§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state the cost of maintenance and other expenditure of the detachment of Seaforth Highlanders which lately visited the Island of Lewis for the purpose of obtaining recruits, during the time they were in the Island, the cost of transporting them to and from the head-quarters of their regiment, the number of recruits they succeeded in enlisting, and how many such recruits were under age?
§ * THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN,) Stirling, &c.The total extra cost involved in sending a detachment of the Seaforth Highlanders to the Island of Lewis was about £300. The presence of the detachment appears to have given satisfaction to the inhabitants. The actual results obtained were disappointing, only six recruits having been on-listed, but the circumstances were in many respects unfavourable, the weather especially being bad; and the enlistments effected during the actual sojourn of a corps in any district are not a test of the result so much as the after-effect on recruiting. It is too early to form an opinion as to the full results. None of those enlisted are under age.