§ SIR JOHN COLOMB (Yarmouth)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War to state the names of the naval bases and coaling stations at which officers of other arms of the Service previously in command have been superseded in that command by conferring upon the officers of Royal Engineers, junior to them, local rank, on the ground that important building works necessitating heavy expenditure of public money are under consideration, and that the senior officer should therefore belong to the Royal Engineers; and, further, to state to what arms of the Service the officers thus superseded in command at each place respectively belonged.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. WYNDHAM,) DoverIn order to give the information asked for by the hon. and gallant Member it will be necessary to check the seniority lists at a number of stations. I must, therefore, ask him to defer it until Thursday. May 760 I point out that questions involving considerable research on the part of the military staff at the War Office can he answered on the day of their first appearance on the paper only by withdrawing a number of officers from the work upon which they are engaged.