COLONEL NORTHsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether any decision has been arrived at by the War Department and Treasury as to the payment of Rates and Taxes by Officers of the Army occupying Government Houses in the performance of their duties?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, in reply, that no decision had yet been arrived at. It was a question in which the Admiralty were at least as much interested as the War Department, and it had been intended that the hon. Member for Halifax (Mr. Stansfeld) should confer with some officer of the War Department with a view to forwarding a joint recommendation to 2051 the Treasury. In consequence of recent changes at the Admiralty that conference had not taken place, but he hoped that some arrangement would be made in a short time.
COLONEL NORTHsaid, he would give notice that he should take an early opportunity of moving an Address to the Crown praying that all Officers of Chelsea Hospital should be exempted from the payment of rates and taxes charged upon them for their residence in the Hospital for the due performance of their duties.