§ COLONEL SYKESsaid, he rose to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether orders have been sent to India to reduce one troop in each or any of the regiments of European Cavalry on Service in India; and, if so, on what grounds?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, in reply, that on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for India it had been decided that a reduction should be made in the strength of the English Cavalry regiments serving in India. The ordinary strength of a cavalry regiment was eight troops. Up to the present time, however, it had been usual for a regiment serving in India to have nine troops—eight in India, and one depôt troop at home. It had been thought that the best method of 64 reducing the strength of the Indian regiments was to reduce one troop in each cavalry regiment, thus making them of the same strength as the cavalry regiments at home.