§ The DUKE of RICHMONDrose, pursuant to notice, to ask when it was probable that the medals intended as rewards "would be given to the Peninsular officers and soldiers? and if it was intended to extend the grant of such medals to other officers, soldiers, and sailors who served in the late war?" Her Majesty had been graciously pleased to order that medals should be struck and given to those who had been engaged in particular actions during the Peninsular war; also that medals should be given on account of other actions by sea and land during the war generally. He had asked whether there was any intention of extending those rewards to persons engaged in other parts of that great contest? The reply which he received was, that the Government could give no pledge, but that the subject was under consideration. Though he felt anxious that medals should be given to the Peninsular army, yet he never contemplated, while the Government was performing that act of justice, that they intended to exclude the officers and men who fought under Abercromby in Egypt, or who achieved the victories under our great naval heroes. Besides, there were officers and men who served in the Peninsula, who, though not present at any great action, yet had performed deeds well deserving the approval of the Crown; their services, he thought, ought not to be put aside. Many of them had lost limbs—many of them had been severely wounded without having been present at a great action—many, in consequence of sickness, were deprived of the gratification of being present in action. He felt most obliged to his noble Friends opposite for giving those medals; but he confessed he should not be satisfied if he did not think that they intended to give those rewards much more extensively than had at first been stated. It was his opinion that they ought to be given freely to the officers and soldiers who fought during the late war; and it would be difficult, he thought, to distinguish the merits of men who fought in general actions from those who displayed equal valour in skirmishes—the one class of men were quite as worthy as the other. He also wished to know whether or not it was the intention to postpone the issue of any medals till all the claims were disposed of—whether the better course would not be adopted of issuing them month by month according to the number of claims which might be investi- 1052 gated and dealt with in those periods. He feared that if the issue of the medals were delayed, their value would be much diminished, and that they would never reach the hands of those who had fairly earned them.
§ EARL GREYreplied, that with reference to the rewards for particular actions, an order had been issued on the 1st of June, specifying the actions for which medals were to be granted, and stating that they should be limited to officers and soldiers who had fought in actions for which medals had already been given to the officers who commanded in chief on those occasions. With respect to the Army, he was not aware that any further distribution of medals was in contemplation than was specified in the order so issued. As to the Navy, it did not appear to him that the rule applied with equal fairness: medals were not given to commanding officers of ships in the same proportion that they had been awarded to military officers. As many as 2,000 claims had already been allowed, and 400 rejected; he was therefore warranted in saying that the process of investigating those claims was proceeding rapidly, although there were a great number yet to be disposed of. He had further to state, that the designs for both the medals had been approved of; but the artist engaged for the purpose of executing them, had lately had a narrow escape from losing his life. That was the reason the medals were not now ready; but he hoped they would be prepared within two months. There was no objection on the part of the Government that the medals should be issued as rapidly as the claims could be proved.