HC Deb 20 July 1871 vol 208 cc15-6
MR. RYLANDS

asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to fill up the post of Military Attaché at St. Petersburg, now vacant in consequence of the death of Colonel Robert Blane, C.B., by the appointment of the honourable Frederick Wellesley, a Lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards; if it is the fact that he has not served more than eight years; and, if applications for the appointment were not made by senior officers of longer experience than Lieutenant Wellesley, and who had also the advantage of being acquainted with the Russian language?

VISCOUNT ENFIELD

Sir, it is intended to fill up the post of Military Attaché at St. Petersburg, and the post has been offered to and accepted by Captain Frederick Wellesley, of the Coldstream Guards. Previous to this appointment being made, eight officers of different grades and branches of the service were "sounded" as to the probability of their accepting the post, but they all declined—one on the score of ill-health, some owing to the severity of the climate in Russia, others on the ground of the inadequacy of the pay to meet the heavy cost of living at St. Petersburg. I am informed that one application had been made for this post by an officer in the Royal Horse Guards, who stated that he was acquainted with the Russian language. Captain Wellesley has served for eight years, as stated by the hon. Member, in the Guards; has passed the necessary qualifying examination for the post of aide-de-camp; has served on the Staff of General Lord Strathnairn, who speaks in laudatory terms of his conduct as an officer and a gentleman; he has been for four years adjutant of his battalion, and is, I have every reason to believe, an accomplished linguist.

MR. RYLANDS

said, that owing to the reply of the noble Lord, he should move to strike out from the Estimates the amount of the salary of the Military Attaché at St. Petersburg.

LORD ELCHO

said, that the Question having failed to elicit the facts which he thought should be elicited, he wished to know from the noble Lord how these "soundings" were taken; how the principle of selection was applied in this case; whether Captain Wellesley was selected by the Foreign Office, and, if so, on whose recommendation; whether, if not by the Foreign Office, he was selected by the Commander-in-Chief, and, if so, whether with the sanction of the Secretary of State; and if Captain Wellesley was not selected by the Foreign Office, the Commander-in-Chief, or the Secretary of State, then by whom was the principle of selection applied here?

VISCOUNT ENFIELD

Perhaps the noble Lord would do him the usual Parliamentary courtesy of giving Notice of the Question.