MR. OTWAYwished to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer a Question of which he had given him short private Notice. There was a Treasury Minute issued on the 27th of June last to the temporary writers employed in the Civil Establishments of Her Majesty's Government, and it contained the two following conditions:—It offered to these writers a choice either to continue in their employment on the terms laid down in Clause 3 of the Order in Council of the 19th of August, 1871, or to retire, receiving a gratuity for the sale of a pension commuted to five years' purchase under Section 7 of the Superannuation Act of 1854. The Question he wished to put to the right hon. Gentleman was, Whether the choice given by this Treasury Minute to the temporary writers would be continued after the close of the present Session of Parliament, or whether there was any chance of the retirement to which allusion was made in the Minute being then rendered compulsory?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, there was no intention whatever of limiting the option to the present Session of Parliament. Of course, a reasonable time must be allowed to the writers to take the option; but, as far as he was aware, there was nothing in the Minute which would operate to make retirement compulsory.