AND THE DUKES OF BICEMOND. 119 



A satisfactory reply was received from Earl Grey, 

 but the Marquis of Londonderry "deprecated the 

 recent prostitution of rewards which had taken 

 place," and which he denounced as having been 

 "squeezed out of the Government." The Duke of 

 Richmond rose to reply in the following words : 

 " I will now move for a return of those officers, 

 and soldiers, and sailors, who are to receive this 

 medal ; I do this to place myself right with regard 

 to the orders of your Lordships' House. After the 

 attack which had been made by the noble and gallant 

 Marquis of Londonderry, I trust your Lordships will 

 permit me to answer that attack. 



" He says that these rewards, these medals, are 

 prostituted, that is, prostitution of these medals to 

 the officers who are not field-officers, the sergeants, 

 the private soldiers who fought in these numerous 

 battles in the Peninsula ; the men who led the 

 forlorn hope at Badajoz, Ciudad Rodrigo, and St. 

 Sebastian ; the men who fought in these great sea 

 battles, to which we shall ever look back with pride, 

 in the history of our country. 



" Prostitution, forsooth ! Prostitution of those 

 medals to the soldiers who gained for the noble 

 Marquis the medals for the actions in the Peninsula 

 which he wears, and with which he is decorated. 



" I say that the noble Marquis and the officers who 

 commanded regiments, were justly entitled to their 



