§ MR. ONSLOWasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he could now state if it is proposed to move a Vote of Thanks to Admiral Hewett and General Graham, and Officers and Men under their command, for the recent operations on the Red Sea littoral; and, what rewards, if any, are to be given to these Officers?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONHer Majesty's Government have very carefully considered the precedents bearing upon this question. The decision of whether or not the Thanks of Parliament should be given to troops engaged in military operations does not appear to have depended entirely on 1314 either the success of the campaign or on the severity of the fighting which occurred. Her Majesty's Government, and, I am sure, Parliament also, most entirely appreciate the ability which has been displayed by General Graham and Admiral Hewett in the conduct of these operations, and also the courage and high military qualities which have been exhibited by the officers and men under their command, as well as the success which they achieved. It would be a subject of very great regret to the Government if the answer I have to give to the Question of the hon. Member should be supposed for a moment to imply any doubt whatever on our part on that point; but it appears to us that to move a formal Vote of Thanks for that expedition, which cannot be considered as an independent operation, but rather as an incident in the military occupation of Egypt, would be to give an extension to the practice beyond former precedents, which we should not consider desirable. In answer to the last part of the Question, with regard to the rewards to be conferred on the officers and men in connection with the expedition, the subject is still under consideration, and the decision of the Government will shortly be announced.
§ MR. ONSLOWasked whether the Government did not look upon the recent campaign in the Soudan as a separate transaction in no way connected with the operations undertaken by Lord Wolseley at the time of Tel-el-Kebir?