HC Deb 15 May 1888 vol 326 cc444-5
SIR JOHN KENNAWAY (Devon, Honiton)

said, the subject to which the Motion of which he had given Notice referred was brought forward in "another place" last Session by the Bishop of Lichfield in regard to certain practices which were said to prevail in India with the sanction of the Military Authorities there. Those practices were very justly obnoxious to the moral sense of this country, and when brought to the knowledge of the public at home no Government of any sort could defend them. But the full fads were not arrived at; and as time was going on, and believing that Her Majesty's Government were thoroughly honest in their intention to deal with the matter, He determined to put the Motion down a few weeks ago with a view of assisting the Government, and because he thought the matter should not be left indefinitely in abeyance. He did so with great reluctance, for the subject was a painful one for discussion, and to be avoided if possible. He had always been unwilling to bring it forward, and now was happy to say that after the answer given by the hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary of State for India (Sir John Gorst) on the previous night it was no longer necessary for him to do so. It was a frank and straightforward statement that the regimental system would be absolutely stopped, and that he had been directed by the noble Viscount the Secretary of State for India (Viscount Cross)—who,be Sir John Kennaway) felt sure, was quite earnest in the matter—to state that he had prohibited women from accompanying regiments on the march and from residing in the regimental cantonments, and that orders were on the way to stop anything like licensed prostitution. Under these circumstances, a debt of gratitude was due to the Government for the way in which they had dealt with the matter, a difficult one to deal with in the circumstances under which a large Army was kept together in India. After the satisfactory answer given it was no longer necessary to bring his Motion before the House.