§ MR. BRUENasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether Navigating Sub-Lieutenants were by the Circular of October 1876 allowed to exchange into the executive branch of the service at the time of passing their examinations at Greenwich or on promotion; whether some Sub-Lieutenants gained an addition of time to their seniority on entering the service owing to good conduct and high marks in the "Britannia" training ship; whether in some cases the usual date of passing the Greenwich examinations was in consequence of this addition anticipated, and officers in these eases were thus deprived of the advantages given by the Circular, and will be so deprived until promotion, a probable period of seven years; whether the Lords of the Admiralty will consider the 969 expediency of extending the advantages given by the said Circular, as amended by the Circular of March 1877, to those Navigating Sub-Lieutenants who passed out of Greenwich at an exceptionally early period owing to their own good conduct and before the date of the Circular; and, whether this object might be effected without undue disturbance of the course of promotion, by applying the said Circular to each such case, as if ante-dated to the extent of time added to the seniority of the officer in consequence of his good conduct and high marks when on board the "Britannia?"
§ MR. A. F. EGERTONSir, there is some confusion in the Question between navigating sub-lieutenants and sub-lieutenants, and it will be necessary to reverse the order of some of the queries in order to make the answer intelligible. Navigating sub-lieutenants are, by the Circular of October, 1876, allowed to exchange into the executive branch of the Service at the time of passing their examinations at Greenwich, or on promotion. The advantages given by the said Circular, as amended by the Circular of March 1877, cannot be extended to those navigating sub-lieutenants who passed out of Greenwich at an exceptionally early period, owing to their own good conduct before the date of the Circular; such a course would be most invidious, as the very few officers who would benefit by such a proceeding received at the time of their passing immediate promotion to the rank of navigating lieutenant as a reward. All sub-lieutenants are awarded an addition of time to their seniority on leaving the Britannia training ship proportionate to the certificates they receive for ability and good conduct. Some years ago cadets, after completing their course of study, joined a sea-going training ship, and cadets who had passed exceptionally well out of the Britannia were, on leaving the sea-going training ship, allowed to pass for the rank of lieutenant before attaining the age of 19. The seagoing training ship having since been abolished, no such claim can now be admitted.