§ SIR HARRY VERNEYasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether on the proposed Commission or Committee on this subject there ought not to be some independent Members appointed?
§ MR. CHILDERSNo, Sir; I do not think that a Committee appointed to advise the Secretary of State should be 385 constituted in this manner. There are officers whose public reputation is at stake; and as I am entirely responsible for the inquiry, I am not prepared to alter the constitution of the Commission.
§ MR. R. H. PAGETasked the Secretary of State for War whether he would afford the House an opportunity of seeing the Evidence taken before the Committee?
§ MR. HENEAGEasked whether it was intended to lay before the Committee the contract entered into by the Government with certain shipping firms for supplying the sick officers and men with provisions, and evidence as to the way in which the contract was carried out on board the Carthage?
§ MR. CHILDERSsaid, that, with reference to the last Question, the contract was not entered into by the War Office, and therefore he had no information on the subject; but he had no doubt that it would be one of the special questions before the Committee. In answer to the hon. Member for Mid Somerset, he might say that it was not the rule to undertake before a Committee's Report had been received to lay it on the Table; but he could not at this moment see any reason why in this case the Report should not be laid on the Table, and, as at present advised, that would be done.
MR. CARINGTONwished to state that in putting the Question which he had asked the Secretary of State for War earlier that day he had acted simply from a sense of duty.
§ MR. CHILDERSsaid, he knew that strong pressure from different directions had been put upon himself.