§ MR. VANDERBYLasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether the Lords of the Admiralty will be pleased to reconsider their Letter, A. G. N. 21, of the 27th November 1885, by which H.M.S. Jumna was omitted from the list of ships entitled to participate in the award of medals and gratuities for the late Suakin Campaign by Parliamentary grant, that ship having been seventeen days alongside the camp in the inner harbour of Suakin during a time of actual hostilities in the neighbourhood (and within the requisite dates), and employed embarking wounded, &c., having especial regard to the fact that in 1884, when the Jumna was similarly employed, her officers and men were granted both; and, whether, under these circumstances, the Admiralty will bestow the said medals and batta on those officers and men of the Jumna present in her at Suakin in April and May 1885 not atready in possession of the decoration or previously granted batta?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. HIBBERT)It is not considered desirable to reverse the decision arrived at by the previous Board, that the award of the medal and gratuity should be limited to warships engaged in the defence of Suakin and to store-ships and other vessels which had been employed for a lengthened period during the operations. The troopship Jumna was at Suakin on two different occasions, and only 15 days inclusive. It is true that the Jumna received the gratuity and decorations for the previous campaign in 1884; but the period of her service at the base of operations extended over nearly the whole period for which the award was made. I may also add, that it would be altogether a new principle to award medals or gratuities to some only of the crew, merely on the ground that they did not get them for the former campaign.