§ MR. TREVELYAN (York, W.R., Elland)On behalf of the honourable Member for North Manchester I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been directed to the case of the widow of Samuel Mulholland, once a trooper in the 5th Dragoon Guards, who retired in 1873 on a pension of 8d. a day; whether he is aware that Mrs. Mulholland, on the death of her husband at Manchester last year, applied to the Patriotic Fund for the Widows and Orphans of Soldiers who served in the Russian War, and was re- 1137 fused relief on the plea that 450 widows stand before her on the list of candidates for relief in order of date of marriage, although Mrs. Mulholland married her late husband in 1853 (27th March), and is now 70 years of age; and, considering that the Patriotic Fund has accumulated funds, by last return amounting to about three-quarters of a million sterling, he can do anything for this widow?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. J. POWELL WILLIAMS, Birmingham, S.)The widow referred to would not be entitled to receive assistance from the Patriotic Fund under the terms of the original trust, inasmuch as that fund was subscribed for the benefit of widows and other dependents of soldiers and sailors who fell in the Crimea Campaign, or who died of wounds or disease consequent upon service in that campaign. In 1897, under a Supplementary Commission, surplus moneys of the Patriotic Fund were placed in a new general fund, to be appropriated to the widows of all men, without restriction, who had served in the Crimea Campaign. No less than 1,400 of such widows applied for relief from the new general fund, but only 400 could be granted life annuities out of the funds available. It is the case that there are 450 applicants senior to Mrs. Mulholland on the list, and some of them were married as far back as 1829.