§ Mr. Humerose to move for returns of the names of all persons in the yeomanry service in Ireland, who received pensions in the nature of reward or retired allowances, the length of their respective services, the dates of appointments, &c. It appeared, he said, from parliamentary papers, that 1,278l. was paid in annual pensions to brigadier-majors of yeomanry in Ireland. It was new to him to hear of this sort of half-pay for yeomanry officers. In referring to the Irish accounts, he found no less a sum than 400,000l. paid in retired pensions and salaries. Now, the act of the 50th Geo. 3rd, c. 3, under the authority of which some of these military pensions were granted, expressly declared the nature of the rank entitled to them, and yeomanry brigade-majors were not mentioned; so that he was at a loss to see by what law such grants had been made.
§ Mr. Goulburnsaid, he had no objection whatever to the production of the information called for. With respect to certain individuals to whom the hon. gentleman had alluded on a former night, he wished, in justice to the parties, to give some explanation. The hon. gentleman, when speaking of major Collis, had said, that the major was not entitled on account of infirmities (the reason assigned) to the allowance which he received; and he gave three reasons for that opinion: the first was, that the major was not above 40 years of age; the second, that he had served but a limited period in the yeomanry; and the third, that that officer, so far from being infirm, was in good bodily health. These facts were 248 not, however, correct. In the first place, as to length of service, he had joined the army in the year 1776, and was severely wounded in the following year. After serving 45 years, he was invalided upon the report of the medical physician, that he was infirm from repeated attacks of the gout, that he had a liver complaint, and was also suffering under a paralytic affection. Surely these were sufficient reasons for allowing such an officer a retiring allowance!
§ Mr. Humesaid, that the case which the right hon. gentleman had just stated, was not that which he had mentioned on a former evening. His statement was, that major Collis had been pensioned after ten years' service, and that the Irish lawyers might as well call the major a woman, as a person entitled to the pension, according to the military regulations recognized by the act of parliament. It was not, however, of major Collis, but of major Bridgeman that he had spoken, as being a person, who, though retired "through infirmities," was as hale and as hearty as himself was, and only 45 years of age.
§ Mr. Goulburnsaid, that the explanation, in either way, was inaccurate. Major Bridgeman had joined the British service in South Carolina, so far back as the year 1780: and had served ten years as a brigade-major in the Irish yeomanry; but, even after this length of service, there was the most positive certification of infirmities, from the high authority of Dr. Rennie, of Dublin. Major Bridgeman had fallen from his horse in a fit of apoplexy, while in the discharge of his military duty; and had many years-suffered from a constitutional determination of blood to his head, which had seriously affected his health, and rendered his retirement necessary.
§ The motion was agreed to.