LORD CLAUD JOHN HAMILTONasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, the system upon which Greenwich Hospital Pensions are allotted to retired members of the Merchant Service; and how it is that a retired sailor of forty-seven years' service who contributed one shilling a-month when Mate, and two shillings a-month when Master, to the fund connected with the above-mentioned Pension, can now obtain no benefit from it?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEreplied that the fund applicable to pensions for retired members of the Merchant Service was at present exhausted in supplying pensions to seamen who had entered the service prior to 1817 or 777 1818. Of course, as vacancies occurred, applications from persons who had joined the service at a later period would be taken into consideration.