HC Deb 17 March 1884 vol 286 cc46-9
LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

I want, with the permission of the noble Lord the Secretary of State for War, to ask him a Question of which I have not been able to give him Notice, but which, I am sure, from his position as the responsible Minister for the Army and from his knowledge of the Army, he will be able to answer without Notice, as it concerns the honour and character of a gallant officer. The Question is this—Whether it is not an invariable and immemorial rule of the British Army that any British officer on leave, who finds himself in the neighbourhood of British Forces engaged in military operations, is bound to place his services at the disposal of the officer commanding those forces? Further, whether Colonel Burnaby, acting on this invariable rule, placed his services at the disposal of General Graham; whether he received the thanks of General Graham for his services; whether he was seriously wounded; and, whether he was not intrusted by General Graham with the distinguished honour of bringing home despatches?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

I am not aware of any such rule as that referred to by the noble Lord; but I have not the least doubt that any officer on leave, finding himself in the neighbourhood of British Forces engaged in military operations, would offer his ser- vices to the officer in command. I have no knowledge of the circumstances under which Colonel Burnaby's services were accepted by General Graham; but I have not the least doubt that the military authorities out there would be very glad to avail themselves of the services of so distinguished and so able an officer as Colonel Burnaby.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

That is not the Question. What I asked was, whether Colonel Burnaby was publicly thanked by General Graham for his services; whether he was severely wounded; and whether he was intrusted with the honour of bringing home the despatches? I wish, further, to ask whether the noble Lord is aware that his Colleague, the President of the Local Government Board, stated in this House, on his own knowledge, that Colonel Burnaby was under no necessity to take part in military operations?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

I must entirely contradict that. What I said was, that Colonel Burnaby was under no military necessity to take part in the military operations by firing on the Arabs with a shot gun.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

In reply to the other Question of the noble Lord, I am only aware officially of the fact that Colonel Burnaby was wounded. I have no further knowledge respecting Colonel Burnaby other than that which I have seen in the newspapers. I do not know whether he was thanked by the General, and I do not know whether he is bringing home despatches.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

Is the noble Lord, as the Minister in this House responsible for the British Army, prepared to confirm the statement of his Colleague just made in the nature of an insult to a gallant officer? I must press for a reply to that Question.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

I do not know what the noble Lords calls the statement of my right hon. Friend.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

The statement just made—that Colonel Burnaby was under no military necessity to take part in the military operations at El Teb by firing on the Arabs with a gun.

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

I can only give an expression of my own personal opinion. I should certainly think that no British officer would be under the necessity of taking part in an action in the manner described by my right hon. Friend.

MR. ONSLOW

I should like to ask the noble Lord whether he is aware that the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Local Government Board, in his speech on Saturday, did not use the words which he just now said he used?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

I beg most emphatically to say that I did make use of those words. ["Oh, oh!"]

MR. GORST

May I be allowed to ask the President of the Local Government Board on what authority he has publicly stated in this House that Colonel Burn a by did fire on the Arabs with a shot gun?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

The noble Lord had accused the British Army of taking part in an operation the most wanton that has ever been known.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

I did not; I deny it flatly.

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

The words are to be found in all the reports of the speech which the noble Lord made on the 3rd of March. In the speech to which I allude—a very excited speech—the noble Lord said, or was reported to have said, that we had taken part in an operation the most wanton that had ever been known.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

I did not. ["Order, order!"] I did not.

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

My statement is confirmed by all the reports of what the noble Lord said in this House on Monday, March 3. In the speech to which I alluded, the noble Lord was reported to have used these words——

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

No.

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

To have used strong language in condemnation of the operations so conducted. In reply to the noble Lord, I said that I would leave him to settle that question with the gallant officer who was standing with him as a Colleague for the representation of Birmingham. The noble Lord interrupted me, and said that Colonel Burnaby was under orders when taking part in the operations in the Soudan. I, in reply to his interruption, said that I doubted that fact; and, the noble Lord having again interrupted me, I said I was not aware that Colonel Burnaby was under necessity of taking part in these operations by firing with a shot gun upon the Arabs.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

As a personal explanation—the House will allow me to contradict as strongly as I possibly can the statement of the President of the Local Government Board that I accused the British Army of having—what did he say?—that I accused the British Army of being guilty of inhuman—[Cries of "Wanton!"—operations. I did nothing of the kind. I stated in this House that nothing was due to the British Army for those operations, except the thanks of Parliament; and the parties I accused of massacre and blood-guiltiness were Her Majesty's Government.

CAPTAIN FELLOWES

I wish to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether there is any other authority except the reports in the newspapers for the statement that Colonel Burnaby fired on the Arabs with a shot gun?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE

No, Sir. I began by saying that I had not. I had not the least intention of making that statement. [Cries of"Withdraw!"] I should not have made it at all but for the interruption of the noble Lord. That statement with regard to the firing on the Arabs with the shot gun was given in much detail in all the newspapers which contained an account of the battle, and in one newspaper particulars are given as to the number of Arabs killed by Colonel Burnaby.

CAPTAIN-FELLOWES

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will let me tell him that my information is the direct contrary——

MR. SPEAKER

I beg to intimate to the hon. and gallant Member that he will not be in Order in continuing his remarks.