HC Deb 11 March 1875 vol 222 cc1607-8
COLONEL MURE

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, either by General Order, War Office Circular, Private Memorandum, or any other method, the age at which soldiers may go to India has been relaxed to one year after enlistment or nineteen years of age?

MR. GATHORNE HARDY

Sir, if the hon. and gallant Gentleman had looked into the Parliamentary Papers, he would have become acquainted with one which was presented in June, 1872, by Lord Cardwell—namely, the Report of the Committee who had been appointed to consider the age at which recruits should be sent to India. The Committee consisted of Major-General Edwards and other officers. Having considered the question, they recommended as follows:— It remains to consider with respect to the Medical Examination of these drafts, which, last season, was based first upon the actual age of 20, whether it might not be desirable to substitute a certain length of service, whereby the physical constitution of the recruits may become fully known, for a simple declaration of age which is often deceptive. The Committee having ascertained that the declared age shown in the recruit's attestation can be no sufficient guide, as it is in the recruit's power to make that declaration according to his desire to proceed abroad, and that this declaration cannot be proved in most cases by baptismal certificate, nor can any experienced medical officer give any definite opinion as to the age between 18 and 22 years, recommend that till the new organization has come fully into play, the decision of the fitness for foreign service rest, not upon declared age, but the knowledge of the physical constitution of each man, acquired by not less than a period of 12 months' effective service, which can be fully ascertained by the commanding officer, and surgeon in medical charge of the regiment or depôt. Upon that recommendation a letter was issued from the Horse Guards, I think in 1872, containing the following regulations:— The men to compose these drafts are to be selected in the following order:—1, Men who have completed one year's service and have not been to India; 2, men of less service, but who will be 20 years old and have completed their drill by the above date; 3, men who have served in India and are fit to return, but no such men who have been sent home as invalids are to be again embarked before they have completed one year's service at home. The men to embark must be in every respect fit for service, and no man is to be included in these drafts who has less than 18 months to serve of the term for which he enlisted, unless (in the case of men in their first term) he is eligible and willing to reengage. These regulations have been acted upon since 1872.