HC Deb 19 December 1854 vol 136 cc505-7
CAPTAIN SCOBELL

rose to move— That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that she would be graciously pleased to institute an 'Order of Merit,' to be bestowed upon persons serving in the Army or Navy for distinguished and prominent personal gallantry during the present war, and to which every grade and individual, from the highest to the lowest, in the United Services, may be admissible. The hon. and gallant Member said, that if he received any intimation from the Government that they would take this subject into favourable consideration he should be content to leave it in their hands. He was convinced that if some such an Order as that referred to in his Motion were immediately instituted it would be tantamount to reinforcing our army of the Crimea, so great would be its effect on the spirits and temper of the troops. The real question before the House was whether the medals and orders at present distributable were sufficient for the purposes of the great war such as that in which the country was now involved. Now the Order of the Bath was entirely confined to the upper ranks of the Army and Navy, for no one under the rank of major in the Army, or captain in the Navy, could partake of the distinctions of that Order. That showed it must be vastly too exclusive, and that its regulations demanded immediate alteration. Then, again, a custom prevailed of giving medals to the Army and Navy for certain battles, which applied as well to those actually in action as those out of it; but that custom had no reference to individual bravery, and many ships taking no part in an action would get the medal equally with those obliged to bear the brunt of the fight. He thought, therefore, since the grant of medals under existing rules did not sufficiently distinguish personal merit, some change was imperatively required. At the present moment the country was engaged in a war which demanded the putting forth all its strength; but it was a question whether there were those incentives and inducements to the display of courage and endurance on the part of our soldiers and sailors which there ought to be. The soldiers of the Crimea were fighting side by side with the army of France, which possessed an Order which extended down to the meanest drummer-boy in the ranks. He thought, therefore, that the present was a most appropriate juncture for the institution in this country of an Order similar in its character. If, however, he should receive the assurance of the Government that the matter would be taken up by them, and that the objects of his Motion met their cordial assent, he was quite willing not to press the matter further—but under no other circumstances would he consent to committing the subject to their hands.

LORD JOHN RUSSELL

thought that a proposition of this kind ought properly to come from the Crown. He could, however, assure the hon. and gallant Gentleman that the whole question was under consideration; while he was at the same time quite willing to admit that the Order of the Bath did not appear to him to comprehend all the persons who ought to receive it.

MR. H. HERBERT

would take the opportunity of calling attention to a fact which had reached him a short time ago—namely, that the French soldiers had already received their medals for the battle of the Alma, whilst our soldiers had not as yet received theirs. It seemed rather hard that one set of soldiers should be decorated for their services in that battle, and that another set, who had taken as honourable a part in the action, should not yet have received their decorations. If he might venture to express an opinion to that effect, he earnestly hoped that as little delay as possible should take place before that defect was remedied.

SIR J. WALSH

And may I, Sir, at the same time, be permitted to ask the hon. and gallant Gentleman opposite (Captain Scobell) whether he means to include those foreign mercenaries whom it is proposed to enlist in our service within the scope of this Order of Merit which he calls on Her Majesty's Government to establish?

MR. S. HERBERT

would beg to state, in reply to the question of his hon. Friend the Member for Kerry (Mr. H. Herbert), that the die for the medal to commemorate the battle of Alma had been prepared, and that as soon as the medals had been struck, they would be sent out to the army.

CAPTAIN SCOBELL

said, although no distinct promise was given on the subject, he was content for the present to withdraw his Motion. But he would do so subject to the hope that Her Majesty's Government would not try to supply the want so universally felt by making a partial change in reference to the Order of the Bath; it was better to make no change at all than that it should be a partial one. The only way of dealing with the subject was to institute an Order that would comprehend every individual in both services, Navy and Army.

Motion, by leave, withdrawn.