§ MR. W. JOHNSTONasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, in consideration of the long and valuable public services of Mr. Edward John Eyre, Ex-Governor of Jamaica, it is the intention of Government to confer on him an adequate pension, or give him a suitable appointment under the Crown?
MR. GLADSTONESir, I am not quite sure of the meaning of the hon. Gentleman's Question as to a pension, but I presume it does not refer to any kind of pension which Mr. Eyre might acquire under the ordinary Colonial Pensions Act, because Mr. Eyre's time of service or age has not raised that matter at the present time. I presume his meaning to be whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to propose the conferring a special pension or suitable appointment on Mr. Eyre. As regards a suitable appointment, the hon. Gentleman will find in the Papers relative to Mr. Eyre, that that Question has been already answered by my noble Friend the Secretary of State in a letter dated the 26th of July, 1870. He there states that though he had heard with satisfaction that the legal proceedings 1029 against Mr. Eyre had terminated, he regretted that he could not recommend to the Crown that he should be employed in the public service. With respect to conferring a pension, it is not the intention of the Government to make such a proposal.