§ COLONEL CHATTERTONbegged to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of War if he intends to recommend the discontinuance of the deductions to which officers of the cavalry are subject in paying for the forage of their regimental charges, kept for the public service, whilst other mounted officers in the service receive an allowance for that purpose: also, if he has directed his attention to the justice and expediency of granting to officers in command of cavalry regiments the allowance called "command money," which the officers commanding infantry regiments receive; also, if the right hon. Gentleman has directed his attention, or intends to direct his attention, to the expediency of recommending to Her Majesty to grant to the sergeants of the Army a continuance of that "pay for good conduct" which they enjoyed as privates and corporals, but were compelled to resign upon promotion to the rank of sergeant; also, if he intends to recommend an increase of the allowance of 2,000l. per annum to sergeants of the Army as a gratuity for good conduct whilst serving; and also, if he intends to recommend an increase of the Vote of last year of 2,000l. per annum granted as a reward to deserving non-commissioned officers and privates of the Army on discharge?
MR. VERNON SMITHsaid, that the questions that had been put by the hon. and gallant Member would perhaps have been better put on the discussion on the Army Estimates; but he would endeavour to answer them as briefly as possible. With regard to the first question which had been put to him by the hon. and gallant Member, he begged to say that, being but a short time in office, his attention had not as yet been directed to the matter to which it referred. With regard to the second question, he could assure the hon. and gallant Gentleman, that it was his intention to direct his attention to all questions affecting the comforts and interest of the Army; and that in zeal for the service he hoped he should not be found inferior to any gallant officer who, in the double capacity of an officer in the Army and a representative of 652 the people, felt bound to attend to the interests of the Army. As to questions in relation to different rates of pay in the two branches of the Army, it was almost impossible to enter into them without entering also into the details of the different regimental papers. The regulations to which the questions of the hon. and gallant Member had reference, were of ancient standing, and he could not take upon himself to alter, on his first entrance into office, a practice that had received the sanction of so many of his predecessors. With regard to the continuance of the good-conduct pay to individuals who were appointed sergeants, the hon. and gallant Member must know when a soldier attained the rank of sergeant it was considered to be a reward for good conduct, and therefore that from that period the good-conduct pay should cease. If the hon. and gallant Member could persuade the House that it was desirable to continue that pay to the sergeants, no person would be more willing to agree to it than he (Mr. V. Smith); but it would entail a great expense upon them, because almost every sergeant in the service would be entitled to the good-conduct pay. The hon. and gallant Member knew that the pay of a sergeant was higher than the ordinary pay received by him before his appointment, and that, therefore, as a sergeant, he received as much as he had previously received, including the good-conduct pay. This answer would also apply to the subsequent question of the hon. and gallant Member. There was a vote of 2,000l. taken for gratuities to the men. That had been done ever since the right hon. Gentleman the Member for South Wiltshire (Mr. S. Herbert) was Secretary at War, and he (Mr. V. Smith) was not prepared this year to alter or increase the amount. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman could induce the House to increase the sum, there were many instances in which it could be made available, and he thought there was no proposition in which the country would more perfectly agree.