HC Deb 13 July 1874 vol 220 cc1521-2
COLONEL JERVIS

asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether the rules which regulate the retirement of Officers on the full pay of their rank after twenty-two years in India are not those of 1868; whether the Officers of the late East India Company's Service are not entitled to retire under the regulations of 1796 and 1824, and are in no ways affected by the regulations of 1868; whether the General Order of August 12, 1824, states that— All Officers who may hereafter retire under the existing regulations shall be allowed the following rates of pay and half-pay respectively, the pay of Major, whatever branch of the Service he may have belonged to, being fixed at sixteen shillings per diem; whether Majors of Artillery are substantive Majors; and, whether between the year 1824 and the passing of the Act 21 and 22 Vic. c. 106, any other retirement regulations whatever were issued by the late East India Company?

LORD GEORGE HAMILTON

Sir, no retiring regulations were issued in 1868. The General Order of August 12, 1824, states that— All Officers who may hereafter retire under the existing regulations shall be allowed the following rates of pay and half-pay respectively, and the retiring pay of majors is fixed at 16s. a-day. Majors of Artillery are substantive majors, having been promoted by the Royal Warrant of July 5, 1872, from the rank of first captain, thus altering the existing Regulations of 1824, under which there were no Majors of Artillery. In publishing that Royal Warrant, the Government of India notified to these Officers that their retiring pay should be 14s. 6d. per diem, in place of the 10s. 6d. to which under the Regulations of 1824 they were entitled. In 1837 retiring rules were issued, by which pensions were granted for length of service, irrespective of rank.

COLONEL JERVIS

said, the noble Lord had not answered his Question, as to whether the Royal Warrant had done away with the provisions of the Act 21 and 22 Vic.

LORD GEORGE HAMILTON

Perhaps the hon. and gallant Gentleman will be good enough to repeat the Question to-morrow.

COLONEL JERVIS

Yes.