§ SIR ALEXANDER GORDONasked the Secretary of State for War, If he will state to the House the reason of his having omitted from the Army Estimates for the year 1879–80 the "Detail of Regimental Establishments at Home and Abroad" which, for many years, has formed a portion of the explanatory documents printed in the Appendix to the Estimates; and, if he will repair the omission by laying upon the Table of the House such explanatory document in the form of a separate Paper?
§ COLONEL STANLEY, in reply, said, that for a great many years it was not customary to include the detail of regimental establishments at home and abroad in the Estimates; but the Department, wishing to give all the information that it possibly could, had of late years included the establishments. Owing to circumstances to which he need not then advert, some difficulty was experienced in re-adjusting the establishments at the last moment this year, and he thought it better to exclude them from the body of the Estimates rather than delay the presentation of the Estimates themselves. But he proposed either to lay on the Table what was called the Establishment Circular, which gave rather fuller details, or—what possibly would be preferable—to have a certain number of copies printed and left at the War Office for such Members as might think fit to ask for them.