§ MR. DEASEasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether any advertisements were published in the local or other papers with regard to supplies for the Queen's County Militia Regiment during the forthcoming training; and, whether the District Commissary General was justified in withholding information from those who desired to send in tenders, and in ignoring their letters?
MR. GATHORNE HARDYNo advertisements were published in the local or other papers. The Commissary of Supplies, under the orders of the District Commissary General, called for tenders, as in former years, from those who had previously supplied the regiment in a satisfactory manner, and these tenders were submitted to the War Office on the 1425 30th of March, and sanctioned on the 4th April. After the transmission of the tenders to the War Office, a Mr. Mercier applied to the District Commissary General on the 3rd April for tenders, but was informed that a contract had been already entered into for supplies. Mr. Mercier wrote again on the 5th April stating that he had applied also last year, but unfortunately the application not having been registered was overlooked. He was, however, informed that care should be taken in future to send tenders to his address. I regret that in this case the regulations requiring tenders to be invited by public advertisement were not acted upon, and I have given instruction that they shall invariably be adhered to for the future, unless time does not admit, or the supplies are too trifling to make it worth while.