§ SIR ALEXANDER GORDONasked the Secretary of State for War, If he will state the numbers of the regiments to which the three men belonged who died at Aldershot of sunstroke the other day, in consequence of those regiments "hurrying the pace" in their anxiety to get back to their lines; if he will cause the commanding officers of those regiments to be reminded that anxiety to get back to luncheon or dinner does not justify them in setting aside the General Orders with respect to "marching" which have long been in existence for the safety and well-being of the troops; and, whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a Return showing, by regiments, the total number of men who fell out of the ranks on the 4th of July? He also wished to ask, Whether it is true that no less than six deaths have now occurred?
§ MR. CHILDERSNo, Sir; it is not true. In reply to the Question of which my hon. and gallant Friend has given Notice, I have to state that two of the three men who died of sunstroke on the 4th instant belonged to the 1st Battalion of the Royal West Surrey Regiment (the Queen's), and one to the 3rd or Militia Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment. Of these three men, two were, as I stated the other day, found on the 507 inquest to be predisposed to sunstroke, by habit of body the instructions issued last Tuesday about exercising the troops in hot weather give, in the opinion of the Commander-in-Chief, a sufficient warning to commanding officers. With reference to the last part of the Question, I see no occasion to give this detailed Return, which would be of no practical value to the House. If my hon. and gallant Friend will call on me, he is welcome to see the Returns.