§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONI rise to put a question to the Under Secretary for the War Department, of which I have given him notice; but as the question refers to a personal matter connected with one of the officers whose conduct is impugned by the Report of the Crimean Commission, I trust the House will allow me to preface it by a few words in explanation. I this morning received a letter from Mr. Filder, who for some time occupied the position of Commissary General to the army in the Crimea, in which Mr. Filder states, that in consequence of the charges brought against him by the Report of the Commissioners, he had addressed a reply to that Report in a letter to Lord Panmure. Now, Mr. Filder, in his letter, which I hold in my hand, expresses a very strong desire that, in justice to himself, that letter should be laid upon the table and printed. He states that although the Report which refers to him was dated as far back as the 10th of June, he had never the least idea of any charge having been brought against him until he read of it in the newspapers seven months afterwards. And he alleges that it would be no answer to his complaint to tell him that he would be allowed to state his case before the new military Commission. He says it will be impossible for him to place his case before the Commission with the 1479 same justice to himself as if his written reply to Lord Panmure were laid upon the table of the House. I may be allowed to add, that in reply I wrote to Mr. Filder, stating that in my opinion his request was a perfectly fair one, and ought to be granted. I, therefore, beg to ask the hon. Gentleman whether there is any objection to lay the written reply of Mr. Filder to Lord Panmure upon the table, and thereby do that gentleman the same justice as has been been done to the cavalry generals, Lord Lucan and Lord Cardigan?
§ MR. FREDERICK PEELMr. Filder called upon me some time ago and said it was his intention to deliver in a statement in answer to the Report of the Crimean Commissioners. I was not, however, aware that it had been as yet delivered. But should Mr. Filder give any intimation of his desire to have the statement laid upon the table, there will be objection thereto on the part of the Government. I may say, at the same time, that though I do not now enter into the reasons which led to the recall of Mr. Filder by Lord Panmure, were I to enter into a full explanation of the case, I have no doubt that that explanation would be deemed perfectly satisfactory by the House.