HC Deb 05 March 1883 vol 276 cc1416-7
MR. BIGGAR

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is a fact that the Junior Major (Johnston) of the Antrim Artillery is the same person who, when a Captain in that Regiment, formed one of a party that went to the hotel for the purpose of making an attack upon one of the Officers (Major Craig) who had rendered himself obnoxious to him because of his devotion to religious matters; whether a serious breach of the peace was prevented by the intervention of two other members of the Regiment; whether, in consequence of the noise and disturbance upon that occasion, the police were not placed opposite to the hotel; and, whether he, under these circumstances, has approved of the promotion of Major Johnston?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

Sir, I have made inquiries into this matter, and I find that nothing is known at the War Office of the circumstances referred to in the hon. Member's Question, and to which no date is attached. The General Officer commanding the Forces in Ireland, who has been communicated with, reports that the records of the regiment in his office have been searched from the date of Major Johnston's appointment as captain in February, 1873, to the date of his promotion in June, 1881, and that they contain no trace of the alleged occurrence. Major Johnston's promotion was approved after he had been strongly recommended by the district authorities and the General Officer commanding the Forces in Ireland. This is all the official information which I have received; but the following telegram has just been received from Lieutenant-Colonel Craig with reference to this matter:— A practical joke happened nine years ago. I did not think the affair of sufficient importance to report it officially. Major Johnston has also written to his commanding officer to say that he was not one of the party who took part in the joke. I think the House will consider that it was scarcely worth while to have disinterred this incident, which took place nine years ago, for the purpose of throwing discredit on an officer who was not concerned in it.