§ MR. MITCHELL HENRYasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, having regard to the disappointment which the sudden reduction of the number of vacancies for Cadetships at Woolwich from forty or upwards to thirty must occasion to many youths who have been for the last one or two years preparing for the examination, it is the intention of the authorities to extend the limit of age from eighteen years to eighteen and a half, or nineteen years?
MR. GATHORNE HARDY, in reply, said, that no pledge had been given by the War Department that 40 cadets would be admitted in each term; nor had they said anything to lead to that expectation. At present, there was no probability of there being so many vacancies in the Engineers or Artillery, and therefore it was very undesirable that cadets who had qualified should have to wait so long for their commissions as they would have if the limit of age were extended. It was not the intention of the Government therefore to extend the present maximum of age beyond 18 years.