§ DR. TANNER (Cork Co., Mid)asked the Secretary of State for War, If he can state the stations that the various detachments of the Sutherland and Argyll Regiment were collected from, 10 and the strength of the respective detachments on the occasion of the recent transfer of the regiment from the Cork District to the Curragh; if the regiment, in being transferred a distance by rail of about 150 miles, was sent to Queenstown by rail, thence to Kingstown in H.M.S. Assistance by sea, a distance of over 200 miles, thence by rail to Dublin, and then re-transferred to another line of railway to the Curragh (back towards Cork) a distance of about 40 miles; what would have been the approximate expense of transport direct of the regiment from Cork to Newbridge by rail, and what was the actual expense incurred in this transfer by rail to Queenstown, by ship to Kingstown (including coal and free rations to the regiment for the day's voyage), by rail between Kingstown and Dublin, and Dublin and New-bridge; and, whether he can state why the direct railway route was not made use of on this occasion?
§ THE SECRETARY or STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle) ,in reply said, he was informed that, this battalion came from Cork and Youghal. The expense of sending the troops in question direct by rail from Cork to the Curragh would have been £459 8s. 6d.; whereas the expense of transferring them by the route adopted was —162 10s. 8d., showing a balance in favour of the route selected of £296 17s. 10d. In this estimate nothing is allowed for the expense of H.M.S. Assistance, inasmuch as it would have had to proceed from Kingstown to Dublin in any case.