§ SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOTasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he had seen the following statement in The Times of to-day:—
The 53rd Regiment, stationed at Chatham, has been ordered to be brought up to its full strength. It is one of the first regiments to embark for foreign service. The regiment was about 400 below the strength, and to fill up the majority of the vacancies, a party of volunteers from the 1st Battalion 14th Regiment, at Portland, and another batch of about 190 from the 52nd, at Chatham, have joined the regiment;and whether that statement was not in opposition to the statement made by the 373 right hon. Gentleman in bringing forward the Army Estimates?
§ MR. CHILDERSsaid, that, not having seen the statement, he could not answer the Question off-hand; but he might explain that it was necessary to take the course referred to in the meantime in order to make up the strength of the First Army Corps, and that it was not inconsistent with what he had said as to the operation of the new system when it was once established.