§ MR. COLLINSsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is the intention of the War Office to supply the Snider Rifle to all the Militia Regiments for this year's training; and, if to any, to what Regiments, and upon what principle such distribution will take place?
§ MR. CARDWELLsaid, in reply, that twenty-four regiments of Militia would be furnished with the Snider Rifle, the whole number of men so armed being 16,789. The principle on which the selection had been made was this—Those 2003 regiments had been chosen -which were either going to Alder shot or to Shorncliffe, or which within the last three years had most systematically devoted themselves to rifle practice. Four regiments were in the first category—namely, the 3rd Royal Middlesex, the 5th Royal Middlesex, the 3rd Royal Surrey, and the West Kent. Twenty regiments were in the other category—namely, the Bedford Light Infantry, the 1st Royal Cheshire Light Infantry, the 2nd Royal Chesshire, the Cornwall Rangers, the 1st Derby, the 2nd Derby Rifles, the East Essex Rifles, the East Kent, the Royal Glamorgan, the 5th Royal Lancashire, the Royal North Lincoln, the Royal Monmouth Light Infantry, the Royal Radnor, the Royal Wiltshire, the Worcester, the Royal Aberdeen Highlanders, the Queen's Edinburgh Light Infantry, the Inverness Highland Light Infantry, the Royal Perth Rifles, and the Ross Highland Rifles.