CAPTAIN VIVIANsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary of State for War, whether it is a fact that 170,000 pairs of boots have been sold at the Tower sales since the conclusion of the late war, and that a portion of those boots have been subsequently re-purchased by the Government and issued to the troops; also, whether it is correct that Captain Marvin, the officer appointed to inquire into the Weedon establishment, did, immediately on his arrival at Weedon, order an addition of ten clerks to the clothing establishment at that station?
GENERAL PEELsaid, he had no doubt that the first question of the hon. and gallant Gentleman arose from a statement made by his hon. and gallant Friend behind him (Colonel Boldero), who was justified by the evidence, upon which he founded himself, in making that statement. The facts, however, were that, not 170,000, but only 74,000 pairs of boots had been sold since the conclusion of the late war; that none of these had been received into store at Weedon or reissued to the troops; but that a portion of them had been purchased by Colonels of Militia and supplied to their men, and had, he believed, been found perfectly satisfactory. In answer to the second question, he had to state that, though it was not verbally correct to say that Captain Marvin appointed ten additional clerks in the clothing department, ten clerks had been added to that department just before he went to Weedon.
§ COLONEL BOLDEROsaid, as his statements had been questioned by the right hon. Secretary for War he must beg to claim for a moment the indulgence of the House. He had never stated that 170,000 pairs of boots had been sold, but that they had been made away with, and that he could not find where they had gone to. He had before him the evidence of Mr. Howell, of the War Office, who stated that the probable loss in the transaction with the Militia was about half a crown a pair.