§ LORD WAVENEYsaid, that in consequence of the revolt of the Thakor of 12 Bidasir and other Chiefs against the Maharajah of Bikanir the attention of the Indian Government had for some 18 months been called to the disturbed state of the districts in question, and alarm had been created on our frontier. The Indian Government at length sent out a force for the purpose of restoring order and arranging matters between the recalcitrant Chiefs and the Maharajah. A small contingent of the Maharajah's men accompanied the troops, and the surrender of one of the forts, held by 3,000 resolute men, was effected. That he took to be an exploit creditable to the force and useful to the Government of India, as it enabled them to show that there was at their command a force of military police capable of maintaining order on our frontier and within our frontier. The troops started from their base of operations on the 16th of December, 1883, and the fort was surrendered on the 25th of that month. It struck him that it was one of those operations which did more to impress upon the Indian mind the power of the British arms than larger and more ambitious operations. The first Question he had to ask the noble Lord the Secretary of State for India was, whether any Report had been transmitted by the Indian Government of the operations of the Bikanir Field Force, 16th December, 1883, which resulted in the surrender of the Thakor of Bidasir and other Chiefs in revolt against His Highness the Maharajah of Bikanir and the capture of the strong force of Bidasir on 25th December, 1883? He knew the rule of the Service was that if an officer commanding in the field did not think a particular action of sufficient importance to make a special report upon it, it did not become the subject of special notice. But in India it must have a most unfortunate tendency if any action creditable to the force engaged should be overlooked, instead of having a mark of honour against the name of every man who took part in it. His second Question was, whether it was not desirable that all operations in the Field should be communicated by the Indian Department to the War Office and Horse Guards for the information of the military authorities at home, and for record of war services of officers of Her Majesty's Forces, British and Indian?
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, he was sorry to say that he was not aware of any omission in this case until his noble Friend called his attention to it. It was the invariable rule and practice that information of any movement sent home from India was at once communicated to the War Office; but in this case unfortunately, through some oversight, that was not done. The facts were correctly stated by the noble Lord. It appeared that there was a rebellion against the Ruler of Bikanir, and he, being unable to suppress it, applied to the Indian Government, which sent to his assistance 1,800 men, under the command of General Gillespie. They marched into the country, and he was happy to say that there was no bloodshed whatever, and that the troops were not called upon to act beyond blowing up some forts which surrendered. That was the whole, the beginning, and the end of it. He had no desire to depreciate the service rendered by General Gillespie. He might say that the authorities at Bombay had expressed their entire satisfaction with the conduct of the expedition. Colonel Pottinger, Military Secretary to the Government of Bombay, in forwarding (17th January, 1884) to the Government of India a letter from the Quartermaster General respecting the operations of the Bikanir Field Force, states—
I am to express the satisfaction of his Excellency the Governor in Council with the judicious and complete arrangements made under the orders of his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief and the Lieutenant General commanding the Mhow division for the service required by the Government of India, whereby success was assured and every precaution taken for the efficiency and health of the troops engaged.The Quartermaster General of the Bombay Army, in the communication referred to, says—The Commander-in-Chief desires me to express his Excellency's entire satisfaction with the management of the expedition, which was carried out ably and judiciously by Brigadier General Gillespie. General Hardinge has read with pleasure the favourable report on Lieutenant Coles, R.E., and is glad to record that the conduct and health of the troops were all that could be desired.