§ COLONEL C. H. LINDSAYasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, upon the abolition of Purchase in the Army, the limit of the period of the command, of a battalion will be retrospective, or whether it will simply come into operation from the 1st of November; whether, in either case, the Officers who may be displaced will at once receive any portion of the over regulation money which they have paid according to the custom of their regiments; whether Officers who go on half-pay after twenty-five years' service will receive any over 772 regulation money; and, if so, in what proportion; and, whether Officers who have completed twenty-five years' service, or who are put on half-pay, or who went on half-pay of their own accord, will be in as good a pecuniary position as they now are, according to the existing system, with respect to the over regulation prices of their commissions?
§ MR. CARDWELLThe limit, Sir, will not be retrospective. The other questions are all questions of the construction of the Act, the terms of which were so fully considered by this House, and whose authoritative interpretation will rest with the Commissioners. The intention of the Bill is, as was repeatedly stated in the discussions, to put all the officers affected by it in as good a pecuniary position as they would have been in if the Act had not passed.
§ LORD GARLIESasked the Secretary of State for War, when the appointments of Colonels on the Staff for the supervision of the auxiliary forces of the Kingdom are to be made, in accordance with the announcement made on this subject nearly six months ago?
§ MR. CARDWELLThe delay in these appointments has been consequent on the delay in passing the Bill, under which the officers are to receive their powers; and to that delay few persons have contributed more efficiently than my noble Friend himself.