COLONEL DUNNEsaid, he rose to ask the Secretary of State for War why men who have received the legal right to practise surgery and medicine from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland are excluded from becoming candidates for the medical appointments in the Army; also why the Surgeons of Cavalry are charged forage money for their horses, while those of Infantry are exempt from that charge; and also whether there will he any objection on the part of the Government to grant to those deserving Medical Officers who have retired from the Service the same additional remuneration which will be given to those who are at present serving on their retirement?
§ MR. SIDNEY HERBERTsaid, that as far as the Surgeons in the Cavalry and Infantry were concerned the forage allowances to them were regulated by particular practices which obtained in each Service. With regard to candidates for Commissions, since the increased scale of pay was given incrased requirements were demanded from the candidates, and it had been decided not only to require a Diploma of the College of Surgeons, but also a Medical Diploma from some other body, to insure their knowledge of both medicine and surgery. With regard to the retired Officers, he thought it would be unwise to depart from the rule that no change should be retrospective, and give Officers who had already retired the same additional pay as would be given to those who would retire hereafter.
§ MR. SIDNEY HERBERTsaid, he had not considered that point, but he was inclined to think, on the whole, it would be dangerous to make the change retrospective.