ORDER OF THE BATH. (Hansard, 23 February 1838)

§ Mr. Bradshaw
said, that, having seen it gazetted that her Majesty had appointed Colonel 57 De Lacy Evans to be knight commander of the most hon. military order of the Bath, he wished to put a qustion to the noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He wished to know from that noble Lord whether the appointment of Colonel De Lacy Evans had passed in the regular course through the war-office, on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief? He understood that, in all cases whatever, her Majesty—

§ The Speaker
The hon. Gentleman will put his question.

§ Mr. Bradshaw
Has the appointment passed through the regular channel—that is, through the Horse Guards?

§ Viscount Palmerston
The answer which I have to make to the hon. Gentleman is, that the appointment of Sir George De Lacy Evans to be knight commander of the Bath was made in the usual manner by her Majesty's Government, and upon their own responsibility. The hon. Gentleman is mistaken in supposing that it is at all necessary, or has been the invariable practice, that the exercise of the discretion of the Government in recommending persons to the Crown for that honour should be governed by any recommendation, or, even what is less, by the advice of the person at the head of the army. With regard to the appointment itself, I shall merely say that I humbly venture to think that it was earned and well bestowed.

§ Sir A. Dalrymple
wished to ask the noble Lord a question with reference to the answer which had just been given to his hon. Friend. He wished to ask whether Sir George De Lacy Evans had been appointed knight commander of the Bath as one of the ten foreign officers who, according to the rules of the institution, were eligible for that honour?

§ Viscount Palmerston
No; he has not.

§ Sir G. De Lacy Evans
said, that as he had had the honour of a communication with the noble Lord at the head of the army, the nature of which was rather incompatible with the questions which had just been put by the hon. Member for Canterbury, he thought, that as this was somewhat a subject of a personal kind to himself, he might be permitted to ask that hon. Member, whether he had any authority from that noble Lord to put those questions?

§ Mr. Bradshaw
said, he had not any authority from Lord Hill to ask those questions; but he had received communi- 58 cations from many officers of the army who felt it to be to them an unjust appointment.