§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONsaid, that in the statement made by his noble Friend the Secretary of the Admiralty, respecting the new scheme of retirement he did not remember that any exception was made to the principle of retirement as applied to the captains' list. He was now informed that the captains on the 14s. 6d. list were to be exempted from the application of the rule. He wished to ask whether this was true, and, if so, what was the reason for such an exemption, and also whether his noble Friend had received representations tending to show that in the opinion of those affected by it the rule had been applied in a partial manner.
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETsaid, the captains on the 14s. 6d. list had alter-native given them of remaining in their present position. The Admiralty held that these officers had so nearly attained their flag, that they had acquired, as it were, a vested interest in it, and that, therefore, it would be fair to give them their choice of accepting 20s. a day at once, or of waiting until they arrived at the head of the list, when they would be entitled to 25s. a day. With regard to the captains on the 12s. 6d. list the Admiralty were of opinion that the name rule did not hold good; and that they were so far down that many years would probably elapse before they reached the top of the list, and that, therefore, it would be fair to give them 20s. a day at once in exchange for their present position. As to the captains on the 10s. 6d. list, their chances were still more remote, and, consequently, they were held entitled to only 18s. a day. Thus the captains on the 14s. 6d. list were allowed, if they chose, to remain as they were, while in the case of the captains on the 12s. 6d. and the 10s. 6d. lists retirement was made compulsory. The Admiralty, after mature consideration, had felt it right to make that distinction.