§ SIR HENRY HAVELOCKasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, in consideration of the important bearing on the future condition of the Army of certain provisions comprised in the comprehensive scheme to be embodied in the proposed Royal Warrant for Promotion and Retirement, he would take measures to lay upon the Table of the House a Draft of the proposed Warrant before the House is asked to consider the question?
MR. GATHORNE HARDY, in reply, reminded the hon. and gallant Gentleman that the Royal Warrant was an Act of Prerogative, and said it would be impossible to submit the Royal Warrant to the discussion of the House before it was signed by Her Majesty. The Royal Warrant went into a number of questions not connected with the subject of promotion and retirement. He had laid before the House the substance of all that would be in the Warrant in connection with promotion and retirement without the formal and technical language of the Warrant itself. He did not think that the House would have any difficulty in discussing the question.
§ MR. WHALLEYasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, in connection with the Army Retirement scheme, or otherwise, any steps will be now taken to provide for the employment of officers retiring from the Army in organising and promoting the efficiency of the Volunteer Forces, and thus meet the want of skilled training noticed in official Reports?
MR. GATHORNE HARDY, in reply, said, he would readily take any steps calculated to increase the efficiency of the Volunteer force, but at the same time, the Force was a peculiar one, and it would not do to impose officers on the corps against their will; but, with their assent, he should be glad to appoint retired Army officers to Volunteer commands, and there were provisions in the Army Warrant to facilitate such appointments. It would be a matter for consideration in each particular case whether such an appointment should be made or not.