PAPERS MOVED FOR. (Hansard, 21 July 1863)

§ COLONEL SYKES
said, he rose to call attention to a despatch of Admiral Kuper, dated the 14th of April 1863, reporting the death of Lieutenant Tinling, of Her Majesty's ship Encounter, at the siege of Show-shing, in China. His first object was to elicit from the noble Lord the Secretary to the Admiralty an admisson that he had been incorrect in saying upon a former occasion that Lieutenant Tinling had lost his life through his own indiscretion, and when acting as an amateur. In consequence of that statement, he (Colonel Sykes) had received a letter from Sir Arthur Elton, who was formerly a Member of that House, and uncle to that young and promising officer, stating that the family felt aggrieved and deeply wounded at it being imputed to the young officer that he lost his life through his own indiscretion, when, in fact, he lost it while performing his duty in the service of the country and under the orders of his superior officer. He had also received a letter from the young man's father to the same effect. In the first communication of the misfortune to Admiral Kuper by Captain Dew, of the En- 1168 counter, he stated that the young man was killed under the walls of Show-shing, on the 5th of March 1863. Now, that city is many miles beyond the radius from a treaty port, within which military operations might be carried on against the Taepings; the presence, therefore, of Captain Dew and Lieutenant Tinling at the siege of Show-shing was in direct violation of orders. In consequence, Admiral Kuper called upon Captain Dew "to explain under what circumstances the deceased officer had been engaged in hostile operatians at that place, situated eighty or ninety miles from the city of Ningpo." Captain Dew, in his reply, dated the 13th of April, said Lieutenant Tinling had accompanied him to the front, but that he had given the strictest orders to Lieutenant Tinling and the other officers with him not to act against the Taepings, or run any risk by exposing themselves; and that he himself was there to prevent any false step being taken by the Chinese disciplined force which might have imperilled Ningpo. He goes to Show-shing to control (by his own admission) the operations of the siege, and yet the Secretary to the Admiralty quotes a letter, in which Captain Dew states, he and Lieutenant Tinling were at Show-shing as amateurs. The truth, however, appears in a letter written by the Rev. Mr. Maule, who had attended at Ningpo the deathbed of Lieutenant Tinling, addressed to his father. He states, the young officer was directing a large 32-pounder for breaching the walls, when he was struck by a bullet at the side of the neck, and further, that he went up with Captain Dew in charge of that heavy siege gun. Moreover, an 8-inch howitzer had been lent by General Staveley, and Captain Dew wrote to the editor of a Shanghai paper, The Recorder, dated 16th March, informing him that the city of Shouhing had been evacuated by the rebels, and that among the guns used by the attacking force was that very 8-inch howitzer, which he praised for its good service. Surely, there could be no doubt that Lieutenant Tinling was acting under orders, for Captain Dew was standing at some distance from the battery watching the effect of the firing upon the walls, and knew that Lieutenant Tinling was in the battery. The poor father had written to the Admiralty complaining of the noble Lord's statement, that his son was at Show-shing as an amateur, and insisting that he was acting under the instructions of his cap- 1169 tain. To that appeal a reply was sent that all the information possessed by the Admiralty had been presented to the House of Commons in the form of a Return; that, according to the despatches, it appeared uncertain whether Lieutenant Tinling was employed on duty or was simply a spectator, and that therefore it was impossible that the Secretary to the Admiralty could make any further statement in Parliament at that time; but that if it appeared that Lieutenant Tinling was on duty at the time he was wounded, the noble Lord would be happy to make the fact known to the House. That was the only satisfaction which the bereaved father had received for the imputation that his son had sacrificed his life by his own indiscretion. He (Colonel Sykes) hoped, however, that the noble Lord would not delay to give Mr. Tinling the only comfort he could receive, by declaring, as the fact evidently was, that Lieutenant Tinling had fallen while acting under the orders of his captain, and while, therefore, in the discharge of his duty and in the service of his country. It was notorious in China that Captain Dew acted as a partisan throughout the whole of the hostilities between the rebels and the Imperial Government. He himself, in a letter to Admiral Hope, dated Ningpo, 3rd September 1862, speaks in the first person as directing operations—"I keep a strong garrison of a thousand European-drilled Chinese, and fifty artillery at Yu-yao," "and have mounted and well supplied with ammunition eighteen guns of different calibres;" and he finishes by saying—"I have no fear for its safety." It was plainly the same "I" at Show-shing." The Shanghai papers stated that after the failures of the two attacks on Shou-hing he was the means of collecting a party of rowdies from all nations, and of Europeans from different ships, for a third attack on the place, promising them unlimited plunder. The place was evacuated, so that there was very little plunder, and the consequence was that these worthies dispersed themselves and plundered the country. He (Colonel Sykes) therefore appealed to the noble Lord to assist him in rescuing the memory of that lamented young officer from the stigma, cast upon him.

§ MR. SPEAKER
said, if the hon. and gallant Member did not conclude with a Motion, the whole proceeding was irregular.

§ COLONEL SYKES
said, that for the purpose of putting himself in order, he would move for any further papers on the subject.

§ LORD CLARENCE PAGET
said, he felt extremely grieved if any expression of his had given pain to a family whom he knew by reputation, with regard to a youth whom he had had the happiness of knowing personally, and who was a most gallant and meritorious officer. But the House had unintentionally been rather misled as to the expression used by him which had given pain to a worthy family. He would recall the attention of the hon. and gallant Gentleman to the fact that he had always been most averse to answering any questions as to the particulars concerning the death of Lieutenant Tinling, and that he had told him that the Admiralty had no official information on that subject. His hon. and gallant Friend, however, asked him if he had received any information privately, and he told him that he had seen a letter from Captain Dow the expressions in which led him to believe that the officers were present at Show-shing as amateurs. The hon. and gallant Gentleman then requested that he would answer a Question in the House on the subject. The House had been led to believe that he answered that Question after having received the official notification of the death of Lieutenant Tinling. [Colonel SYKES: I did not say that.] In answer to the Question put by the hon. and gallant Gentleman in the House he stated, that the Admiralty had received no official intelligence as to the death of Lieutenant Tinling, but he referred to a private letter from Captain Dew, who stated that Lieutenant Tinling and he had accompanied certain French officers to the siege as amateurs. That was the expression which gave offence to that estimable family, and he was extremely sorry if the expression had given them pain. But he must leave the House to judge for itself as to whether Captain Dew and Lieutenant Tinling were on duty. The first official information which reached the Admiralty as to the death of Lieutenant Tinling was in a short letter from Captain Dew containing the announcement. A few days afterwards they received the following letter from the Commander-in-Chief of the China Station: 1171 When Captain Dew reported to me the death of Acting Lieutenant Tinling of the Encounter from the effects of a wound received under the walls of Show-shing, I considered it my duty to inquire under what circumstances the deceased officer had been engaged in hostile operations at that place, situated some eighty or ninety miles from the city of Ningpo, The accompanying copy of Captain Dew's reply, although it states that the officers had the strictest orders not to act against the Taepings, shows that he and his officers were present to prevent any false step being taken by the disciplined force; thus, as it would appear, taking a part in hostilities beyond the prescribed limits of thirty miles, and I have informed Captain Dew that in so doing I consider he exceeded his instructions.—I have, &c., "A. L, KUPER, Rear Admiral and Commander-in-Chief. Captain Dew addressed the following letter, dated April 13, to Admiral Kuper:— Sir,—In reply to your memorandum of the 28th ultimo, calling on me to report under what circumstances the late Acting Lieutenant Tinling, of this ship, was engaged in hostile operations at Show-shing, I have to state that Acting Lieutenant Tinling had accompanied me to the front, whither I had gone to watch the proceedings, and prevent, if possible, any false step being taken by the Chinese disciplined force, which would have at once imperilled Ningpo. Though both Acting Lieutenant Tinling and the other officers with me had the strictest orders not to act against the Taepings, or run any risk by exposing themselves, still I hold myself responsible for the sad fate of this young and promising officer. In the face of that letter, would he, as the official representative of the Admiralty, have been justified, at a time when the authorities were doing everything to discourage and prevent our officers from mixing themselves up in this desultory warfare in China, and when positive orders were given to the officers not even to go the extent of the thirty miles radius, unless in a case of emergency and for the safety of British life, in stating to the House that Lieutenant Tinling died in the service of the country? He had not the slightest doubt that the young man died feeling that he was doing his duty, for Lieutenant Tin ling was an officer who, though perhaps imprudent, would yet, in the exercise of what he considered his public duty, be a his post wherever it might be; but he confessed that in the face of Captain Dew's statement he was not prepared to do what the hon. and gallant Member wished, and state to the House that he had been wrong in his conjecture, and that that officer did die in the execution of his duty He regretted that the expression he used to the effect that that officer was an amateur at the scene of operations, had given any pain to his family; but, however much 1172 the Board of Admiralty felt the loss of a young and meritorious officer, he could not under the circumstances admit that the death occurred in the service of the country; but if he should receive further information—and he might add that a further and more detailed report had been ordered on this affair—showing that he was mistaken, he should then have great pleasure in apologizing.

MR. WHITE
said, that he was very glad that the hon. and gallant Member had brought the subject forward, if it were only for the information he had elicited from the noble Lord as to the very singular manner in which the business of the Admiralty was conducted. Although they were told that peremptory instructions were sent out to China that no one in Her Majesty's service should take part in hostilities against the Taepings beyond the radius of thirty miles, yet it appeared that a British officer in command of a vessel proceeded, accompanied by his subordinate officers, to the siege of a city invested by the Imperialists some hundred miles away from Ningpo; and in the prosecution of hostilities a gallant young officer met with an untimely end. His friends were told that he fell performing an amateur part, whereas from in formation, if not known to the Admiralty, known to everybody connected with China, it was evident that that young officer and others accompanied their chief with pieces of artillery, one of which, a 32-pounder, was taken. Nevertheless, the noble Lord would not afford to the young officer's friends the satisfaction of telling them that the gallant young man died in the execution of his duty. No conduct could be more barren of sympathy, or more called for severe observation. In spite of instructions from England, a British officer in command of a vessel was found engaged in hostilities beyond the thirty miles radius, and he must observe that it was conduct like that which involved the country in Chinese wars.

§ MR. H. BAILLIE
said, it was perfectly obvious from the explanation of the noble Lord that Captain Dew had not acted in accordance with the instructions he had received; but the case was very different as regarded Lieutenant Tinling. The expression used in Captain Dew's letter, that he himself was distinctly responsible for the death of the young officer, showed that Lieutanant Tinling must have considered that he was acting under the directions of his superior officer.

§ COLONEL SYKES
said, he would withdraw his Motion.