§ COLONEL WELBY () TauntonI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Captain C J. Maxwell, whilst serving in the Royal Scots Greys, was almost mortally wounded at Nitrals Nek on 11th July, 1900; was treated by Sir W. Thompson and Dr. Stokes; sent by them to Cape Town recommended for immediate invaliding home; that an Army Medical Board, on 24th August, invalided him; that as no passage on a hospital ship was given, and no transport sailed for three weeks, he applied for a certificate for a passage on a mail steamer, was refused it, and had to pay his own way; whether he is aware that an unwounded officer returned by the same boat to take up a home appointment, having been granted a free passage; and whether he will cause the cost of the passage to be refunded to Captain Maxwell, seeing that free passages by mail steamers have been granted at the Cape to wounded and unwounded.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Lord STANLEY,) Lancashire, Westhoughton1114 The Medical Board of the 24th August reported this officer as "fit for duty on board ship"; if he had been classed as an invalid any one of the three hospital ships would have been available to convey him. A passage could have been given him in a transport proceeding home in about ten days after his arrival; he would not however await this opportunity, and proceeded home in a mail steamer at his own expense. Return passages by mail steamer are only granted on production of a medical certificate stating urgency, and this the medical authorities at Claremont Hospital, to whom he applied, did not feel justified in granting. The officer referred to in the second paragraph is presumably an officer who was sent home to take command of the 2nd battalion of his regiment. I have carefully considered Captain Maxwell's case, and am unable to consent to a refund of the cost of passage.