§ MR. BAILLIE COCHRANE, in rising to bring the claims of the Captains on the Reserved List under the notice of the House, said it was quite understood by these officers when they were placed on the Reserved (not on the Retired List) that they were to be on the same footing as officers on the Active List, in regard to rank, seniority, and the Greenwich out-pensions, the difference being that they were not to expect active employment unless in case of war. It was most important that good faith should be kept with naval officers by the Admiralty. He could not do justice to the list, but the services of these captains averaged an active service of thirty-five years each. The advantage they had obtained by the minute had been 6d. a day. They had protested against the treatment they had received, and a certain number last year obtained an increase of pay. But so far as he could learn they would not have their flags and seniority and their Greenwich out-pensions as captains. As the hour was now so late (half-past five) he must content himself with moving the Amendment of which he had given notice.
§
Amendment proposed,
To leave out from the word 'That' to the end of the Question, in order to add the words 'the Captains of the Royal Navy, who were placed on a Reserved as distinguished from a Retired List, on account of their having served long and well, in accordance with the Orders in Council, of the 25th day of June, 1851, and the 30th day of January, 1856, have great reason to complain, that the arrangement entered into with the Board of Admiralty has not been fairly carried out; and that the injustice with which these Officers have been treated is most prejudicial to the Public Service,'"—instead thereof.
§ ADMIRAL WALCOTTseconded the Amendment. He must do the right hon. Baronet (Sir Francis Baring) who drew the minute the justice to say he was under the impression he had excluded these officers from the advantages they now claimed, 621 and which they believed, when they accepted the Order in Council, they were to enjoy. There was, however, an ambiguity in the Order in Council that entitled to the generous consideration of the House officers who had served their country faithfully and in posts of great responsibility during a long war.
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETsaid, he quite concurred with the gallant Admiral in his assertion that these captains were a body of able and excellent officers many of whom had served their country with distinction. He greatly regretted the misunderstanding under which these officers laboured as to their position as officers on the reserved list; he must, however, fall back on what was done by the right hon. Baronet (Sir Francis Baring), who was First Lord of the Admiralty when the Order in Council was issued in 1851. That Order was made in the interest of a certain number of commanders who had no prospect of employment or promotion, and to whom an offer was made that they should be promoted to this reserved list. Whether these officers thought at the time they were to rise pari passu with officers on the active list was a matter on which he could offer no opinion. The Admiralty of that day, however, and every successive Board of Admiralty considered that it was the bonâ fide intention of the Admiralty that these officers should not rise pari passu with officers on the active list. This distinctly appeared from the rates of half-pay published in the Navy List. The Admiralty, however, deeming that the Order in Council was considered by these officers as rather ambiguously worded, had, by an Order in Council, last year allowed these officers to count their sea-time both as lieutenants and mates. The effect of this order had been so favourable to them that their grievance was now more imaginary than real. Very few had arrived at that point in the Navy List where they would be entitled to an increase of pay; so that if the majority of them were on the active list they would only be in the lowest class, and in the receipt of 10s. 6d. per diem. Out of ninety-nine of these officers seventy-seven were receiving an increase of pay in consequence of their services under the Order in Council of last year. [Mr. COCHRANE: But they will not rise to the rank of Admiral.] That was true, but was the House prepared to increase the Admirals' list to this extent? He did not see on what principle the Admiralty could 622 grant to officers on a reserved list—who were not liable to serve—the same position as officers on the active list. The case of these officers had been so often under the consideration of the House that it might now be considered as exhausted. Considering the boon recently granted to them he did not think these officers had any real grievance to complain of.
§ MAJOR EDWARDSwas sorry to hear the noble Lord state that this question was exhausted. Many of these officers had been in action, and had distinguished themselves before some of the members of the present Board of Admiralty were born. He had been assured, and had no reason to doubt the statement, that when these officers accepted a position on the reserved list they expected they were to rise to their flags. The case was one which the Admiralty ought to take into their favourable consideration, for the claim of the officers was only just and proper.
§ Question put, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question."
§ The House divided:—Ayes 27; Noes 19: Majority 8.
§ Main Question, put, and agreed to.