HC Deb 07 July 1884 vol 290 cc205-6
DR. CAMERON

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is true that he has been handed a Letter from a retired Officer in the Indian Army, stating that at a regimental dinner given by the Officers of the Staffordshire Yeomanry at Lichfield last year, the Bishop, Dean, and one of the Canons of Lichfield were pelted with oranges, and obliged to retire from the room under the escort of the Colonel, and that at the Yeomanry Ball, during the previous year's training, one of the Officers introduced several women of the town, and that, in consequence, a number of respectable town and country gentry left the room; and, if so, whether, in view of such accusations, he will order the investigation into the conduct of the regiment during training to embrace the specific allegations made by the Officer in question?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

The letter referred to in the hon. Member's Question was forwarded to me by the hon. Member himself a few days ago. I have made inquiries as to the allegations contained in the letter, and I find that there is no foundation whatever for them. As to the first part of the Question, the Bishop of Lichfield has personally informed Lord Morley that he has never attended a dinner given by the officers of the Staffordshire Yeomanry. The Dean has written a letter to one of the senior officers of the regiment which I cannot do better than read to the House— I hasten to answer your inquiry. It is utterly untrue that I have ever been insulted at any Yeomanry dinner that I have attended, whether at Lichfield or elsewhere. I, as Dean of Lichfield, was present at a dinner given last year by the officers of the Staffordshire Yeomanry at Lichfield. But it is absolutely false that either on that or any other occasion I was pelted with oranges and obliged to leave the room under an escort. On the contrary, I have always been received with marked kindness and respect on such occasions. As to the second part of the Question, I am informed that there has been no Yeomanry ball at Lichfield for a great many years. I am sure that the House will support me when I say that I cannot too strongly express my opinion cm the conduct of the writer of this letter, who, I am sorry to learn, is a retired officer of the Indian Army. He has recklessly brought these grave charges against the officers of a distinguished regiment on hearsay evidence, apparently without taking any steps to verify the reports which reached him. Under the circumstances, I see no cause for extending the inquiry to previous transactions. The Report of the Court of Inquiry appointed to investigate the recent occurrence at Lichfield has been received, and has been under the consideration of the Military Authorities. The necessary orders will be immediately issued upon it; but until they have been communicated to the General Officer Commanding the District, and the officer commanding the regiment, it would not be proper that they should be made public.