§ GENERAL FRASER (Lambeth, N.)asked the Secretary of State for War, in view of his statement on the reduction of the Horse Artillery in 1887, that no batteries of the Second Army Corps would be drawn upon for the First Army Corps, whether the attenuated service batteries of Horse Artillery at Home, including the First Army Corps batteries, had lately been called upon to furnish men for the Indian Horse Artillery drafts despatched in February; if so, in what numbers; and, if so, in what manner and from what source the vacancies thus caused in the First Army Corps batteries had been filled up?
*MR. STANHOPEYes, Sir. It has been found necessary to draw upon the service batteries of Horse Artillery at home to furnish drafts for India in consequence of abnormal demands for men to complete batteries in India. By an unfortunate coincidence of time we are losing at once men engaged for periods of eight and of seven years. The vacancies thus caused are in course of being filled up by recruits, by gunners from the Garrison Artillery depots, and by drivers from the Field Artillery depots. The batteries will be completed very shortly.