§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, as stated by the Auditor General in his Report, the authorized charge for Artillery horses purchased in England is £45, and for Cavalry £40; whether an offer was received from a Mr. Patterson, of Toronto, to land 400 to 600 suitable Canadian horses at Liverpool at a cost of £40 each; and, whether it is the fact that the cost of the horses and mules procured in Canada amounted to over £52 each, in addition to the expenses of the Committee despatched to purchase them; or, if not, what was the cost?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)The authorized charge for horses is as stated in the Question. Mr. Patterson did make the offer quoted; but the offer in itself was no guarantee that the horses would prove suitable for military requirements. As the purchase was of an experimental nature, it was considered preferable that the purchasing 1847 officers should themselves view the conditions obtaining in the Canadian markets. Including all expenses, the horses purchased in Canada have reached £54, and their ages averaged 4 11–12th years. Those bought in the United Kingdom averaged £43, with an average age of 3 9–12th years. A horse is useless for military purposes till five years old, and costs about £25 a-year for maintenance. Consequently the Canadian horses, when they become available for service, will have cost £56 each, while those of home growth will have cost £74. The Canadian horses have given great satisfaction. Pending inquiries into their cost and other circumstances, I have stopped the further purchase of Canadian horses; but my military advisers now press me to decide whether it would not be desirable to keep touch with the Canadian horse supply by purchasing from there a limited supply annually.