THE CRIMEAN COMMISSIONERS.

Early on Thursday evening, Mr. J. EWART inquired whether the Government intended to make any further recognition of the services of Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch in the Crimea?

Lord PALMERSTON answered, that the Government had made what he conceived to be an ample recognition of the merit of these services ; and that "the Crown had done all it could properly be advised to do." Immediately afterwards, a motion was made that the House should go into Committee of Supply. Mr. PALE then rose, and, with a long preface, including an account of the sufferings of the troops in the Crimea, . the appointment of Mr. Roebuck's Committee, of the Crimean Commission, and of the inquiry at Chelsea, moved the following resolutions " That Sir John and Colonel Tulloeh ably fulfilled the duty in

trusted to them of inquiring into the arrangement and management of the Commissariat department ; that the evidence in their report proves, that in the months of December 1864 and January 1855 the sufferings of the Army must have been intense, and that great mortality was occasioned by overwork and exposure, and want of food and clothing ; that the examinations into this statement by the Board of General Officers materally support the conclusions arrived at by the Commissioners as to the want of organization in the Quartermaster-General's, Commissariat, and Transport services that it appears to this House that from the report of the Board this ineed• ciency must be attributed to the imperfect arrangement or conduct of those departments."

Sir JAMES FERGUSON seconded the motion. Mr. BLACK urged the claims of the Commissioners ; and trusted that Lord Palmerston would break down the invisible fences which prevented a due recognition. of their services.

Lord PALMERSTON treated Mr. Palk's motion as an " anachronism.' His speech would have been in point two years ago. All the evils he described were remedied on the spot. "It is quite true that the sufferings of the army were great. The honourable gentleman has gone through all the details with which we are familiar. It is quite true that the knapsacks were left on board the ships at the landing which took place before the battle of the Alma ; and it is quite true that those knapsacks did not reach the men for two or three months after they had landed. It is true that ample supplies were sent from this country to the Crimea, but that from want of arrangement* on the spot the troops there derived no advantage from them. It is true there were 10,000 great-coats sent which might have been served out, but were kept in store. It is quite true, likewise, that there were boots in store that no one knew anything about,. and that there was forego at Constantinople while the animals were starving in the Crimea. It is true also that a ship loaded with rice was sent to convey an officer from Constantinople to Beicos. All this arose from local confusion, springing from great and important services being performed by men not accustomed to the details of such services. That was the real cause of the confusion that occurred—not any want of arrangement at home. The different departments sent out ample stores of all kinds for the wants of the army ; but, partly in consequence of the rapid transfers of the army from one scene of operations to another, as from Turkey. to the Crimea, the necessary separation of parties, and various other reasons, t is true there was not that arrangement and that foresight exhibited which afterwards, when the officials became accustomed to their duties, fortunately prevailed. The supply of animals for fresh meat was at the beginning not properly arranged ; the hospitals were not properly arranged, or cleansed., or ventilated ; and the sick did not derive that advantage from them which they ought to have done." It is a great mistake, however, to suppose that the losses were greater than those in the Russian and French With regard to the Commissioners, they did their work exceedingly well ;-, but they went out in April and returned in July. They "suggested very material alterations while they were there ; yet in so far as their report

furnished the Government at home with the elements of better arrange ments, those arrangements had already been carried out, many important improvements having taken plaee before the Commissioners returned. More

over, they were not the only Commissionere. There was a Medical Corn mission, consisting of Dr. Sutherland, Dr. Gavin, who unfortunately lost his life, and Mr. Rawlinson, an engineer, who was wounded in an action in

which he had unnecessarily placed himself. I am bound to say, without disparagement to Sir Jolm M'Noill and Colonel Tulloch, that the Medical Commissioners conferred greater advantages upon the public at home and upon the army in the Crimea than it was possible for them to accomplish."

Having defended the appointment of the Chelsea Board, Lord Palmerston said he could not consent to the motion. It would be ungenerous to censure

certain officers after the whole subject has passed into the domain of history. Before he sat down, Lord Palmerston replied to Mr. Pales remark that arrangements should be made for the better instruction of officers, and that young men might no longer enter the army intending to remain for two or three years only, but that all officers might in future make the military profession the serious business of their lives, devoting their whole

thoughts to it. "That is the system in foreign countries ; but it has not been adopted in England, and, you may depend upon it, never will be. ("Hear, hear!") In foreign countries, large standing armies are kept up

in time of peace : when a man embraces the military profession, he knows

that he will be a soldier as long as health and strength remain, and he therefore devotes all his thoughts to it, in order to obtain promotion in the

service and reputation among his fellow citizens. In England we pursue a different course. We have in times of peace a very small army; and when war comes we are obliged to increase it, sometimes very rapidly. Officers who enter the army during war must expect when peace arrives to have

their services dispensed with. It is a great object also tee have our service voluntary, not compulsory.; for voluntary service has some

thing inspiriting iriting in itself, and if it has its inconveniences it has likewise its advantages, the loss of which would be dearly pinchased by the adoption of the Continental system. Therefore, what ever arrangements we may make—and I trust the Government will be able to make them—for imparting to our military officers more professional instruction than hitherto they have had either the means or the inducement

to acquire, depend upon it that the system which the honourable gentleman

wishes to see prevail,—namely, that none should enter the army except those who intend to make it the study and business of their lives—cannot be adopted in England. It is not consistent with the nature of our institu tions nor with our national character and habits, We must take advantage of the voluntary service of those who go into the army, whether they mean to remain a long or a short time. We cannot be a military nation ; but de

pend upon it we are a fighting nation—(Cheers and laughtet)—and those very men who in times of peace join the army, as the honourable gentleman

says, for the pleasure of wearing a fine coat, are found when war arrives as distinguished for their bravery in the field, for their endurance of fatigue, and for their submission to all the hardships of military life as the officers of any Continental army who have been drilled and tutored and lectured, who may answer better to the abstract notion of soldiers, but who when placed at the head of troops in battle, or when told to charge or defend a

position, are not superior to our own officers, whatever may be the difference between them in point of technical instruction and knowledge of the minute details of the service." (Cheers.) General PEEL vindicated the conduct of the Chelsea Board, of which he was a member. In regard to the Crimean campaign, he contended

that blame should not be thrown on individuals, because the calamities that occurred in the Crimea arose from circumstances not in the power of any individual in the Crimea to control. In enforcing this view, he went into the history of the campaign, to show the inevitable difficulties attending the position of the Allies.

Mr. SIDNEY IIERBERT said that all must feel in regard to the Crimean campaign a desire to draw the veil of oblivion over everything that would imply blame on individuals.

"No doubt, when, after a long peace, an army takes the field, there must be great inexperience, great deficiencies, and great confusion ; and I agree

with the patent officer, that the error which was made by the Government of which I was a member was in attempting too much. I say frankly, that I think we were to blame for so doing : but it appears to me that the main difficulty which besets us is that we never have a clear idea whom we are to try." The question now was, whether two gentlemen had done their duty ; and if so, had the Crown marked in an unmistakeable manner its approbation of the services performed ? He had, in private, re peatedly pressed on Lord Pelmerston the course he hoped would have been adopted. The question has conic before the House, and he felt bound to express his opinion that the Comndssioners had rendered most im portant services, not only in preparing their report, but in obtaining fresh meat and fresh bread for an army *uttering from scurvy. He suggested that the resolution should run in this form—" That Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch ably fulfilled the duty intrusted to them of inquiring into the arraegement and management of the Commissariat Department ; and that, considering the able services rendered by them as Commissioners in the Cri mea, and the testimony in their favour by her Majesty's Government, an humble address be presented to her Majesty, praving that scene especial

mark of approbation be conferred upon them." (Cheers.) "I confess that

I entertain strong feelings upon this subject. It is by no means easy to find gentlemen who will make a report which by implication affects persons of

great standing and of high rank ; and if you wish in future to have true and faithful reports, you must show your appreciation of men who are willing rather to encounter obloquy than to conceal or gloss over that which they ought in duty to make known—(Lotta! eheers)—and I must say, that, looking at the services which hove been rendered by these gentlemen, it does not appear to use that they have received justice at our bands." (Ifuch eheertng.)

Sir Roney PAILINGTON, expressing a strong feeling that the services of the Commissioners had not been acknowledged with promptitude and generosity, urged Mr. Palk to adopt Mr. Herbert's suggestion. Mr. J. E.wtsur also expressed his approval of Mr. Herbert's proposal.

Mr. Pain accepted the amended resolution ; and it was put amid loud cries of " Divide !" Lord Resume:mos then said, that he would not stand between the generous feelings of the Heine and the accomplishment a its wishes " Nobody more heartily desires than I do that the services of these two gentletnen should be recognised. I did certainly think that the offer made to them was the more natural and appropriate aeknowledginent of services of that description ; but, at the same time, if the Houee is of a different opinion, I for one shall not go to a division." (Cheers.)

The question was then put, and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to without a division.