§ MR. HANBURY TRACYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he proposes to take any, and, if so, what steps for reducing the active lists of the Navy to the numbers settled by the Retirement Scheme of 1870; and, whether it is true that in future no Commander is to be promoted who has attained the age of forty?
§ MR. GOSCHENNothing, Sir, is more likely to check the operation of the Order in Council of 1870 in reducing the lists by voluntary retirements than Questions or Answers in this House encouraging the expectation of changes, and unsettling the minds of officers as to the existing scheme; and I must therefore ask my hon. Friend to be content with this observation in reply to the first part of his Question. As to the second part, I may state that no absolute Rules are laid down confining promotion within definite limits of age, but that in the various considerations which have to be weighed in selection for promotion—such as the claims of the officer on the one hand, and the interest of the Naval service on the other—the question of age, involving, as it does, the future prospect of usefulness of an officer to the service, cannot be overlooked.