Sitting of 18 August 1882

Preamble
The House met at a quarter after Two of the clock.
Message to attend the LORDS COMMISSIONERS.
The House went;—and being returned;—
Mr. SPEAKER reported the Royal Assent to several Bills.

QUESTION.

  ARMY—THE GRENADIER GUARDS—CASE OF LIEUTENANT FARRER.
  MR. BIGGARasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether Lieutenant Farrer, of the Grenadier Guards, did, on the 25th day of July last, send a
  2052
  letter to his battalion commanding officer, with a request that it should be forwarded to the Secretary of State for War, and praying that he might be allowed to withdraw his resignation, or that his application to retire might not be acted upon for thirty days, in order to carry through proceedings for the annulment of his bankruptcy, which took place during his leave of absence abroad, and that no notice of the fact had been given to him; whether in that letter he set forth that his bankruptcy was entirely due to the fact that his rents on his Irish property were some years in arrear; whether this letter was approved of, and forwarded to the officer commanding the regiment by his battalion commanding officer; whether, at a subsequent date, on 1st August, he wrote a letter to his battalion commanding officer, and enclosed two documents (a statement of how the bankruptcy occurred, and a petition to be allowed to remain in the Army, on the ground that his bankruptcy did not arise from any fault of his own, and for leave to exchange into another regiment); whether his battalion commanding officer forwarded these documents to the officer commanding the regiment; whether the commanding officer of the regiment refused to forward these documents to the Commander in Chief and Secretary of State for War; whether it is the duty of any commanding officer to forward any petitions to the authorities from his subordinate officers; and, whether, under the circumstances, his case may be brought under reconsideration, and, as a sufficient opportunity has not been given him to clear himself with the Secretary of State for War, that his claim for reinstatement may be considered?
  MR. CHILDERS: Sir, the hon. Member gave me no Notice of this Question, but only put it on the Paper last night. I could not possibly, between 11 and 2 o'clock to-day, obtain information as to the details contained in the eight paragraphs of the Question; and I must, therefore, decline to answer them.
  On the Motion of The Marquess of HARTINGTON,
  House adjourned at Three o'clock till Tuesday 24th October.

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—Royal Assent—Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 71]; Civil Imprisonment (Scotland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 42]; Somersham Rectory [45 & 46 Vict. c. 81]; Bills of Sale Act (1878) Amendment [45 & 46 Vict. c. 43]; Arrears of Rent (Ireland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 47]; Entail (Scotland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 53]; Turnpike Acts Continuance [45 & 46 Vict. c. 52]; Supreme Court of Judicature (Ireland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 70]; Bombay Civil Fund [45 & 46 Vict. c. 45]; Isle of Man (Officers) 45 & 46 Vict. c. 46]; Pensions Commutation [45 & 46 Vict. c. 44]; County Courts (Costs and Salaries [45 & 46 Vict. c. 57]; Lunacy Regulation Amendment [45 & 46 Vict. c. 82]; Municipal Corporations [45 & 46 Vict. c. 50]; Poor Law Amendment [45 & 46 Vict. c. 58]; Labourers' Cottages and Allotments (Ireland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 60]; Bills of Exchange [45 & 46 Vict. c. 61]; Electric Lighting [45 & 46 Vict. c. 56]; Reserve Forces Acts Consolidation [45 & 46 Vict. c. 48]; Militia Acts

2051
Consolidation [45 & 46 Vict. c. 49]; Artizans' Dwellings [45 & 46 Vict. c. 54]; Merchant Shipping (Mercantile Marine Fund) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 55]; Government Annuities and Insurance [45 & 46 Vict. c. 51]; Educational Endowments (Scotland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 59]; Intermediate Education (Ireland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 69]; Turnpike Roads (South Wales) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 67]; Corrupt Practices (Suspension of Elections) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 68]; Passenger Vessel Licenses (Scotland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 66]; Expiring Laws Continuance [45 & 46 Vict. c. 64]; Public Works Loans [45 & 46 Vict. c. 62]; Royal Irish Constabulary [45 & 46 Vict. c. 63]; Prison Charities [45 & 46 Vict. c. 65]; Married Women's Property [45 & 46 Vict. c. 75]; Allotments [45 & 46 Vict. c. 80]; India (Home Charges Arrears) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 79]; Revenue, Friendly Societies, and National Debt [45 & 46 Vict. c. 72]; Ancient Monuments [45 & 46 Vict. c. 73]; Citation Amendment (Scotland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 77]; Merchant Shipping (Colonial Inquiries) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 76]; Parcel Post [45 & 46 Vict. c. 74]; Fishery Board (Scotland) [45 & 46 Vict. c. 78]; Wellesley Bridge (Limerick) [45 & 46 Vict. c. ccxxi].

Summary of Day
Their Lordships met;—And the ROYAL ASSENT having been given, by Commission, to several Bills,
House adjourned at Three o'clock, to Tuesday the 24th day of October next, a quarter past Four o'clock.