COLONEL STUART KNOXsaid, that as Chatham was a large depôt, troops were constantly passing thence to Liverpool and other places in the North of England. There would not be the slightest difficulty in sending those troops to Liverpool without change of carriages; and thus a good deal of inconvenience and trouble would be saved, which would be particularly desirable in wet or very hot weather, and where women and children were concerned. He therefore begged to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is the case that on the 11th and 12th instant, detachments of troops, en route to Liverpool from Chatham, were conveyed to the Great Northern Station, King's Cross, London, by the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway; that on their arrival at King's Cross they were marched, together with their baggage, to Euston Station, and sent on to Liverpool by the London and North-Western Railway; whether, if instead of marching to Euston Station, they had been forwarded to Liverpool from King's Cross by the Great Northern Railway, they would have performed the journey without change of carriage or transhipment of baggage for the same fares as by the London and North-Western Railway; and whether he does not think that such arrangements imposed upon the troops unnecessary trouble and inconvenience?
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTON, in reply, said, he hoped his answer would show his hon. and gallant Friend that this was a case in which no very great inconvenience was involved. The facts had been correctly stated in the question, and it was also no doubt true that had the soldiers proceeded on from King's Cross, they would have performed the journey without change of carriages. There would, however, have been inconvenience in so doing, because arrangements had been made with the London and North-Western Company for the conveyance of the men; and if they had been sent by the Great Northern there would have been a loss in this respect, that the men would have travelled a greater number of miles, and would therefore have been entitled to a larger travelling allowance. He hoped his 605 hon. and gallant Friend would not think it worth while to incur a heavier expense in order to save the men marching a distance of about half a mile or so from one station to the other.