EARL PERCYasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether a commanding 1636 officer of a Militia Regiment is not justified in considering an officer's receipt for forage allowance, and the fact that a horse is paraded by that officer for inspection, as sufficient a priori evidence that he keeps one, or whether a certificate to that effect is in all cases to be required?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONAlthough it may have been the custom of some commanding officers to accept the officer's receipt for forage allowance and the fact of his parading a horse as sufficient evidence that he bonâ fide possessed a horse for the public service, it is not considered that such a practice is a proper compliance with the words of the certificate, which requires the commanding officer to have had the officer's declaration that he did keep the horse. The form in which forage allowance is claimed is about to be altered, so that each officer claiming the allowance shall certify as to the facts of his own case. This will enable the commanding officer to countersign the claim on much the same evidence as he now has when forage is drawn in kind.