§ MR. O'BEIRNEsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether his attention has been directed to the slow and unsatisfactory promotion which takes place from the rank of Assistant Surgeon in the Army Medical Department; and, whether he is of opinion that measures should be taken to assimilate the system of promotion in that branch of the Service to that which exists in the Indian Medical Service, where it is obtained after a period of twelve years?
§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTON, in reply, said, he could not help taking exception, to the first portion of the hon. Member's Question. The hon. Gentleman could, he imagined, have scarcely been aware of the fact that last year no less than sixty-five Assistant Surgeons were promoted, while in no year during the ten preceding years had the average of promotions exceeded forty. Instead, therefore, of the promotion being "slow and unsatisfactory," it had never been more rapid or more satisfactory than it was at the present time. With reference to the latter portion of the hon. Member's Question, he might remind the hon. Gentleman that the whole of this subject was carefully considered by a Select Committee as lately as 1866, and under the circumstances he did not see that any measures such as those suggested by the hon. Gentleman were required.