§ MR. NOELsaid, that it was stated in General Orders, dated the 26th of April, "that passages would be provided for the horses of brevet officers and staff officers who might be required to rejoin their regiments either on embarkation or on the abolition of their appointments." It also stated, "that it was doubtful whether claims for compensation for lost or injured horses would be favourably considered," the commander of the forces recommending to all such officers to dispose of their horses by any means in their power. He wished, therefore, to ask the hon. Under Secretary for War 328 whether, as many officers in the Crimea had been ordered from their regiments and called upon to do duty on the staff, while others had acted as field-officers with their regiments during the absence of the colonels doing duty as brigadiers, and had consequently been obliged at considerable expense to purchase chargers for the duties entailed on them, the Government intended to make any compensation to such officers for the great loss they must sustain by the sudden sale of those horses in the Crimea; or, whether they would convey, free of expense to the officer, those chargers purchased for special duty to such stations as their respective regiments might be ordered to?
§ MR. FREDERICK PEELsaid, in reply, that the general order recommending the officers in the Crimea to dispose of their horses had not yet come officially under the notice of the War Department; but he found that it drew a distinction between the two classes of horses—the horses for riding and baggage animals. The baggage animals were purchased by the Government, and as regarded them, he did not think the Government were bound to provide for their transport home. With regard to riding horses, it seemed to him that the case was less clear against the officers. If an officer was placed on the staff, and required to purchase horses out of his own resources, he was entitled, upon the discontinuance of the staff appointment, to receive something, either in compensation for the horses, or for the purpose of transporting them home. He was not prepared to give a definitive answer on the subject, but it should receive due consideration.
§ SIR DE LACY EVANSsaid, he would recommend that a telegraphic message should be sent to the Crimea, relative to the inquiry that had just been made; otherwise he should take the liberty of drawing the attention of the House to the situation of the officers.
§ MR. FREDERICK PEELsaid, that a telegraphic message had already been sent on the subject.