§ MR. DARBY GRIFFITHsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary for War how many vacancies of cornets are now existing in the Cavalry of the Line, and also in the Cavalry of the Household Troops, respectively?
MR. BARINGsaid, he was happy to be able to state that the number of vacancies in the cavalry regiments had been very much reduced. At present there were eight vacancies in the Household regiments, and twenty-four in the Cavalry regiments of the Line. There were, however, 339 eighteen gentlemen who were now, or would be shortly, under examination for cornetcies; and, therefore, if they succeeded in passing the ordeal, as he trusted they would, the number of vacancies in the Cavalry regiments of the Line would be reduced to six. The present number of vacancies compared with the number at the commencement of last year, when there were sometimes as many as sixty, would show the House that the measures introduced by the noble Lord the Secretary of State for War had had the beneficial effect of facilitating the entrance of officers into these regiments.