§ MR. WARTON (for Colonel BARNE)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether there are some Officers serving in the Army Pay Department who have never been permitted to realise the value of their former combatant Commissions, and have thus been deprived of the use and interest of their money, whereas the large majority of other Paymasters have received either the regulation, or over regulation, value of the Commissions they previously held, or, having entered as civilians, have no such capital invested; whether some of the most deserving of these old Officers will, by reason of age, be compulsorily retired, and thus be 1379 debarred from all the benefits of retired increased rank and pay granted by Royal Warrant of 25th December 1880, and will be army retired on lower rank and pay than any other Paymasters their juniors; and, whether he will grant to these old Officers the value of their former Commissions, or some reasonable equivalent, for the loss of use and interest of their money?
§ MR. CHILDERSMay I suggest to the hon. and gallant Gentleman that, before putting these Questions on the Paper, he might have spoken to me? Had he done so, I should have saved him some trouble, as I answered precisely the same Questions on the 3rd of August, when they were put to me by the hon. Member for Cavan (Mr. Biggar).