§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERappealed to the hon. Member for Chatham (Mr. Otway), who had a Notice on the Paper that he would call the attention of the House, on going into Committee of Supply, to the position of the writers employed in the Government Offices—not to stand in the way of the Votes in Supply being proceeded with. As an inducement to the hon. Gentleman not to bring his subject forward, he might explain that it had been arranged that the writers who were in the employment of the Crown on 4th 381 June, 1870, should retain all their payments without any diminution whatever; and they would retain all their privileges as to holidays. What they would lose would be the increments which they had had; these would cease and determine. If by inadvertence any person had lost anything, he had only to apply to Government and the matter would be put right. As to the future, they had the option, where there was an increment, of receiving a gratuity on the footing of clerks on the permanent establishment whose situations were abolished. Besides that, Government was quite willing to give a favourable consideration in the matter of holidays to those who already had holidays, and to all future writers. Government was also willing to consider the propriety of placing writers who had been long in the service on the establishment.
MR. OTWAYsaid, that when charged with the interest of a large number of persons, he felt it rather difficult to reply to an appeal of which he had had no previous Notice, but the spirit in which the right hon. Gentleman made his statement seemed exceedingly fair, and therefore he should not, by bringing forward his Motion, put any obstacle in the way of the termination of the Business of the Session; but in case the proposed regulations should not give satisfaction, he would early next Session move for a Committee of Inquiry on the subject.