§ SIR CARNE RASCHI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, seeing that the 2nd Essex is under orders for the Mediterranean, that they came home in 1902 after twenty years continuous foreign service, and have only had sixteen months at home, he will arrange that battalions which have had ten years home service previous to the South African War shall go out before the Essex.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTEROwing to the present exigencies of the service more than half of the battalions of the line are required abroad, and it has accordingly been found necessary to curtail the period of home service. The claims of the various battalions who have been selected to proceed abroad have been most carefully weighed, and I am afraid that it is impossible to amend the selection without unfairness to others.