SUPPLY—ORDNANCE ESTIMATES. (Hansard, 8 February 1855)

§ MR. W. WILLIAMS

said, that he had been that morning informed by letters received from Plymouth, that a company of Sappers and Miners, lately embarked there on board the Princess Alice, had been so embarked in a state of mutiny, caused by starvation, because the authorities would not allow them to eat anything inside the victualling-yard, although they were detained many hours before their embarkation. He had received a letter from a gentleman of the highest position in Plymouth, stating that he had inquired into the facts of this case, and found that the men reached Plymouth by an early train, and were marched to the victualling-yard in order to embark, but that they did not do so until a late hour of the day, and during the delay which thus occurred they had no food until the circumstance became known in the town, when, through the kindness of Mr. Harris, a respectable 1377 tradesman in Stonehouse, they were provided with bread and cheese and beer at a hotel. Now, the neglect of the Admiralty at our seaports reflected great discredit upon them. These men, he believed, were about to embark for the Crimea to join our army there, and they were treated with gross neglect, if not with downright inhumanity, by the dockyard authorities. Only a few days ago we had an account of their unfeeling conduct towards sick men who landed from the East at Portsmouth, without there being any officer to receive them, and the poor creatures, who were in pain and could not sit down, remained exposed in the cold air while their baggage—a few miserable rags, no doubt—were ransacked by the Custom-house officers. Why were not these dockyard officers, in the receipt of large salaries from the country, there to receive these poor men? Only two days afterwards the Queen went to Portsmouth, on her way to Osborne. There was no lack of officials in attendance on that occasion, but if Her Majesty had been aware of their conduct towards the poor soldiers and sailors who had suffered in Her service, and in whom, we all knew, She took a warm interest, he believed that She would have driven those officers, decorated as they were, from Her presence with disgust, and perhaps have ordered them to be dismissed from their situations. Now, he did not object to this Vote, though certainly the greatest waste of public money had been caused through the most culpable negligence. The country ought to know how much money had been expended in providing comforts for our brave, but neglected army. From the Supplementary Ordnance Estimate it would be seen that there had been supplied greatcoats, boots, and shoes for the troops, warm and waterproof clothing, and other waterproof articles to the value of 649,500l.; in addition to which, under the head of stores, there were the items for camp equipage, &c,, 234,860l.; huts for troops, 54,800l.; stable huts for 5,000 horses, 19,041l.; and hospital huts for 2,000 patients, 12,969l.; making together a total of 971,170l. By the vote of that House last Session upwards of 600,000l. were also given for the same purpose; thus showing that 1,570,000l. altogether had been expended in providing comforts for our soldiers in the Crimea. The country would not grudge the outlay required for the benefit of its soldiers; but our army was actually perishing for want of food, 1378 clothing, and shelter, while these enormous sums were wasted by the most disgraceful mismanagement. He believed that the main fault lay with the men whom the Government had appointed as their instruments, and for whose conduct the Government was, therefore, equally responsible. The Ordnance department was the worst managed department in this country, bad as they all were, and he hoped it would be included in the new Secretariat of War. The head of that department was in command of an army 3,000 miles off. Had he been at his office in Pall Mall, instead of in the Crimea, he (Mr. Williams) believed the lives of many thousands of our men, as well as the honour and character of the country, would have been saved. Our disasters were much more to be attributed to the want of common sense and common management than to any other cause. How was it that this country could send the necessary stores to an army 3,000 miles off, and the general commanding that army in chief could not find the means of transporting them over the six miles lying between the sea and the camp? Had he taken the advice of any sergeant of the line, instead of consulting only some aristocratic officers, all these misfortunes would have been avoided, for the commonest sergeant of the line could have told him how. Lord Raglan apparently did nothing. He only wrote to the Admiralty in despair. Had he written to our Ambassador at Constantinople 2,000 labourers might have been immediately sent him, who would have constructed a road in forty-eight hours. The manner in which our brave army had been left without raiment, food, or shelter, had disgraced the nation, and lowered it in the eyes of the civilised world. He hoped the new Government would act with energy and courage sufficient to remedy and remove these evils. He hoped the House also would support them. If they would only relieve our troops effectually, they would earn the thanks of the nation. He wished to know also from the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether this was money that had been expended or that was to be expended?