§ SIR HARRY VERNEYasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is the intention of the Government to form a General Staff Department for the Army, with a permanent Chief of the Staff, whose duty it shall be to collect all information necessary to the performance of Staff duties at home and abroad, under whose direction Officers shall receive a special training, and who shall certify the competency of all Officers appointed on the Staff?
§ MR. CARDWELLSir, the subject of the education of Staff officers and the kindred subject of the collection of topographical information in this and foreign countries have of late received great attention from the Royal Commission on Military Education and the authorities of the War Department. The Staff college and the Topographical department have been recently reviewed in consequence; but no proposal had been made of the specific kind suggested in the Question.
§ MR. VANCEasked, If there will be any change in the position of Staff Officers of Pensioners and Militia Adjutants under the new Army regulations; and, if the statement made by one of the Military journals is correct, that they will lose their appointments?
§ MR. CARDWELLI have repeatedly stated on former occasions, that it is intended to employ the existing Staff officers of Pensioners and the existing Militia Adjutants under the new regulations. The statement that has appeared in one of the military journals that they will lose their appointments is consequently not well founded.
COLONEL LOYD-LINDSAYasked the Secretary of State for War, To be good enough to explain to the House the position which Officers of the Regular Army, and Officers of the Militia and Volunteers, will assume to one another when brigaded and brought together under the new regulations, by which the Services are to be more closely united; and, whether Officers of the Militia and of Volunteers will be liable to be called upon to take command of Regular Troops, be they Artillery, Cavalry, or Infantry, in the event of the Reserve Officers happening to be of a senior grade in rank to any Officers of the Regular Army who may be present?
§ MR. CARDWELLSir, the relative position which officers of the Regular Army, the Militia, and Volunteers assume to one another is laid down in the 34th paragraph of the Queen's Regulations, sub-section D. Speaking generally, it is that officers of each rank take precedence in the following order:—namely, 1, Regulars; 2, Militia; 3, Yeomanry and Volunteers. In 1806 Mr. Windham passed an Act, which is not now in force, restraining the right of officers of Yeomanry and Volunteers, so that no officer of either could take command of any field officer of the Regular Forces. It may become necessary to re-consider this subject when the new arrangements shall be brought into operation brigading together more closely these several forces.