§ On the motion that the House at its rising do adjourn till Monday,
GENERAL PEELsaid, he would not abuse the privilege of speaking on that occasion by saying a single word more than was absolutely necessary, neither would he even recapitulate the grievances complained of, but content himself with the admission made by the Government that they existed. He would at once beg to ask the Under Secretary for War what had been the result of the inquiry which he stated, on the 11th of August, the military authorities had instituted into the operation of the warrant of 1844, and what steps had been taken to remedy the injustice which he admitted was done by it? On the 11th of August the hon. Gentleman stated that the warrant of 1854 had received and was then receiving the careful consideration of the military authorities, and that in practice it had not answered the expectations formed of it. From that day to the present not a single word had passed upon the subject; and so far from any remedy being applied, the evil complained of was daily on the increase. Officers were superseded by others who were placed over their heads, not from any superior merit, but from the fact of their having served three years. The evil was not confined to this particular class of officers only, for he had received a letter from a very distinguished officer in Her Majesty's service, a colonel of 1851, who complained of the position of officers situated as he was, and represented that officers of the Crown were placed in a much worse position than officers of the East India Company. He might be told, perhaps, that the military authorities had been too much engaged lately to turn their attention to this subject, but, as the warrant was the result of a Commission, he thought the least that might be done would be to appoint another Commission to inquire into the operation of the warrant. He deprecated as much as any one the interference of the House of Commons in the affairs of the army, and he could assure the House that he had no personal interest to serve in bringing the subject forward. He had no relations who were injured by the warrant; on the contrary, several of his personal friends had been benefited by it. His only object was, that justice should be done to officers who had unjustly suffered.
§ Sir JOHN RAMSDENsaid, that the hon. and gallant Gentleman who asked he question Lad himself anticipated the 140 answer. The amount of labour which had been thrown not only upon the Horse Guards, but upon the War Department, by the sending of troops to India had been so great that it had been found quite impossible for the only members of those departments who were competent to deal with so important a question to devote to it that attention which they desired. He hoped, however, that when the House met after the Christmas recess he should be enabled to state what was the result of the inquiry which was now taking place.
COLONEL NORTHsaid, that if the question had been one that had now only arisen, he could understand the reply of the hon. Baronet, but he (Colonel North)had brought the subject under the notice of the House three years ago, and therefore the war in India could be no real excuse for the delay that had occurred.