§ MR. HEALYasked MR. Chancellor of the Exchequer, On what grounds were eight Ride officers of the Inland Revenue Department recently "specially" promoted over the heads of their seniors; whether one officer was promoted over 232 others; will a copy of the Board's Minute, particularizing their special merits, be laid upon the Table of the House, and will these orders of "special" promotion be now rescinded; what proof has the Board of Inland Revenue that the officers passed over did not possess equal merit with those specially promoted; and, will a copy of MR. West's authority for ordering these "special" promotions be also laid upon the Table of this House?
§ MR. COURTNEYPerhaps the hon. Member will permit me to answer the Question. I believe the rule relating to special promotions in the Excise Service is that any Collector or Inspector may recommend a Ride officer in his district for promotion by merit, apart from seniority; and a limited number of officers so recommended are, from time to time, promoted by the Board, subject to a test examination. Eight officers were recently promoted in this manner; and one of them passed over 232 others, but there were nearly 900 below him. The Minutes ordering these promotions are purely formal, and of no general interest. This seems the only way of securing promotion by merit, though many of those passed over are sure to think themselves as good as those promoted. The power to promote is given by 7 & 8 Geo. IV. c. 53, s. 4.
§ MR. HEALYWill the hon. Gentleman inquire whether some of these men were promoted on the ground of religion and politics or nationality?
§ MR. COURTNEYIf the hon. Gentleman will give any details, I will, of course, look into them; but without details it would be impossible to do so, considering the number of those passed over.