§ MAJOR DICKSONasked the Secretary of State for War, If he would be good enough to inform the House of the grounds on which the officers of the 84th Regiment, who received the usual detention allowance of 5s. a-day upon the closing of the mess when the regiment was under orders to proceed from Jamaica to Halifax, are now called upon to refund a portion of that allowance?
§ SIR HENRY STORKSSir, by the regulations of the service, when a regimental mess is closed the officers, if unable to avail themselves of another mess, are entitled to an allowance of 5s. each per diem. In the case of the 84th Regiment, the mess was not closed practically, as the officers continued to use the mess-room and to draw fuel, light, rations, &c., hiring furniture from Kingston, the only expense they were put to. Under these circumstances, half the usual allowance was granted to cover the extra expense incurred in consequence of the want of their own furniture.