COLONEL NORTHsaid, he would now beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, If the whole of the increased expense caused by the new Brigade of Horse Artillery is to be borne by the Home Government, or to be shared with the Indian Government; and whether it is intended that this augmentation shall absorb one of the Supernumerary Colonels Commandant of the late Indian Artillery?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, in reply, that while the new Brigade of Horse Artillery was in this country the whole expense would fall on the Imperial revenue. But he wished to explain that what had taken place on this subject was not so much the formation of a new brigade as the division of the old brigade, consisting of ten batteries, into two brigades of five batteries each. This alteration was rendered necessary in order to supply the relief of four brigades of Horse Artillery in India. The additional expense which was incurred by the appointment of commissioned officers and noncommissioned officers had been met by other reductions in the regiments of Artillery. The extra expense would, therefore, be very trifling indeed. In reply to the hon. and gallant Member's second question, he had to inform him that there were two supernumerary colonels and two supernumerary lieutenant colonels absorbed by the new arrangements on our own, and not on the Indian list.