§ COLONEL SYKESsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether orders have been sent to the Mauritius to diminish the medical staff, although the Inspector of Hospitals has reported that in consequence of the reappearance of fever in a more virulent form than last year he needs additional 1591 assistance. The number of Men and Officers of the 86th Regiment fit for duty out of the total strength of the regiment on the 6th of May, when the mail left; and, whether the free Commissions for competition at Sandhurst for the half year have been reduced to twenty, and on what grounds?
CAPTAIN VIVIANsaid, in reply, that his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War did not contemplate any immediate reduction of the medical staff at the Mauritius. With respect to the number of men and officers fit for duty he had to stats that, on the 1st of May, 1869, there were sixteen officers and 493 men fit for duty in that place. At the Cape of Good Hope there were four officers and ninety-two men; three men were in prison, and there were two officers and twenty-one men on the sick list, making a total of twenty-two officers and 609 men. With regard to the last part of the hon. and gallant Member's Question, he had to state that the number of commissions to be competed for was settled by the exigencies of the service and the number of cadets who were prepared to compete. At the forthcoming examination that number would be reduced to twenty.