Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/18

 XiV PREFACE TO THE PRESENT EDITION authority, and open to all the world, had not, as it chanced, been included amongst the things known to my critic. The reply was so plainly decisive, that till now I have gladly abstained from adding a word of my own ; but in this place perhaps there should once more be mentioned the proof — already adduced by ' Amicus ' — on which I based my account of a strange constitutional usage continued down to our times. The proof is none other than evidence given by the late Lord Hardinge in 1855, whilst Commander- in-Chief at the Horse Guards — the very officer who had signed the transferring Letter in question ; and if anything more were wanting to show the full weight of authority with which he delivered his statement, I might say that he had prepared him- self beforehand for the task of enlightening his hearers on this special subject, and accordingly had not only drawn from the archives of his Office full knowledge of what his predecessors had done in earlier years, but had brought down with him, to lay before the Committee, a copy of the words, handing over the appointed Commander to the guidance of ' Her Majesty's Ministers.' The Committee reported Lord Hardinge's evidence in these words : — ' The Chairman : When a commanding officer is appointed to the command of an expedition such