had now the honour to submit to the over the whole four establishments. He ! House about the same provision was made. did not say they were now altogether The number provided this year was ninety- without check; but they were not subject seven guns of different calibre. But it to such an amount of effectual check as in was his duty to state to the House that the interest of the country or even the if we were to provide adequate arma- interest of the officers themselves they ments for the fortifications we had created ought to be subject to. He should, therein this country, and in various parts of fore, very seriously consider whether the the world, we must incur a very heavy interests of the country would not be proexpenditure- an expenditure not yet pro- moted by appointing a commandant to vided for, an expenditure not yet contem- exercise control and authority over the plated. It would be idle to pretend that whole of the immense establishments at the Vote he had to submit to the House Woolwich. With respect to the cadastral to-night to provide artillery for the de- Survey, which really had nothing to do fence of this country was even intended with the Army Estimates, and concerned to provide for the requirements before rather the general interests of the country, them. He must frankly state that he be- a considerable increase was made in this lieved it would be absolutely necessary at year's Estimates. It was the intention of no distant day that the armaments for the the Government to make that survey profortifications should be made the subject ceed a little more rapidly than it had done of a distinct Estimate to the House of during the last few years, and with that Commons. He would only now advert view they had decided to add £30,000 to for a few moments to a subject on which the former Estimate, making it in all his hon. and gallant Friend opposite £118,000. He begged now to reply to a (Major Anson) intended to found a dis- question put by an hon. Member some tinct Motion. He was so confident of the time since, relative to the extension of the good object his hon. and gallant Friend provision of the Contagious Diseases Act. wished to accomplish by that Motion that The Act had been found to work beneficihe would be ready to meet him in the ally, and the Government intended to take fairest spirit he could; but he did think a Vote in these Estimates for £20,650 for that those immense manufacturing estab- the erection of a hospital. lishments at Woolwich ought to be a subject of considerable anxiety with the House. They were enormous establishments, and involved an annual expenditure one year with another of very little less than £1,000,000. These establishments were divided into four parts-the Gun Factory, the Laboratory, the Carriage Department, and the Store Department. The Laboratory alone involved an annual expenditure of very little less than £500,000. At the head of these four establishments were four men of high scientific acquirements and very high cha-Report of Lord Strathnairn. He thought racter. He did not speak of any one of them except in terms of the highest respect, both for scientific acquirements and personal character; but from the time when he undertook his present office, he must confess he had not felt satisfied that those four establishments were subject to a sufficient check and control-looking to the immense expenditure with which they were intrusted-a check such as the interests of the country appeared to require. He believed the public interest would be very much promoted if one officer of knowledge, ability, and high character were placed as the commandant

He now came to the last head to which he intended to call the attention of the Committee, which was Vote 18, for the Administration of the Army. The remaining Votes related only to the Non-effective Service, which did not call for any observation. The Vote for the Administration of the Army was £224,000, being an increase of £6,000. A portion of that increase arose from the salaries of Sir Henry Storks, £2,000, and General Balfour, £1,000, the officers lately added to the War Office, with a view to carry out the

he might say that Reform in administering the Departments of the army had been more or less a subject of public attention and anxiety ever since the Crimean War. It was during that war that the defects in our transport service and the supply Department of the War Office became manifest, and they must all remember the anxiety caused in consequence of those defects. The first occasion on which a desire was shown to alter the arrangements of the War Department was when Lord Herbert, then Mr. Sidney Herbert, laid before the Organization Commission of 1860 a scheme for the appointment of

an officer to be called the Director of Sup- | noble Lord opposite concurred generally ply. It was clearly the intention of Lord in the views which had been indicated by Herbert, in proposing the appointment of Lord De Grey. No direct steps, however, such an officer, that the supply Depart-were taken in order to carry those views ment of the Army should be placed under into effect; but in June, 1866, the noble the control of one responsible officer. In Lord opposite appointed a Committee, 1864 a Committee was appointed to con- which had since been known by the name sider the system of supply in the army, of "Lord Strathnairn's Committee," to and before the close of 1865 Lord De inquire into the subject of army transport. Grey addressed a very able letter to the That Committee soon found that it would Treasury, recommending a considerable be impossible for them to discharge their change being effected in this portion of duties properly if their inquiries were the administration of the army. In that limited to the question of army transport, letter Lord De Grey saidand they therefore asked and obtained permission to extend their inquiries into the whole subject of army supply. He would read extracts from the Report of that Committee, which was laid upon the• table of the House in the course of last summer. The Committee recommended as the leading measures required

"The theory of the present arrangement is that each local head of a Department is in direct communication with the general officer commanding; but it would obviously work far better, and produce far more unity of action, both in peace and in war, if the general officer commanding communicated with one head only, who was acquainted with the organization of the several Departments, and accustomed to control them. For these reasons, both on account of economy in peace and efficiency in war, it appears to Lord De Grey to be necessary that the several administrative Departments should be brought to a focus, both locally and in this office."

Before Lord De Grey could take any action for the purpose of carrying out these views he was succeeded in his office by the noble Lord opposite (the Marquess of Hartington), who in proposing the Army Estimates in 1866 made the following remarks: :

"I am anxious to state to the Committee that

we have been for some time convinced that the charges of some of those establishments are no doubt greater than they ought to be; but the only way by which a more economical system can be introduced is to bring them more directly under the control of one head. The Committee will understand that the head of a Department, such as the commissariat, or the purveyor's Department, at any particular station, although he is subordinate to the General Officer, corresponds upon matters connected with the Department with the head of his Department at home. The General Officer at the station has many other important and arduous duties to perform, and consequently is not able to exercise any very minute supervision. This is not all; under the present circumstances it is necessary that each station should have an officer, or several officers, of considerable rank. We have, therefore, made a proposal that a superior class of officers should be appointed at each station, to be called comptrollers, or by some similar name, who shall be placed at the head of the administrative Departments. Each comptroller will be subordinate to the General Officer, and responsible to him for the proper and efficient administration of the Departments; and it will be his duty to advise the Secretary of State upon the organization of each Department, and to point out where economy can be exercised."[3 Hansard, clxxxi, 1541-2.]

"That a Department should be organized to be responsible for, and to control, the working of all Departments of supply-namely, 1st, commissariat, including store accountants for provisions, forage, fuel, and light, military accountants and treasurers; 2nd, purveyors; 3rd, military store, as regards clothing and stores generally, but not arms, ammunition, or warlike stores, herein subsequently defined; 4th, barrack, as regards fuel and light and straw, at home as well as abroad, and in camp; and also as regards cash and barrack and miscellaneous stores, now administered by barrack-masters; 5th, army transport." The Committee then proceeded

The practical result of these and other recommendations in the same sense will be that the Secretary of State for War at home, and general officers commanding abroad, will have to deal, in all matters relative to the administration of the army, with one responsible department-that of control-instead of, as at present, with five separate departments. General officers commanding will be relieved of the details, duty, and correspondence connected with the supply Departments of the army, as they at present exist; affording them more time for consideration of purely military and strategical duties of command; and both Minister for War and general officers will be able to intrust greater powers, and give more confidence, to an officer in the position of controller than they can under the present system to the several heads of Departments, each naturally anxious to secure the utmost advantage and influence for his own Department."

It was apparent that the intention of the From this extract it was clear that the Committee was to get rid of the present

system of divided responsibility in this perience in India would, he thought, enbranch of the army administration, and to able him greatly to assist Sir Henry place that Department under the control of Storks in effecting changes which cona single officer. In accordance with the cerned, not only the administrative Destatements he had made in answer to the partment of the army, but which would numerous questions which had been put prospectively affect the constitution of the to him in the course of last Session upon War Office itself. The next question which the subject, he had devoted a large portion arose was, in what manner they should of the time at his disposal during the proceed to carry out their scheme. Was Recess to the consideration of the recom- Sir Henry Storks to be placed at the head mendations of the Committee, and he had of a Department? He (Sir John Pakington) arrived at the conclusion that it was his decided that this would be a most undeduty to carry those recommendations into sirable mode of proceeding; and that the effect. As it would have been scarcely best course which he could adopt was to just to the gentlemen engaged in the War place Sir Henry Storks on the Board enOffice, who were already fully employed tirely free from all entanglements. and whose position might possibly be requested him thoroughly to investigate affected by the proposed changes, to re- the state of the War Office itself, and see quest them to assist him in drawing out a what changes were necessary in connec scheme in accordance with the recom- tion with the supply Departments, and mendations of the Committee, he had had make his report from time to time as to recourse to the assistance of those who what changes he might deem to be neceshad been engaged in similar work in con- sary. He (Sir John Pakington) had reason, nection with the Indian Army. He applied day by day, to rejoice at this appointment. also to Sir Bartle Frere with a view to The task had no doubt been very laborious, obtaining the advice of an officer of such and one attended with much anxiety; but high character and recognized ability, one every day had given him fresh cause to who, moreover, had given so much atten- congratulate himself, not only upon the tion to the economical reforms which had appointment of Sir Henry Storks and taken place in the Indian Army, and it General Balfour, but upon the fact that was to a great extent, through the assist- the former officer was not embarrassed by ance of Sir Bartle Frere and Sir Henry the consideration of departmental details. Storks, whose experience in connection Although the appointment was but a rewith the War Office at home had been cent one, these officers had addressed their very large, and to whom he had preferred attention to the system of audit now in a similar request, that he was enabled to operation, to the question of stores, to the carry out some of the recommendations of changes which might be necessary with Lord Strathnairn's Committee. Those two respect to transport, and to the mode of distinguished officers recommended, with arranging the Department of control. The a view to carrying out the suggestions of consideration of the question of barracks, Lord Strathnairn's Committee - sugges- though one that was the subject of recomtions in which they cordially concurred-mendations by Lord Strathnairn's Comthat an officer of known ability should be mittee, was for the present postponed. An appointed to the post of Controller-in-able and elaborate Report on the subject Chief, and be entrusted with the organization of a Department. He had then to consider who should be appointed to this new office, and, bearing in mind the recommendation of the Committee that the Controller-in-Chief ought, at all events at first, to be an officer of high rank in the army and of known administrative ability, he arrived, after careful consideration, at the conclusion that he could not in the interests of the public make a better suggestion than Sir Henry Storks himself. At his earnest request Sir Henry Storks acquiesced in the appointment, and, with the consent and approval of that officer, he appointed General Balfour, whose ex

of audit had already been drawn up and presented, and the tendency of that Report was, not only to promote economy, but to make the system more complete and efficient than it was at present. It suggested many practical improvements-improvements in which he fully concurred; indeed, he had already made arrangements for the duty of auditing being turned over to the particular Secretary of State, instead of continuing the present somewhat anomalous system of placing the accounts and the audit under the same Department. He had also received an able Report from the auditor. It would, he thought, be advisable to lay the Reports, which would

be successively received, on the table of to carry out the recommendations of Lord the House, although, in his opinion, it Strathnairn's Committee. The Governwould be better not to do so immediately ment, however, hoped greatly to improve on their reception, but to wait until the the transport service, and at the same time intended changes had been considered as to reduce the expenditure of that Departa whole. The suggestions with regard to ment. The Committee would be struck the Department of control were now under with the increase in the stock of military the consideration of the Treasury, and stores. On the 31st of March, 1858, the vaupon the assent of that Department being lue of our military stores was £9,420,000; received he should at once proceed to act on the 31st of March, 1867, the stores upon them. Those suggestions would not at home and abroad were valued at result in any very great saving of expen- £14,601,000. This increase arose from a diture, but the House would, he trusted, great variety of causes, which at present rather regard them as indicating the ge- engaged the serious attention of the Goneral tendency of the changes proposed-vernment; and, although he was not able a lessened expenditure combined with in- to state the decision at which the War creased efficiency. If the plan now sug- Office would arrive, he could assure the gested were adopted a saving of £25,000 Committee that it would not only endeawould, he believed, be ultimately effected vour to insure economy but also improved upon an annual expenditure of £175,000, arrangements. He believed that the stores while the decrease would be attended with had very unwisely been distributed in a the best possible results as far as the effi- great variety of places; that the great obciency of the work was concerned. The ject which ought to be kept in view was next point to which he would allude was their concentration, and to avoid that great the Department of Transport. A plan had deterioration in value which arises from been drawn up for some time. That plan their frequent removal from place to place. he was not able to carry out; but he In concluding his statement he thanked confidently hoped and believed that, when the Committee for the attention with a plan was decided on, a transport system which his remarks had been listened to; would be established which might be bene- he had been obliged to deal with a great ficially employed in times of peace, and be variety of subjects, and had endeavoured capable of extension in time of war. They to do so as clearly and as frankly as posall remembered the complaints that were sible. He trusted the Committee would remade of the transport service at the time member that, although great changes had of the Crimean War; and what was it been initiated, a sufficient time had not yet they heard now from Abyssinia? Every- elapsed to mature them, and that it was thing there, they were told, went on well impossible yet to estimate how far they but the transport. But it was obvious would tend to a reduction of expenditure. that if the transport were inefficient the He said this in order that the efforts of army could not advance, and it was there those distinguished men who had given fore most essential that they should en-him their cordial and constant assistance deavour, if possible, to organize a transport system on a satisfactory footing. He was truly thankful to say that when the transport plans that were under consideration should have been fully matured they would have a system of transport that would be really worthy of the name-a system that would be not more than adequate to the requirements of peace, but that would be capable of indefinite expansion in time of war. Another important duty of the Controller-in-Chief related to stores, a Department which was consider-ing 138,691 Men (including 9,880, all Ranks, to ably larger than hon. Gentlemen were aware. He had received no report as yet on the subject of any new arrangement regarding the store Department, but he was prepared to say that, after mature consideration, the Government did not intend

might not be hastily judged. For himself, he assured the Committee the whole subject had received his anxious attention, and he firmly believed that when the plans to which he had alluded were fully carried out they would result in solid improvement, both as regards efficiency of the army and a decided reduction in the expenditure.

1. Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the number of Land Forces, not exceed

be employed with the Depôts in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland of Regiments Serving in Her Majesty's Indian Possessions), be maintained for the Service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from the 1st day of April 1868 to the 31st day of March 1869, inclusive."

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON only money asked for on account of the Resaid, it was not his intention to follow the serve forces created last year was £20,000 right hon. Baronet (Sir John Pakington) in the Militia fund, and £7,000 in the Enthrough his long and very able statement; rolled Pensioners' fund, making £27,000, but he wished to make an observation or the extent of the sum to be taken on actwo on some points that provoked cri- count of the Reserve forces. It therefore ticism and required explanation. The appeared to him that the proposed plan right hon. Baronet had informed the was not producing any very great effect. Committee that the sum asked for was to Perhaps, the right hon. Baronet would all practicable purposes the same as that state, in his reply, what numbers he antiasked for last year; but the Committee cipated would join the Militia and Army would remember with regret that, although Reserves during the year. The Committee the Estimate for the current year was only would cordially agree in approving the slightly in excess of the year 1867-8, that appointment of General Lindsay to be In-. year's Estimate largely exceeded the Esti- spector General of the Reserve force, anmate which it was his (the Marquess of nounced by the right hon. Baronet. It Hartington's) duty to submit of the year had, he knew, been the intention of sucbefore. The right hon. Baronet wished the cessive Secretaries of State for a consiCommittee to pass an Estimate which ex-derable period that the offices of Inspector ceeded by £1,500,000 the last Estimate of General of Militia and Inspector General Lord Russell's Government. Of course, it of Volunteers should, when opportunity was easy, as he had said last year, to find offered, be merged into one. At the same very excellent reasons for an increase of time he considered it very doubtful wheexpenditure, and he was not prepared to ther any great progress could be made in place his finger on any item where a pro- the way of amalgamating the Reserve posed increase should be refused, or forces, the Volunteers, and the Militia. where a Vote might be diminished; but They were bodies raised and organized on although a good case might, in many in- entirely different principles, and a certain stances, be made out for a proposed increase amount of feeling-he would not say of expenditure, it was very certain that jealousy - had always existed between nothing but the most constant supervision | them. Even since the appointment of by the Secretary of State, coupled with a General Lindsay he had heard apprehenstrong determination on his part that the sions expressed by Militia officers of deEstimate should not be increased, could signs supposed to be entertained for alterinsure economy and produce reduction in ing the constitution of that force, or for the annual charge. The Committee should assimilating them in any way to the Volunnot forget that during the last three or teers. He therefore wished to warn the four years of the Administration which right hon. Baronet that it would be necespreceded the present one the Estimates for sary to proceed with very great caution in the Army showed a decrease year by year, any scheme which he might have before while the Estimates of the present Govern-him for assimilating or amalgamating the ment showed year by year an increasing Militia or Volunteer forces. It was quite However, he joined with the right true, as stated by the right hon. Baronet, hon. Baronet in congratulating the right that the Vote for Army Stores and Manuhon. and gallant Member for Huntingdon facturing Department showed a slight deon the success of his measures for recruit- crease, but the Committee, be thought, ing and re-enlistment. It might not be an would feel disappointed that the decrease unmixed benefit that that should re-enlist was not more considerable. Very large a large number of men; but it was an un- additions were made to the Estimates last mixed benefit that they should have the year and the year before for the conversion offer of them. He was sorry he could not of army rifles; but his impression had extend his congratulations to the Govern- been that the process of conversion was to ment on the result of their plan for cre- have been completed during the present ating a Reserve force. Apparently the financial year, and it would cause some Government did not expect any very great disappointment to the Committee to find result from those measures, which had that the conversion was to be continued been introduced to the House with some during a large part of next year. The little appearance of importance. This was right hon. Baronet had stated that last at least the case as regards the current year was the first in which any provision year. As far as he could make out, the had been made for supplying the armament

sum.