§ MR. BLACKsaid, he wished to ask if a Professor had been appointed to the Chair of Military Surgery in the University of Edinburgh; and if such appointment had been made, if there was any reason for the class-room being closed for the last two sessions?
§ SIR JOHN RAMSDENsaid, no appointment had been made. His noble Friend at the head of the War Department had intended to make the appointment, but it became known to him that the Medical Commission intended to recommend the discontinuance of these local professors, and he had, therefore, suspended the appointment.
§ LORD HOTHAMsaid, he wished to advert for a moment to the answer which the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Control had given to the hon. and gallant Member for Roscommon (Colonel French). The right hon. Gentleman said no despatch had been received from Sir James Outram. But he (Lord Hotham) had a very confident impression, if not a positive conviction, that he had read that very despatch in a Calcutta newspaper; therefore he hoped the right hon. Gentleman would make some further inquiry upon the subject. He must also add, that there had been published in this country—he did not say the London Gazette—an order issued by the Governor General of India, in which he bestows commendations upon the officers of that force in consequence of their having been recommended in Sir James Outram's despatch. Now, the country was naturally anxious to see the despatch itself, for he hoped he might say, without any intention to disparage the Governor General—and certainly he would not join in the censures cast upon him the other night—that however gratifying it might be to the officers and soldiers concerned to be commended by such a high authority as the Governor General, still it would be more satisfactory to the friends and relatives of those gallant men, as well as to the public at large, to 1266 see the commendations bestowed upon them by their commander, who was an eye-witness of their valour. He would therefore beg to inquire why no official announcement has been made in this country of any despatch or Report from Major General Sir James Outram, detailing what had taken place between the time of his assuming the command in Lucknow and the arrival of General Sir Colin Campbell; and whether there is any objection to this, and any other Despatch or Report from Brigadier Inglis, being made public.
MR. VERNON SMITHsaid, he was much obliged to the noble Lord for thus pressing the subject upon his notice. It had, however, been forced upon his attention both by the question which the hon. and gallant Member (Colonel French) had put, and by the question the noble Lord had himself given notice of. He certainly was surprised that no Despatch had been received; but he had made strict inquiries, and neither at the Board of Control nor at the India House had any copy of the Despatch referred to been received. If it had appeared in the Calcutta papers there certainly must have been some omission in not having sent it home. But there was much to be said for them, owing to the extreme hurry and difficulties encountered in their duties there. He quite participated in the noble Lord's feelings, that it would be more gratifying to the friends and relatives of the officers and soldiers to see their names mentioned in the Despatch of a General so distinguished and so well able to appreciate valour as Sir James Outram, than it would be to be named even in the orders of the Governor General. It was his great care to supply every information as soon as possible, knowing the anxiety there was for the fullest information respecting India; but he thought the noble Lord would agree with him that it was not desirable to give non-official documents.