§ MAJOR VAUGHAN LEEasked the Secretary of State of War, If his attention has been called to a letter in the "Times" newspaper of the 14th instant, under the signature of J. P., showing the state of our cemeteries on Cathcart's Hill and elsewhere in the Crimea; and, if he will cause steps to be taken to verify this statement, and, in the event of its being correct, he will, without delay, make arrangements to have the walls of these cemeteries repaired, and the graves and graveyards properly restored, and, for the future, have those cemeteries maintained in proper order like those of the French?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, in reply to the hon. and gallant Member, I have to state that I have always taken much interest in the subject of his Question, although officially the cemeteries are not in charge of the War Department and we have no funds from which aid could be given towards their maintenance. I find, as a matter of fact, that since the Crimean War about £7,000 has been spent upon them, and at the present time £80 a-year is allowed from Civil Votes for the salary of a custodian and for repairs. The real difficulty, which marks the difference between these cemeteries and the French graves, is that there are 10 British cemeteries at or near the places where the men fell, and that much objection would be made 20 to any plan for bringing the remains at the present time to one place as was done by the French. I believe, however, that the state of the Cathcart's Hill Cemetery is not accurately described in the letter to The Times signed "J. P.," and it is contradicted by a subsequent letter signed by two gentlemen known to me of undoubted authority, whose initials are given, and also by a report from the Consul General at Odessa, who recently visited the Crimea. I have asked the Foreign Office to instruct the Consul General at Odessa to make further and full inquiries on the subject.