HC Deb 28 October 1908 vol 195 cc265-7
SIR J. JARDINE (Roxburghshire)

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India, whether, since the arrival of the Gordon Highlanders at Fort William in February, they have had the use of the Government church in the fort for the purposes of divine services according to the rites of the Church of Scotland, and on what conditions as to licence from the authorities of the Church of England; and whether they were allowed to celebrate the Lord's Supper and the ordinance of baptism in that building according to Presbyterian rites.

THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. BUCHANAN,) Perthshire, E.

The General Officer Commanding applied to the Metropolitan for the use of the consecrated church in the fort for parade services during the hot weather, and this was agreed to. The application did not extend to services other than parade services, which are held in St. Andrew's Church.

SIR J. JARDINE

Have the Gordon Highlanders gained anything in regard to being allowed to celebrate religious rites through the action of hon. Members?

MR. BUCHANAN

I have stated what ecclesiastical privileges they have at this moment, and I must leave the hon. Member to form his own conclusion.

SIR J. JARDINE

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India if he can state approximately whether any expenses payable out of the revenues of India were incurred as to provision of a temporary building at Jullundhar in which to solemnize the Lord's Supper according to the rites of the Church of Scotland, and as to the removal of the Gordon Highlanders to Fort William, Calcutta, after the decision of the Bishop of Lahore regarding the use of the Jullundhar cantonment church; and whether the authorities of the Church of Scotland made any proposal for removing the Gordon Highlanders from Jullundhar.

MR. BUCHANAN

The answer to the first Question is in the negative. The expenditure on the whole journey from Peshawar to Calcutta was £1,770. The authorities of the Church of Scotland did not suggest that the regiment should be moved from Jullundhar to Calcutta.

SIR J. JARDINE

As regards the temporary building, may I ask—

MR. BUCHANAN

The temporary building was never erected.

MR. GULLAND (Dumfries Burghs)

Has any new development arisen in regard to the general question of Presbyterian services for the Army in India?

MR. BUCHANAN

I do not think I had better say anything about new developments.