SIR JOHN HAYsaid, in the absence of his noble Friend (Lord Henry Lennox), he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty to lay upon the Table of the House a Return of the names of the Flag Officers and their ages who will be retired under the new scheme, and the names and ages of the Captains who will be promoted to replace them?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, it is quite out of my power to state who will be retired under the new Order in Council, because options are given to different ranks of flag officers, and I have no means of knowing how they will exercise their options. I may, however, state that under any circumstances, so far as I am aware, ten flag officers will be at once retired for non-service and four for age, and that if they elect the new regulations, twenty-two more must be retired for age. In the former event, only two captains will be promoted to be rear admirals, and in the latter case seven. If officers elect to retire before the age at which retirement is compulsory, these numbers will be still further increased. I cannot give the names of the captains who will be promoted without knowing how they will exercise the option given them. After the operation is complete I shall have no objection to give every information on the subject.