§ SIR JOHN LENGI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is within his knowledge that several hundreds of widows of Crimean soldiers, some of them eighty years of age and upwards, have not yet received any benefit from the Patriotic Fund, which was subscribed forty-six years ago in anticipation that such widows would be promptly benefited; and whether, in view of the arrangements now being made by the Government for the relief of the widows and orphans of the soldiers who have fallen in the present war, anything can be done for the unrelieved widows whose husbands served in the Crimean campaign.
LORD STANLEYThe Patriotic Fund was raised to assist the widows and children of those killed in action or dying on active service during the Crimean War. All widows coming within these conditions and now surviving are, so far as is known to the Commissioners, in receipt of permanent allowances. Under the extended
* See The Parliamentary Debates [Fourth Series], Vol. lxxxvi., page 1508.1188 powers given to them in 1897 the Commissioners have applied the surplus of the Fund to the relief of 936 widows of soldiers and sailors having Crimean war service who were not eligible for relief under the Commission's earlier powers. The Commissioners are, I understand, obtaining an actuarial valuation of their funds, with a view to-considering the possibility of increasing, this number. They believe, however, that the number of widows of Crimean soldiers surviving far exceeds that which they can hope to assist.
§ MR. FLAVIN (Kerry, N.)Are not the Crimean veterans in Irish workhouses, entitled to money out of this fund?
§ MR. FLAVINOh, of course the workhouse is good enough for them!