§ SIR JOHN HAYasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, in view of the precedents that the Thanks of Parliament were voted on the 28th March 1811 to Lieutenant General Thomas Graham (an officer on the Staff of the Army in the Peninsula) and those serving under his orders, being a force of 4,200 officers and men for the victory of Barossa; and, on the 12th February 1844 to Major General Charles Napier (an officer on the Staff of the Army of Bombay) and those serving under his 434 orders for victories gained at Meeanee with 2,400 men, and at Hyderabad with 5,000 men, it is the intention of Ministers to propose to Parliament to vote its Thanks to Rear Admiral Sir William Hewett, the Commander in Chief of Her Majesty's Seamen and Marines, and to Major General Sir Gerald Graham (an officer on the Staff of the Army in Egypt), and those under their orders for their distinguished services at the battles of El Teb and Tamanieb?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONThe precedents quoted by the right hon. and gallant Member are as he states them, and, no doubt, possess some points of similarity to the present case; but in arriving at the decision which I communicated to the House in reply to the Question of the hon. Member for Guild-ford (Mr. Onslow), Her Majesty's Government relied on the more recent precedents of modern times, which they considered, and still consider, should guide them in the case of the actions in which Her Majesty's troops have been recently engaged.
§ SIR JOHN HAYsaid, that on Tuesday, June 10, he proposed to give the House an opportunity of expressing its gratitude to the troops by moving a Vote of Thanks to them.
§ Subsequently,
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONasked whether the Motion of the right hon. and gallant Member would come on as a question of Privilege at half-past 4, or whether it would have to take its chance like an ordinary Motion?
§ MR. SPEAKERPrecedence would not be accorded to a Motion of the kind made by a private Member.