§ As to Sale of Commissions.
§ Clause 16 (Appointment of Commissioners to compensate officers).
§ COLONEL BERESFORDsaid, he would move as an Amendment, in page 8, line 34, to leave out "three," and insert "five;" and in page 9, line 5, to leave out "two," and insert "three," so that there should be five instead of three Commissioners. He might also mention that Clause 19 prevented any appeal from the decision of the Commissioners.
§ MR. CARDWELLsaid, the business devolving on the Commissioners would not be heavy, though the business devolving on the actuaries, perhaps, might be. It would be very unwise to have a large number of Commissioners, especially as they would have to be paid. No appeal was allowed, because they were really intended to act as a Court of Arbitration; and the Bill defined their duties so clearly, that gentlemen of good sense and intelligence would have no difficulty in discharging them.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ Clause 17 (Appointment of clerks by Commissioners) agreed to.
§ Clause 18 (Powers and duties of Commissioners).
§ COLONEL ANSONasked the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for War to accept the following Amendment:—In page 9, line 15, after the word "commission" to add the following words:—
And having ascertained such prices, the full sum shall be given in every case, without any deduction whatever in consequence of higher pay in 99 any superior rank, or of any subsequent selection to higher rank, or in consequence of any temporary depreciation of the value of a commission in consequence of being stationed in unhealthy climates or in consequence of foreign war, and the only grounds on which any reduction shall be made shall be on account of value previously received in money; and in all cases which may arise in which it may be discovered that an officer has been unable to sell previous to the day appointed for the abolition of purchase owing to temporary causes, such as there being no purchase officer willing to give the customary over-regulation price, or in consequence of there being a supernumerary in one of the ranks of the regiment, then full compensation shall be given to such officer as if no impediment had existed in the sale of his commission.
§ MR. CARDWELL, although he thought that the clause would effect what was intended in the Amendment, promised to carefully consider the suggestion.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ Clause 19 (Decision of Commissioners to be conclusive) agreed to.
§ Supplemental Provisions as to the Ballot,
§ Clauses 20 to 24, inclusive, negatived.
§ Rules by Secretary of State.
§ Clause 25 negatived.