§ LORD STRATHNAIRNasked, Whether, as the Committee on Army Organization, over which Lord Airey presided, was a purely Special and not a Departmental one, and composed exclusively of military officers of high standing and great experience,
In order that by their advice steps might be taken to remedy the practical defects which are found to have occurred in Lord Card-well's schemes,Her Majesty's Government were not of opinion that the Reports of this Committee should be presented to Parliament before the Army Estimates were presented or any new military reforms were suggested?
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, that at a late hour that afternoon he received Notice 1478 of the noble and gallant Lord's Question, and though he was not in the Department of the Government to which the inquiry ought properly to be addressed, he thought he could give a proper answer to it. As had been before explained, the Report was one of a Committee appointed to consider a particular question with the view of affording information on it to the Secretary of State for War. The Committee had made a very valuable Report, which was not yet printed in its entirety; but it would be laid before Parliament, so that it should be in the hands of the Members of both Houses on the morning after his right hon. Friend made his Statement in introducing the Army Estimates.