§ MR. SURTEESsaid, he would beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether it is intended to confer the rank of Lieutenant Colonel upon Regimental Paymasters of twenty years service, considering that by the promotion of Surgeons to that and higher ranks since the year 1858 Paymasters have lost that position of equality with the Surgeons in their Regiments which they had previously enjoyed; and, if not, for what reason?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, in reply, that there was at present no intention to alter the rank of Paymasters as suggested by the hon. Gentleman. The whole question of relative rank was considered by Lord Herbert in 1860, when the Warrant which fixed the rank of Paymasters was settled; and that noble Lord objected to adopt the measure indicated by the hon. Gentleman for several reasons into which he (the Marquess of Hartington) need not enter. One reason, which had considerable weight with Lord Herbert, was that there had never been any difficulty in obtaining a sufficient number of well-qualified Paymasters, while there had been considerable difficulty in getting properly qualified Army Surgeons. Paymasters were not the only Officers who might complain that their relative rank was altered by that which was conferred upon Surgeons by the Medical Warrant of 1858.