§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked the Secretary of State for India, Whether any communication has been made to Colonel Burrows, either by the Government of India or by the India Office, informing him of the grounds on which the Governor General in Council refused to adopt the recommendation of the Governor of Bombay in Council that Colonel Burrows should be permitted to return to his permanent brigade; and, whether this decision was arrived at after any investigation at which Colonel Burrows was called upon for an explanation or defence; and, if not, whether an opportunity will be given to Colonel Burrows to defend himself against the charges made against him which are at present anonymous?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, in December last the Government of Bombay were told by the Government of India that the Governor General in Council could not agree to the proposal of the Bombay Government that Brigadier General Burrows should be permitted to revert to his permanent brigade command, as, though his personal courage and gallantry were fully admitted, the Viceroy in Council was of opinion that the Brigadier General did not exhibit that degree of military capacity which would justify his being again intrusted with responsible military command. This must have been communicated to Colonel Burrows, as he appealed against the decision. That appeal was answered by the Government of India on the 2nd of May, 1881; and the Government of Bombay was informed that the previous decision was arrived at after very full and deliberate consideration of all the circumstances of the case, and the Governor General in Council was unable to depart from it. This was forwarded to the Commander in Chief of the Bombay Army for communication to Colonel Burrows. So far as is known here, there are no anonymous charges against Colonel Burrows. The Govern- 1384 ment of India, after a careful review of the facts of the case, came to a deliberate conclusion that it would not be to the advantage of the Public Service to again in trust Colonel Burrows with important military command. As being responsible, in the first degree, for the security of Her Majesty's Indian Dominions, they had no other course than to act on the judgment they had formed on the whole matter.