Mr. John Brent, who lives near Canterbury, has sent to
the Morning Chronicle an account of an outrage on his son's property, and of a per- sonal insult to himself, committed on the 5th ultimo by six officers of the Eleventh Light Dragoons. This is the statement-
" On the morning of that day, six officers of the Eleventh Light Dragoons, stationed at Canterbury, rode across a piece of high grass belonging to my son, damaging the crop, and breaking the hedges. Ott their retina to the Barrucks, they came through time same field, and, meeting them, I civilly remonstrated with them on their conduct, but was met by an insulting laugh in reply. I then requested their names; and was told by one of them, ' Snooks,' who called out to the others to 'come on.' One now, who was close behind raa4„, with the intention as it appeared to be, of riding over ine; and I tva‘ to seize his horse by the curb-rein, and hold him until 1 could getout way ; lie spurring Ins horse, and driving me towards a brick-wall. As ,1- etl I got clear, 1 went up to them, and said, 'Your conduct is dishmm.14 name is Brent, I am a Magistrate and a gentleman, and I insist your names : this you cannot refuse me, if you are gentlernem' It I, Zi was refused. 'Upon this, immediately said, You arc blackguards: I" you are officers of the Eleventh, and I will go to your commaunding.sfs. arriving at the gate, one of them called out to the sentinel—Jai:11'1,4:1;h" lay before him your conduct.' 1 followed them to the Barracks' man enter.' After a short time, 1 attempted getting in by another gate; ht was refused admittance, although I said 1 was going to the commat e."-" lit consequence of this prevention, I wrote to the Earl of Cardigan, theiut' tenant-Colonel of the Ilegiment, detailing the transaction; but received „: answer from his Lordship to this letter. On the 9th ult., 1 sent may esulph; to the Horse Guards, and enclosed to Lord Ilia a copy of the letter It written to Lord Cardigan ; and in a few days afterwards received a corustm,.7 cation in reply, enclosing the copies of two letters, which had been tramerui from Canterbury. Lord llill regretted that any irregularity should hareat, place on the part of officers under his command; stating also, that the Ealhi Cardigan had assured him that he had taken such steps as would prrvuu, recurrence of a trespass on my hunt; under tvhielt circumstances, Lordly felt that any further interference on his part was unnecessary in the mots To this communication I immediately replied ; and from the copy sent tons,it appeared that Lord llill's judgment was nuule on a letter which had bees" to the con:mantling-officer by one of the parties implicated in the complafht_ such letter being totally incorrect. I called upon his Lordship to afford ratu opportunity of tendering direct evidence, which I pledged myself to produceu would disprove the statement made by the officer in question, and cOnlirts aecomit of the transaction. After the lapse of a considerable time, Lordly declined further interference ; stating that the recollection of some ofs, parties was ditferent from mine." Mr. Brent's letter provoked the notice of " an officer of rank," silo wrote to the jllornitay Chronicle under the signature of "Miles," from the Senior United Service Club. We give the pith of this gentleman. like epistle- " In reference to Mr. Brent's statement respecting the officers of the Els venth Light Dragoons, I shall only say, that it is natural that such men It Mr. Brent should detest the military, and seek all occasions of go:arenas:silk them ; and, as far as regards his letter, the only observation it merits is thi the kick of the ass is comparatively unfelt. S * * if Mr. Brent has really been injured or aggrieved, surely he can seek redress through the law of sit land, which is applicable to officers of the Army as well as to other citizens."
The Earl of Cardigan himself attempted a reply to Alr. l3rent's slale• ment, in the following coninturtication to the editor of the Mormixy Chronicle.
Sir—Iteing on my way to Seotlatul, a copy of year newspaper of the 12th itslaot has just mine into my po.isession, giving puldieation to a letter from au M411111114'. the name of • ,lolitt Brent, or Canterbury, itorttiog to six ollicers or the Detain Light Dragoote,,n :alleged outrage upon him on the 5 Ii Or last mouth. Mr. itti slates. that he told the adlieers in question, upon finding them riding over his (tier,: which there road, although not a imblie iate.) that lie was a Nlauistraend a gear. !entail. 'Punt he is a Maglittate there Call lie uu doubt—flat lie is it gel:llama:1 is quite another question ;uhf if :toy thing had ttl coat little 1111. it few tiwtlilicatiwis which lw pusse.-ses Mr that char:ANT, Wut111111A1t. 'well the f.tetol his laving stirprvi„,,ed, in his garbled stale:m.1d to ■ met of his complaints Loth agaior; the (+thee, s mu quo: lima and myself, the citetunt,t,ne., or my having written Whirs to assnre 11;un 11.a. I timer rcceit ed. the letter whilt he first :tildresr.ed 1,, iioip having subsequently tolled upon hint al his own request, tool ha, i;o4 tot that mink expres..eul to him, a.: consmatoling, Ricer or the 1:1,•%,,,th Light Ill zug.,eits, 1141,0 tlint :my trespass should have ucearre.1 on his preeerty, and that I had talon nteaitart to pre, eht a iewartswe a ally lLiuLZ or the sort. 'f hat regret world, I hate tauumuht, have beam equally expressed by the cheers al the live. hail 11L•. Itrvia ad.ir,,ssed then in it mute 111,44.1%0e tone. ilistewl ul eounavneing by telling them they It ere • blank. guards;' for mluielt most unjost triable WslAe,iou Ise Sias heated with the einutontil which lie deserved, by cue 01 the lalleets I. whip :11111 telling hits that f.r stall language lie:Jai:JO. WU.. well litAwii hipped. 'This>lag..,Irate anti gooteman, wiliwitt doubt, vas anxiuns o wwile ()leers to a bleach 01 the peace by the qt. Shirts which he applied to them ; and, ill ins opinion, great credit is due to the dlitlet1 Ili ihtc51molI rur their Forbearance upon the ueeasion \Villa regard to the tsaitelliitible oerlisntioi of hiodiguary eouitilet ogaid,t the,. or;eel's IA the I.:tete:Ali Light Dm goons, in which hose calumny pat have II:might ploper to publish your euticarreste, I have only to say that so utterly hike is the at,ertion, that I never Heard ,11111.10! the Cilcyruth l.i ht DragoOliS 111;d:A use of an exptes..ion, nor ever knew of any used them to commit an :icy inconsistent with the hie 1:,.st principles of au °then mei a get. dolma'. Upon my refo.ing to gyve tip the touil's of the !livers, this Magistrate et. pressed much :Liss:ills:action, stating, that it prevented hint demanding • (hauls. faction from any MU, of them which tam gentleman mitally reamires of another; • I im. mediatelv, therolsore, upon quitting, sent an tither to hint, to say, that with refereuee to the personal satisfactiou to which he hail alluded, I was perfectly ready to affords to Myself, ell nchchol the (Aliens of the coil, With regard to the opinion which tau hate so unwarrantably yuldiThed toils world in the leading article of your ,ouraml, t if.. • that I 1111%e n very ittipate..t Maul what is due from one gentleman L. attotlar,' I hail' only to reply, tent soup an anset- non is an idfinimus maw scam/Wolfs .fitiolo..ucl, tuna that it is fortunate Inc you that you are the antonymous editor or a newspaper. " I am, Sir, your most obedient sell aut, " CARDIGAN, LielA,Col. pith Light
.• Northampton, 14th August 1839. Dragoons."
The Morning Chronicle, in a well-written rejoinder, points out some of the obvious defects of Lord Cardigan's letter its a defence ; and thus disposes of his Lordship's concluding threat- " We have 110 oriel' to recall the past, or to press severely on him for lama misconduct. But it is possible that an ungenerous advantage may be taken by some of those Wider his command of the del:cat e position in which his Lord- ship stands, and that he must look through his fingers at many things, re- specting whirls other commanding-officers would nut deem it IleCeSSIlry to ex- tend the same indulgence. If his Lordship have enemies, we know that he has also many friends, is ho speak of him with kindly feelings. 11 is letter m- dicates a judgment on which we should not. be ilf,postul to place much reliance. ills offensive epithets addressed to us will not prove either that the six officers of his regiment arc gentlemen, or that lie himself has
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a perfect mica of what is due hum one gentleman to another. Lordship's threats we areperfectly imlifferent. The editor of it newspaper cantiot, if he would, conceal himself. The editor of the -lit:ruing Chronirfe Is at a loss, therethre, to wider Land. why it f.is fortunate for him that he is the anonymous editor of it newspaper.' lie has lived tea long in the world to be influenced Inv I hreats of personal violence. Lord Cardigan, 011 rellectioionitst regret that lie descended to such language. But be this as it may, his Lord- ship does not seem to be aware that Englatul is as yet a country geterned by law and not by the sword; anti that commas:ding-officers of regini, fits, Thether noblemen or conuno f! that I 11001 the? testis
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