§ MR. KING (Hull, Central)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India, in relation to Orders which were issued by the Indian Government on the disbandment or conversion of certain regiments in India that the mess and band funds of the regiments mustered out of service should be handed over to the newly-constituted or substituted regiments without compensation, and to the statement made in this House last year by the Under Secretary of State that there appeared to have been some irregularity, and that the Secretary of State had called for a Report, whether such Report has been received, and whether he will lay it upon the Table of the House; whether the Secretary of State is aware that, in the Orders lately issued for the conversion of the 30th and 31st Madras Infantry, the "band, mess, colours, and other regimental properties" belonging to the officers of these regiments have been ordered to be handed over to the "newly-constituted" regiments, without compensation to the officers of the old regiments; and whether the Secretary of State is aware that in similar cases in the British Service the highest military authority has invariably recognised the right of the officers of a disbanded regiment to the property in their mess and band funds?
MR. CURZONNo, Sir; the Report of the Government of India has not been received. A despatch was sent to them in July, and another to remind them of the matter in February of this year. Till the reply is received, the Secretary of State is not in a position to express an opinion. As regards the 1088 30th and 31st Madras Infantry, the General Order says that the mess, band, and other property of the regiments, together with the colours, will remain with the regiments as re-constituted. The answer to the third paragraph will no doubt be given in reply to the question on the subject addressed by the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for War.
§ MR. KINGI beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office what is the recognised rule or custom in the British Army with regard to the disposal of the mess, band, and other officers' funds of a regiment which is disbanded or re-constituted; and whether His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief has officially declared that these funds were the private property of the officers, and that it was never thought desirable or advisable for the authorities to interfere with their disposal?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordThere has been no recent case of a British regiment being disbanded; and His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief does not remember making the official declaration attributed to him. At the same time, the practice has been to regard the mess and band funds of a corps as its private property.