§ MR. SEELY (Lincoln)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he can state to the House how many Volunteer regiments offered their services to the Government last winter for garrison duty, and whether any were asked to undertake it and were unable to do so.
§ * MR. WYNDHAMNo Volunteer corps has been asked to undertake garrison duty. Sixteen corps offered their services for various purposes in the course of last winter, but it was not found necessary to take advantage of these patriotic offers. It is difficult to give an answer which will not mislead. Excepting regular garrison artillery at military ports, there are no fixed garrisons in this country so long as an attack on it is not apprehended. There is a certain amount of barrack accommodation, and that has been overcrowded since the beginning of the war. At this moment we have 50,000 more Regulars and Militia than we could accommodate in barracks when the camping season is over. So that it would have been impossible to accept offers from Volunteers for home service in the winter.