§ COLONEL NORTHsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether his attention has been called to the hardship inflicted upon Officers of the Army, Ordnance, Navy, and Marines in respect of Civil Services performed by them, by Clause 16, c. 24, 4 & 5 Will. IV., which regulates the superannuation allowances granted to those Officers; and, if so, will he give the subject his best consideration?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH, in reply, said, his attention had been very recently called to the operation of the clause in question, and it was the opinion of many persons well-qualified to judge that that operation involved some hardship upon meritorious officers. The clause had been continually interpreted in one sense only, and that interpretation could not be altered except by an Act of Parliament. It would be a very serious question to re-open the whole question of superannuation allowances; and he was not prepared at present to bring in a Bill to effect the object of his hon. and gallant Friend; but, having heard of the dissatisfaction which had arisen under this 2134 clause, he would undertake to watch its operation closely, and to give the subject his best consideration.