COLONEL MILNE-HOMEasked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether Officers of the Indian Military Service, who came home on furlough between 1868 and 1871 draw their pay, when on furlough, at an exchange of 2s. for the rupee, whereas officers who remained at their posts till after 1871, and who, taking advantage of General Order of 19th June 1868, elected on their taking leave to abide by the new rules of exchange, are permitted to draw only at the current rate of exchange for the year, thereby losing this year nearly twenty per cent; and, if it is proposed to take any steps to give these officers redress in respect of such loss?
§ MR. J. K. CROSSIt is the case that those officers of the Indian Army who elected the new furlough rules of 1868 before July 1, 1871, when a change was made in the condition of the rules, are permitted to continue under the benefits of the conditions in force when they elected. Those who elected the rules of 1868, after July 1, 1871—that is, after the conditions were changed—abide by the rules in force when they elected. The election was optional to officers on taking furlough; and those doing so after July 1, 1871, had the option of continuing under the earlier rules of 1854, or of accepting the modified conditions of the rules of 1868. But they had not the option of electing a particular rule which had been formally 205 abrogated. There is no intention of making any change in this respect.