§ MR. GOURLEYasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If his attention has been called to a circular issued by the Egyptian War Fund Committee asking for public subscriptions for the support of the families of the killed and wounded in the late Egyptian War; and, if he would take into consideration whether provision should not be made with this object rather out of public funds than out of private charity?
MR. GLADSTONESir, it is rather difficult to answer this Question, especially in the absence of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War, with whom I have not had an opportunity of consulting. The State has certain rules of service and of remuneration for those who serve the Queen in the Army; and, with regard to cases of wounds and deaths in action, all these things are dealt with regularly and by fixed rules; and I own it appears to me, speaking for myself, to be of the greatest importance that they should be dealt with by fixed rules. I do not know much of the scheme which has been published for a public subscription in support of families; but I am by no 1859 means prepared to say, if there be occasion for such a public scheme, that it ought to be superseded by public grants. Whatever is done ought to be done by proper system and method; and unless proper system and method are provided, I do not think the State ought to interfere. The hon. Gentleman will recollect that where many lives have been lost—as, for instance, in the Crimean War—very large sums of money have been raised by public subscription for the purpose of meeting the necessities of the case; and that is a system which has been established by abundant precedents in this country.
MR. GORSTasked whether the Royal Patriotic Fund was not administered by a Royal Commission, and whether it ought not to be so administered as to make provision for the cases contemplated in the Question of the hon. Member?
MR. GLADSTONE,in reply, said, it was certainly the case that the fund was administered by a Commission created by the Crown. To the other part of the hon. and learned Member's Question, he should prefer not to give a precise answer until he should have had an opportunity of examining into the matter. He suggested that the hon. and learned Member should repeat the Question on a future day.