§ GENERAL WINDHAM, said he would beg to ask the under Secretary for War if it be the intention of the Government upon reinstating officers in their former regiments, who have been compelled to go on half-pay, to put them back into that position they would have held in the regiment had they never been placed on half-pay? Should the officers who have been compelled to go on half-pay, for the convenience of the country, be put into regiments in which they had not previously served, does the Government intend letting them take regimental rank according to the date of their commissions previous to being placed on half-pay?
§ SIR JOHN RAMSDENSir, with regard to the officers to whom the hon. and gallant general has referred the Government do not purpose to allow them, when restored to full-pay, to take regimental rank according to the date of the commissions which they held previous to their being placed on half-pay. I may, however, state that the Government are making every exertion to remedy the hardship which must necessarily result from any large reduction of the army, such as that which has recently taken place, by bringing these officers back into active service whenever opportunity offers.