§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether any measures have been taken during the past few years to induce the feudatory Chiefs and Princes of India to reduce their armies from 350,000 men and 4,000 guns to a more reasonable number, so that a larger share of their revenues might thereby be diverted from expenses of military display to the internal development of their States; and, if so, whether the Government of India have been able to devise any means for utilizing the forces thus reduced towards the general defence of the Empire?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)The Secretary of State has no official information on the subject; but is aware that the question of the utilization of the armaments and military resources of the Native States has engaged, and is engaging, the attention of the Government of India.