not satisfy me . I wish my case to be considered and decided upon tiy the Board before they embark in any new case whatever . ' He was informed that , as the Board did not know what his case was , they could come to no other decision ; and his Lordship then commenced hi . s statement by reading

    a long document , in which he gave a history of his proceedings during the tirue he held the command of the cavalry . Tho tenor of this document was tho same as that of the statements already made public by Lord Luca . n in defending himself from the charges brought against him lay Sir John Jit'Neill and Colonel Tulloch . lie alleges that he took all the precautions in hi 3 power for placing the horses under shelter , and that , when he left in the middle of February , 1855 , all the animals were in stables . Great obstacles , however , were to be contended against . He could not , he asserts , in contradiction to Colonel Gordon , get an Ordnance officer to . attend him ; and he had the greatest difficulty in obtaining wood , nails ,

    and labourers . He admits that— ' ' The construction of stabling of that sort was perfectly novel to myself , and I may say that there was not an . individual belonging to the cavalry who had ever seen such horsestabling . " The Commissioners , he complaine , have stated that a certain miniber of horses died from disease and want of shelter , when several of that number were killed in action ; and he adds that it is a monstrous thing , " and an " absurdity " to compare , as the Commissioners have done , the comparatively few deaths among the Commissariat horses , half of which did not arrive till after the end of February , when , they found , ' proper food and shelter ready for them , with the deaths of the cavalry horses , which were necessarily much larger , owing to the

    greater length of time they had been in the Crimea , and to their having to withstand " all the hardships of the preceding months . " So far from denying that , aa stated by the Commissioners , 38 per cent , of the cavalry horses died from * want and exposure , Lord Lucan admits that a still larger number , in the proportion of 65 per cent ., perished from these causes , and he adds : — " You will naturally say that I am damaging my own case . But the Commissioners have been so wonderfully wrong that I can afford to state the truth . 1 His Lordship subsequently Btates that the losses of transport animals were greater than those of the cavalry ; and he takes credit to himself for preserving every one of 270 mules which were consigned to hia cave on tho 20 th of January , 1855 .

    The proceedings on Tuesday commenced with an angry protest on tho part of Lord Lucau against some remarks which had appeared in that morning's I ' tmcs on his Lordship ' s defence . Having with much warmth denounced tho ' audacity" of the writer , Lord Lucan expressed a , hope that tho court would , if possible , put a stop to " Buoh gross injustice . " The business of the day then proceeded ; and Lord Lucan produced alctter from Lord Itnglan's Quartermaster-General , Qenoral Sir Richard Aiioy , dated December 12 tli , 1854 , diroobiug that five hundred of tho cavalry horses , beiag unemployed , should bo made use of for cominirasariat aorvieo . On ( Jol . Darby Griffiths , of the Scots Greys , being oallod , ho stated the circumstances attending tho throat of arrest by Lord Lucan . Ho raaid : — "I do not romembor tho exact date , but I think it waa

    on the 16 th of N " ovombor , two days after the storm , when I , being field officer of tho day , wont to talco your ovdors 1 'ospeoting the piokot , You then romarkocl upon tlio coat I was wearing , and a conversation arose respecting it , 1 thou suid to you , ' My Lord , I fear , if Bomothing is not done immediately for my horses , thoy will suffer severely , and 1 shall lose a great part of thorn / having then lost a good many . You expressed groat . dissaliafiuittoH , and , as far a ^ I can renumibor your wordu , thoy were , ' Do you think 1 hnvo not thought of that my wolf , Sir ? I have a grout inimi to put you under arrortt . What you had to find fault with in mo 1 cannot wiy ; but my impression was at tho time , and still is , that tho throat was niadta in ooiiHoquonoo of my Huggontion . I may add thoro may have boon Homo warm exproHHions on my part towards your Lord- > hip : but 1 nm

    convinced I made no such expressions until you had used very harsh words towards me . "— " Do you remember ¦ the storm of the 14 th of November ?"— " I do . " " Where were you then encamped ?"— " I think it was the lowest ground . I know the ground was so lose that I saw a goose swimming about in an officer's tent , and that will show in how much wat er the horses were standing . "— " When the altercation took place between us , did you not say in a loud tone of voice , ' You are not speaking to me as a gentleman should , '

    before one word was said to you about being put under arrest ?"— " No , my Lord . " —" Did you subsequently rnake use of those words , or any like them ?"— " Yes , my Lord , I said that I had only addressed you as one gentleman would address another , and that you had no light to use the egressions you had done towards me . " Colonel Griffiths also stated that some captains of the navy made offers to cove . r the whole of the horses with tarpauling upon spars , to . be obtained from the transports .

    General Sir Richard Ah'ey was next examined . From his evidence , it appeared that an engineer , officer , Mr . Stokes , was placed with Lord Luean for hutting the horses , but Colonel Gordon , finding hini self short of those officers , -who were greatly needed for the prosecution of the siege works , objected to the constant absence of Mr . Stokes , and . said that he could not be placed entirely and solely at Lord Lucan ' s disposal . General Airey conceived that Lord Lucan did all that was possible for the shelter of the horses . As for himself , he fcad made repeated demands upon the Commissariat for supplies for the

    horses ; but he could obtain nothing but barley , on which , however , horses will die , if it be not varied with other food . He recollected the offer of tarpauling , spars , & c , and Lord Lucan was himself aware of it . This was a 3 early as October , 1851 ; but the ships being constantly on "the move , it was found impossible to do anything till the 4 th of December , when the materials were collected , " applied to the covering of the stables- I don't think , however , " added General Airey , " tliat the cavalry got any of them . " The Commissariat mules , the artillery horsea , and the bat animals of divisions , engrossed them .

    Colonel Doherty , of the 13 th Light Dragoons , having given a few particulars of no great importance Colonel Tulloch was called , but had left the Court ' Lord Lucan , who said that " the further the inquiry ' extended , the more agreeable it would be to him , ' requested that he might lie himself examined as a witness . He then , in an answer to a question from the Deputy-Judge-Advocate , stated the particulars attending the interview he had had ou the 18 th of November , 1854 , with , five comMSIldiSg oiHoera vvio had made certain representations to him in writing about the want of necessaries in the cavalry . He reminded these officers that he had written to

    Lord-Raglan on the 8 th , on this subject , and that some arrangements had been made for purchasing supplies at Constantinople . In answer to General Peel , Lord Lucan said that " there was nothing on the plateau offering materials for hutting . I have heard in the course of the day that a shelter might have been formed under canva s ; but I did not know that canvas was to be had , and this I say , defying all contradiction , that upon that plateau it would not have been safe to have placed horses under canvas . On the 14 th of November , as everybody knows , there was not a single tont which was not blown down , and no one but a madman would have thought of placing horses under canvas there . "

    Towards tho close of the day ' s proceedings , the Deputy-Judge-Advocate said that the Court deprecated the comments that had been made by the Times on the incomplete evidence , but that they could take no other steps in the matter . The evidence , or statement , of Lord Lucan was continued on Wednesday . His Lordship imputed blame to Mr . Filcler for not providing a sufficiency of forage for the horses . On the 1 st of November , he learnt that tho Light Cavalry were to take up a position 8 ev «? n milefi from Balaklava . Ho wont to the Quartermaster-General , and complained that , if thoy occupied that position , they could got do forago ; but Lord Raglan still ordered thorn to bo statioucd there . When cavalry regiments were stationed at a distance from him , ho always hold the brigadiers responsible for the foraging , Tho greatest difficulties were experienced

    in bringing up supplies . With tho state of tho roada and tho woathor as both woro thou , it might have been possible , up to the 24 th or 26 th of the mouth , to oniploy tho horses of tho Light Brigade in carrying supplies from Balakluva ; but ib would have been a terrible ( strain upon them , as they wore , oven theUj in n groatly roducod , and almost starving condition Mr . Fildor laid it down aB a rvilo that , if tho horsof wore kopb on short rations , ov without food for * wook , no arrears whatever woro to bo made up sub noquontly . When ho applied for arrears , Mv . Mldo ; Haid that it wan contrary to tho rules of tho eorviei that a deficiency should bo made good . ( A mombe of tho Board said that Mr . Fildor vvns noting accord ing to rulo . ) 1 J is Lordship afterwards read a volv minouH oorroHpondonoe ranging ovov Dooovnbor , 185 d and January , I 860 , to prove that lie had made ooi

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), April 12, 1856, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12041856/page/5/