SUPPLY—NAVY ESTIMATES. (Hansard, 5 April 1864)

MR. YORKE

said, he wished to ask the Secretary of the Admiralty, Whether he is aware that ten of the captains of 1846 who were compulsorily placed on the retired list on attaining the age of sixty, without having served in their present rank, have refused an offer of retirement on 18s. a day made to them at the age of fifty-five; whether ho is aware that such offer of retirement was refused by them on the distinct understanding, founded on a former Order in Council, that they should on arriving at their flag, or reaching the age of sixty, rise to the pay of 25s. per diem, which has since been reduced to 20s.; and whether it is the intention of the Government to consider the claim of those ten officers to the 25s. pay?

§ LORD CLARENCE PAGET

said, that it was true that there were some gallant officers who were rather disadvantaged than advantaged by the Order in Council of 1860, but their case was not so bad as the hon. Member supposed. Under the old Orders they had the option of retiring at the age of fifty-five or of remaining on the active list with all its chances, when 502 in accordance with the regulations of the service they would at some future and distant period have risen to a rate of 25s. a day. The Order in Council of 1860, which was greatly for the benefit of the whole naval service, had produced a greater flow of promotion to the flag list, and had entirely altered the position of those officers, who arrived at a position on the flag list at a much earlier date than they would otherwise have done. That order provided that officers who had not served at all should on their arrival at the ago of sixty be at once placed upon retired pay at the rate of 18s. and 20s. a day. Thus, although these officers lost the ultimate chance of rising to 25s. a day, they had the advantage of a more immediate increase from 10s. 6d. or 12s. 6d. to 18s. and 20s. The Duke of Somerset considered their case, but came to the conclusion that there was no reason for treating them exceptionally; nor did the Committee on retirement and promotion, which carefully investigated all the circumstances, think that any ground had been shown for making any special recommendation that the Order in Council, in this case, should be altered.