CORRESPONDENCE AS TO THE PRESENCE OF COLONEL THOMAS AND OTHER

OFFICERS AT THE ASHTON CONSERVATIVE DINNER.

SIR JOHN MACDONALD To COLONEL THOMAS.

Horse Guards, 8th November 1839.

Sir—Lord Hill's attention having been attracted by a report published in the accompanying impression of the Times newspaper of the 2d instant, of speeches made at a meeting denominated " a Conservative Association," at Ashton-under-Lyne, on Wednesday the 30th ultimo; in one of which speeches, more particularly that made by Mr. Roby, expressions most insulting and dis- respectful towards the Queen are stated to have been uttered on that occasion, and that in your hearing, as well as in the hearing of other officers now em- ployed in the Northern district ; I have received Lord Hill's commands to point out these expressions to you, and to desire that, on receipt hereof, you acquaint me, for his Lordship's information, whether you heard them, and if you did, whether you expressed your disapprobation thereof upon bearing them. I am to add, that it is most painful to Lord Hill to know that officers of the Army were present on such an occasion ; but that his Lordship will refrain from passing any opinion on the case until you shall have furnished such ex- planation relative thereto as you may be prepared to submit for his consideration.

The expressions to which this letter alludes arc transcribed in red ink in the margin. You will be pleased to return the newspaper with your answer. (Signed) J. MAcooNALD, A. G. (Extracts referred to.) " He trusted the Duke and Sir Robert Peel would purge the Court of that filth which stank in the nostrils of all hut those who did not know virtue from vice, purity from impurity, innocence from youth; for virgin innocence was banished from the Palace, while vice rioted rampant at the Royal board. (cheers.)" "Ile was sorry to use suck words, but they were the words of truth and soberness."

" A Lady Flora Hastings was dismissed with scorn and obloquy, and fell a sacrifice, whilst a Melbourne and a Ileadfort (faugh) basked in the sunshine of Royal favour. (Appluuse.)"

" When any one aimed a blow at the epicure Administration, down be skulked behind the embroidered petticoats and the flounces and furbelows of the ladies of the Court. (Laughter.)"

COLONEL THOMAS TO SIR JOHN MACDONALD.

Stockport, 9th November 18:39.

Sir—I have had the honour to receive your letter of yesterday's date, calling

upon me to state, for Lord Hill's information, whether I heard certain expree. sions quoted in the margin of that letter, as most insulting and disrespectful towards the Queen, and purporting to be an extract from a speech made by Mr. Roby, at a meeting " denominated " a Conservative A.ssociation, at Ashton-under-Lyne, on the 30th ultimo. In reply I beg to state, that without pretending, to be able to determine with any degree of certainty the correctness of isolated expressions extracted from. reports of speeches delivered on the occasion referred to, I can with confideace assert, that the whole termer of Mr. Roby's speech at that dinner breathed a high spirit of loyalty to the Monarchy ; and I beg further to add, that as no expression uttered by that gentleman conveyed to my mind that the slightest disrespect, much less insult, was offered or intended to the Queen, there ap„ peered no ground for the expression of my disapprobation ; and I had flattered myself that my long and faithful services of upwards of one-and-forty years might have assured Lord 11111 that I would not have been wanting had such an impression been received by me.

I have to lament that the knowledge of officers having been present on such an occasion should be painful to Lord Hill. With reference to myself; I was honoured with an invitation as a Member of Parliament to meet Sir Francis Burdett, which I could have no hesitation in accepting.

The prompt reply demanded has prevented me from having any comma. ideation with the other officers, who I understood, when I met them at the thinner, were invited as an acknowledgment, on the part of the neighbouring gentry, of the high sense they entertained of their services in support of the IlIngistracy, and the protection they afforded to life and property daring the Chartist disturbances ; and which was conveyed in the most gratifying terms when their health was proposed. II. THOMAS, Col. Cons. Twentieth Regiment. TI1E SAME TO THE 5A5tE.

Stockport, Mb November ISA,

Sir—I do myself the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, conveying to me Lord Hill's express desire, that in my answer to your letter of the 12th instant, I shall confine myself to the simple denial or (admission) required of me by that communication, omitting the words- " which, in my opinion, is a garbled report of what that gentleman did say in his speech at the Ashton dinner."

Having in my letter of the 9th instant, "asserted with confidence that the whole tenour of Mr. Rob)-'s speech on the occasion referred to, breathed a high spirit of loyalty to the Monarchy, and that no expression uttered by that gentleman conveyed to my mind, that the slightest disrespect, much less insult, was offered or:intended to the Queen, and that consequently there appeared no grounds for the expression of my disapprobation which would not have been wanting if sucli an impression hind been received by me ; "

Having further stated in my letter of the 14th instant, " That I did not hear the particular expressions on the occasion referred to," and quoted in the margin of your letter of the Slit instant, which in my opinion is a garbled report of what that gentleman did say in his speech at the Ashton dinner ;

I now beg to acquaint you, for the information of Lord Hill, that, with the greatest respect and submission to the Commander-in-Chief, I have nothing further to offer in explanation—nothimg to retract or admit from what I have already stated ; and I stand upon my character as a soldier, and my birthright as a gentleman, which I cannot help feeling have been reflected upon by most unmerited suspicion. 11. Tuosus, Colonel, Lieut.-Col. Commanding the 20th Regt. The A.djutant-General, Horse G uards.

SIR JOHN MACDONALD TO 3IAJOR•GENE1IAL NAPIEne

Horse Gunrds, 20th November 1839.

Sir—By Lord Hill's desire, I have the honour to communicate to you his Lordship's sentiments and decision upon a case which has lately occu'rred in the district under your command, which has occasioned his Lordship the ut- most concern, and of which the following are the facts. On Wednesday the 30th ultimo, a meeting, called " the.Conservative Asso- ciation," was assembled at Ashton-under-Lyne, at which Colonel Thomas, Major Maclean, and other officers of the Twentieth Regiment, as well as Cap- tain Ainslie of the Royal Dragoons, were present. One of the speeches spoken upon that occasion having been reported to have contained expressions insulting and disrespectful towards her Majesty., Colonel Thomas was required, by the General Commanding-in-Chief, to state whether he bad heard these expressions, and if he bad, whether he had expressed disap- probation of them. Colonel Thomas positively denies having heard these expressions, (as does Captain Ainslie also for lmnself,) but is unable to state what the expressions used by the speaker alluded to really were, or to show that their tenour was re- spectful towards her Majesty. Major Maclean and the other officers of the Twentieth Regiment who wero present, state that they " cannot vouch fur particular expressions used by Mr. Roby upon that occasion." In reference to the above facts, it is most painful to Lord Hill to observe, that, upon their own showing, Colonel Thomas and the other officers in ques- tion have placed themselves in the mortifying predicament of being obliged to confess that they lent their presence to a meeting of a strong party character, at which expressions were uttered which they are unprepared to prove the pro- priety of towards the person of their Sovereign.

In this state of a case, on every account very distressing to him, it remains. for Lord Hill but to order that you convey to Colonel Thomas, and to every other officer belonging to the forces now serving under your command, who, was present upon the above occasion, the expression of his Lordship's most. pointed and decided displeasure; reminding them that, as military servants,. they are bound to confine themselves to their military duties ; and that when they thus venture to connect themselves with any party association, under any circumstances, or upon any pretence whatsoever, they incur a heavy responsi- bility, and expose themselves to the heaviest blame.

In Colonel Thomas's first letter to the Adjutant-General upon this unplea- sant subject, he states that he was invited by this Conservative Association. " as a Member of Parliament." In reference to that part of the Colonel's statement, I have it specially in command to declare, that, whilst Lord Hill }kids to no one in respect for the privileges of a Member of Parliament, his Lordship will not suffer any officer of the Army to build his justification upon them, when he thinks fit to resort to a measure calculated to compromise the character and discipline of his profession. Lord Hill thinks it scarcely necessary to add, that the prohibition to attend party meetings, in their military capacity, (except when on duty and in aid of the civil authorities of the country,) applies to the officers of the army at large. His Lordship's final orders are, that you, on receipt hereof, or as soon there- after as may be practicable without subjecting the public service to injury or inconvenience, proceed to Ashton-under-Line, and there assemble the officers of the Twentieth Regiment, (commanding Captain Ainslie's presence likewise,) reading this letter to them, and inthnating to them that his Lordship will allow no further discussion of a subject which has already been exhausted by official correspondence, upon which no new facts can be elicited, and upon which there- fore hits opinions are settled and immutable.