MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether, after considerable preparations had been made for the celebration of Her Majesty's birthday on the 24th May at Southsea, the general in command of the troops, in consequence of the falling of a slight shower of rain, ordered the flag to be hauled down and the parade to be cancelled; whether he can say if the parade was thus cancelled in consequence of an apprehension of the damage that might have been done, either to the men's uniforms or to their arms By rain; and, if not, what the reason was for the cancelling of the parade and the disappointment of the numerous spectators who had come by train and otherwise to see it; and, whether he is aware that, in spite of the rain, a detachment from H.M.S. "Excellent," of 900 officers and men, with six field guns, came to and 181 remained on the ground, re-hoisted the flag, went through various evolutions, fired a fen de joie, and returned to H.M.S. "Excellent."
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe Queen's Birthday parade was countermanded in view of heavy rain falling at the time when the troops were parading. At 11.20 the rain ceased, but owing to the distribution of the troops in widely separate quarters it would then have been impossible to effect a concentration in time.