§ GENERAL SHUTEasked the Secretary of State for War, If he intends to take steps to carry into effect the Recommendation of the Royal Commission, presided over by Lord Cairns, and, "by suitable arrangements in the British service," remove the hardships and inconveniences complained of by the Colonels in the Army in respect of their supersession by Colonels in the Indian Army, their juniors?
MR. GATHORNE HARDYLord Cairns' Commission reported that "the Crown could not, consistently with the good faith of the guarantee of 1858, diminish the opportunities of promotion of the officers of the Indian Army" for such purposes as were suggested on the inquiry. They added an opinion that "the hardships and inconveniences" resulting ought to be removed by "suitable arrangements in the British Army," "the nature of which," they said, "it was not for them to indicate." That Report was made in March, 1871, since which time nothing has been done. In the meantime, supersession has gone on, remedied as before, by ante-dating the commissions of English colonels when they are promoted to be major-generals, and by the rank of the Indian major-generals being local in India. This will continue for seven or eight years longer, and at present I do not see my way to any more complete remedy than has been applied. I am not insensible of the grievance, but it seems to me that it is dying out in a way that will remedy itself.