HC Deb 29 July 1856 vol 143 cc1495-6
SIR JOHN SHELLEY

said, he wished to put a question to the hon. Under Secretary for War. Considerable dissatisfaction had been felt by the men of the Army Works Corps because they did not receive a written or printed discharge on their return to this country. That omission had, however, been repaired by a subsequent arrangement; and he now wished to ask the hon. Gentleman whether the claim made by the men to pay from the date of their landing up to the receipt of their discharge would be taken into the early consideration of the Government?

MR. FREDERICK PEEL

said, he was informed that the great body of the men had been settled with on their arrival, and had returned to their homes perfectly satisfied; had a small number had moved this question relative to the sums to which they supposed they were entitled. There could be no doubt their discharge dated from the period of their arrival in this country, and they would therefore all be paid up to that time, but they were not entitled to anything more.

SIR JOHN SHELLEY

said, he wished the Government to consider that these men, not having been discharged, were unable to obtain employment elsewhere. They wished to be placed on the same footing as the militia. The number that had brought forward this grievance was not so small as the hon. Gentleman seemed to suppose. It was above 400 men. He would ask if the Government would take the case into their consideration at an early moment.?

SIR JOSEPH PAXTON

said, that he had investigated almost every one of the claims that had been made; and in every case he had found that the statement about their not being able to obtain employment elsewhere was groundless. In not one case had there been the least difficulty through their not having a written discharge. The terms upon which they had been engaged were that they should have a free passage to this country, and on arriving here should receive a gratuity. They had received their gratuity, and had given a written receipt for it; and the men had all been dealt with according to the original arrangement.