HC Deb 27 August 1886 vol 308 cc666-7
MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch, Hoxton)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether General Sir Redvers Buller retains his appointment as Deputy Adjutant General, or continues to hold any military office or to draw any pay for such office?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)

(who replied) said: As this Question specially concerns the War Office, perhaps the hon. Member will allow me to answer it. Sir Redvers Buller does not retain his appointment as Deputy Adjutant General; Major General Sir Edward Bulwer has already taken his place, and his appointment will be gazetted forthwith. Sir Redvers Buller does not continue to hold any military office, or to draw any pay for such office.

MR. O'KELLY (Roscommon, N.)

inquired whether Sir Redvers Buller would be in military command of the troops in his district?

MR. W. H. SMITH

The officer commanding the district will take command of the troops. Prince Edward is in command of the troops in Ireland, and a General in Cork has, I believe, command of the troops in the district.

MR. JAMES STUART

said, the right hon. Gentleman had not answered the additional part of his Question, as to whether Sir Redvers Buller was to be accompanied by a Staff; and what was the character of the force to be placed at his disposal?

MR. W. H. SMITH

I did not answer the Question because I thought the right hon. Gentleman was answered fully yesterday. After having received the assurances of right hon. Gentlemen on this Bench that Sir Redvers Buller holds a civil appointment only, I should have thought the hon. Member could hardly be in earnest in asking whether he has a Staff. He has gone to Ireland with a Secretary—a gentleman who was Secretary to the late Lord Lieutenant (the Earl of Aberdeen)—and that constitutes his Staff.

MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland a Question of which I have given him private Notice—Whether his attention has been directed to a paragraph in this morning's Times to the effect that Sir Redvers Buller was throughout yesterday engaged at the War Office with the heads of Departments arranging for the necessary force to carry out the intentions of the Government; whether Sir Redvers Buller stated to a correspondent of that paper at Euston Station that his Staff was not to be a large one; and whether he has been accompanied by a Military Secretary? I should like to know whether these statements are correct?

MR. W. H. SMITH

My right hon. Friend is asked what occurred at the War Office. He is not able to say; but it may interest him and the House to know that Sir Redvers Buller was at the War Office yesterday for precisely five minutes, taking leave of some of his friends on leaving for Ireland, and nothing of the kind which has been referred to took place. Once again I ask right hon. Gentlemen and hon. Gentlemen to believe that when statements are made from this Bench they are made in good faith; and if apocryphal statements appear in newspapers they ought not to cause the anxiety which hon. Gentlemen seem to feel.