Mr. GORSTsaid, he had a Question on the Paper which, perhaps, it would be well that he should put, in order to enable the right hon. Gentleman to reply to it as well as those which had just been put to him. He wished to call attention to the present unsatisfactory position of the Engineer Officers and the Engine-Room Artificers of the Royal Navy, and to the urgent necessity for taking some immediate steps to improve the same. There had been an increase of duties thrown upon the chief engineers, and a decrease of rank and pay. When they compared the position of these officers in the British Navy with officers of the same rank in the American Navy, it would be found that in every class the American officers were paid double, and in some cases treble, the amount paid to engineer officers and engine-room artificers in the British Navy. By the substitution of engineer officers in large vessels, which ought to have been under the command of chief engineers, there was a stagnation in the promotion of chief engineers, and altogether it would seem they had made a serious mistake in selecting the British instead of the American Navy for the exercise of their profession. He was not disposed at that late hour to enter into a lengthened statement, but he reminded the House that last year the First Lord of the Admiralty promised to appoint a Committee to investigate the grievances of these officers. He had done so; and he (Mr. Gorst) wished to know whether it was true that that Report had been 2014 made, and that the Committee recommended a large increase in the pay of engineers and an increase in the pay of engine-room artificers? It was of the utmost importance that the control of the machinery of the Royal steamships would come into most efficient hands.
§ MR. HUNTsaid, that without any pressure on the part of his hon. Friend, or any other Member of the House, he appointed a Committee to inquire into the subject. He had therefore given an earnest that the subject was being properly considered by the Admiralty, in order to see what improvement could be devised. It was quite true that the Committee reported some two months ago. The Committee recommended some sweeping changes as to the engineers, and very important changes as to the service and the financial aspect of the question. Under these circumstances the recommendations of the Committee could not be accepted without careful consideration. When he was asked to present the Report and the evidence to the House, he stated that he was not willing to do so until the Admiralty had determined whether the recommendations of the Committee should be accepted. When that Question was put to him he had not had time even to read the evidence; but in the Whitsun Recess he had a certain amount of leisure, and he read a great part of the evidence. He was, therefore, better informed now on the subject than when that Question was put. The matter was engaging the attention of the Admiralty, but he could not undertake to say that their decision upon it would be come to while Parliament was sitting. The hon. and gallant Member for Devonport (Captain Price) had asked him a Question as to officers of the Marines—namely, whether the sum taken did not provide for all the officers who were entitled to retire if they chose, though some of them had not elected to do so. The sum taken provided for the number who were expected to retire, and not for all who might retire if they wished; because it was known by experience that many who had the option of retiring did not choose to avail themselves of it. He was desirous of remedying, if possible, the present stagnation of promotion; but he felt great difficulty in doing anything in the matter until the Report of the Army Commission was presented, which he was led to hope it 2015 would be before long. When the Report was received, he would lose no time in devising some plan for dealing with that subject. With regard to the navigating officers, some anomalies were inseparable from a system of transition; but he hoped that some of the difficulties that were anticipated might be got rid of by a proposal for enabling sub-lieutenants to go upon the Executive List. His hon. Friend opposite (Mr. Hanbury-Tracy) had suggested the other day that there should be a school for the instruction of officers undertaking navigating duties. It was proposed that those who went on the Executive List, or who were selected for navigating duties, should undergo the same examination as had been in operation for some years for navigating officers proper. He should be happy to consider whether any instruction should be given them.