LIFE OF LORD REDESDALE
ing morning, when the motion was defeated by a majority
of 96.
The difficulties that surrounded the Irish Administra-
tion were, in a great measure, the result of the unsatis-
factory relations that existed between the civil and the
military authorities in Ireland. Lord Hardwicke had fore-
seen that this would be an awkward and dehcate matter
when he accepted office, and the result had more than
justified his apprehensions. The question resolved itself
into whether the Lord Lieutenant was to be the supreme
authority, over the military as well as over the civil
departments, or whether the Commander-in-Chief of the
Forces in Ireland was to take his instructions straight from
Whitehall and not through Dublin Castle. The Com-
mander-in-Chief had declined to recognize the right of
the Viceroy to be the channel by which his orders were
to be communicated to his subordinates; the Viceroy, on
his side, looked upon this attitude as an insult to his office,
which lowered his prestige in the country and exposed
him to insults and humiliations. The recent insurrection
had brought matters to a climax. It was the firm belief
of the Castle officials that the disaster was solely due to
military incompetence and neglect, and that it would not
have happened if Lord Hardwicke, by virtue of his office,
had had supreme control. That the Governor-General
should be kept in ignorance of the military plans for defend-
ing the country at a critical time; that regiments should be
withdrawn without his consent; that all ammunition should
be removed from the seat of civil government without
his knowledge; that his requests for information regarding
the war preparations in the various depots should be ignored
by those to whom they were addressed—to quote a few
cases among many—were generally considered as too in-
141