§ MR. R. MCGHEE (Louth, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that John Taaffe, who joined the I Battery, 4th Brigade, Royal Artillery, while preparing for the celebration of the Queen's Birthday in 1884, being No. 5 of the gun, got his eyes severely injured by a piece of the lighted wadding which after the discharge was blown back into them; that he had to remain in the Military Hospital at Maryhill for two months without improvement, and was afterwards sent to the West Regent Street Eye Infirmary, Glasgow, where he remained under the care of Professor Wolfe, by whom his sight was saved; and whether, in view of the fact that Taaffe was on 6th January, 1885, discharged from the service without pension, notwithstanding that his character was marked "very good," he will cause inquiry to be made why Taaffe, who sustained the injuries to his eyes while in service, is not allowed a pension?
§ * THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordThere is no record in this man's discharge documents of his having received any injury either on or off duty. The Queen's Birthday was, in 1884, observed on 24th May, on which day Gunner Taaffe was in hospital where he had been since 10th April. He was discharged, with just under 2 years service, on account of scrofulous ophthalmia which was attributed to constitutional causes.