§ Mr. Hume, seeing the right hon. Gentleman, the President of the Board of Control, in his place, was anxious to put to him a question in which a great many individuals were interested. It was a repetition of the question which he put last year, namely, as to when it might be expected those persons who served in the last war in India would receive their prize-money? He hoped he would receive a satisfactory answer, as he had every week three or four applications on the subject from pensioners who were advanced in years, and to whom this money was a great object.
§ Sir J. Hobhouse, in reply to the question of his hon. Friend, had to state that a year ago the Committee for the distribution of the prize-money notified that from that day the distribution of it would begin to the officers and privates in India; and just at this time a notification had been issued naming all the European officers and men who, after those in India had received the share due to them, would be able to receive theirs in England. But his hon. Friend must perceive that some time would necessarily elapse in the transmission of the names from England. He could assure his hon. Friend, that he was 1081 extremely solicitous that a settlement of these claims should take place at as early a period as possible; and in August last the court of directors and himself sent out a despatch in which they urged the necessity for a speedy distribution of the money, and expressed their regret that there had been any delay that had the appearance of being unnecessary. He hoped that his hon. Friend would consider this explanation satisfactory.
§ Subject dropped.