HC Deb 28 April 1873 vol 215 cc1025-7
COLONEL STUART KNOX

asked the Surveyor General of Ordnance, Why the pledges have not been fulfilled which were understood to have been given to the Candidates for Commissions in the Army who passed their examinations in 1870, and who went to Sandhurst believing that, if they passed through a year's course of study at the Royal Military College, and served satisfactorily for twelve months with a regiment, they would be promoted to be Lieutenants? In explanation of the Question, he would mention that in 1870 some hundreds of young gentlemen passed their examinations for the Army, and at the end of the year or the beginning of 1871 about 100 of them were told that if they passed one year creditably at Sandhurst, and then served satisfactorily for twelve months with a regiment they would be promoted to be Lieutenants. This promise was repeated in an Army Circular subsequently issued.

SIR HENRY STORKS

All those, Sir, who passed at the examination for direct commissions in 1870 were arranged in the order of merit in which they passed their examination, and the privilege of going at once to Sandhurst was offered to each of those at the head of the list in the same order, with a positive assurance that he would sustain no injury by not availing himself of the offer. Those who went to Sandhurst in February, 1871, did so under the following conditions:— Those gentlemen who pass a creditable examination at the termination of their course will, upon joining their regiments, be exempted from the 'Special' Army Examination in all subjects except Military Law. Those who went in February, 1872, after the Royal Warrant had been issued, were told, in addition to the above, that they might Receive their commissions as Lieutenant after twelve mouths satisfactory service with a regiment, under the provisions of the Royal Warrant of 30th October, 1871, Article 30, provided that they shall not be gazetted as Lieutenants until they have been two years in the service from the date of their commissions as Sub-Lieutenants. Were those, therefore, who went to the Royal Military College in 1871, to obtain lieutenancies after one year's service—they would be placed in a more advantageous position than many who passed above them in the examination, and who either went to Sandhurst in 1872, or did not avail themselves of, or had not the option of going at all to the College. The answer, therefore, is that the course actually adopted has fulfilled the pledges understood to be given, and the course suggested in the Question would have been at variance with them.

COLONEL STUART KNOX

said, he had another Question to ask—namely, Why were not those officers promoted who it was said the other night were to be promoted at the end of twelve months; by whose authority were they not to be promoted; and who was it that set the Royal Warrant at defiance?

SIR HENRY STORKS

said, he would answer the Question of the right hon. and gallant Member if he would be good enough to give Notice of it.

COLONEL STUART KNOX

said, that in putting his Question the other night to the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for War, he had asked him to read the Warrant, and not to trust to anyone else.

Afterwards—

COLONEL STUART KNOX

gave Notice that he would move for a Copy of the War Office Circular and the Queen's Warrant, which had been set at nought by the Secretary of State for War.