CAPTAIN GROSVENORsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it would be incompatible with the interests of the public service to allow "Writers in the Department of Customs" fourteen days' leave annually without deduction of pay?
§ MR. AYRTONsaid, in reply, that the persons to whom the Question referred were employed at daily wages, paid on a higher scale than formerly, on the understanding that they were to be paid only for the days that they worked; therefore it would be quite incompatible with the engagements they had entered into, for them to be paid for the days when they were not employed. It would be necessary for the Commissioners of Customs to employ other persons, and to give them the wages which would otherwise be earned by those persons. They were only allowed the holidays which were given by Royal command. He was sorry, therefore, the request could not be complied with.