§ MR. PALMERasked the Secretary of State for War, If he would explain to the House why the Adjutants of Engineer Volunteer Corps are not placed in the same position as regards pay as the Adjutants of Rifle Corps, and why the allowance for forage is altered under the Army and Reserve Forces Circular of 1877; and, why they are debarred from the privilege of recruiting?
MR. GATHORNE HARDYSir, the course pursued in Engineer Volunteer Corps is the same as that pursued in the Volunteer Force generally—namely, to fill the post of adjutant as vacancies occur from captains on full pay of the Regular Army. The pay and allowances of adjutants of Volunteers have been assimilated to those of captains in the Army; but, owing to the fact that the present adjutants of Engineer Volunteers are either late officers of Infantry of the Line or non-commissioned officers of Royal Engineers, they are precluded 1943 from receiving either the rank or pay of captains in the Royal Engineers. It is, however, proposed to offer such of them as are eligible adjutancies of Infantry Volunteers, when they will draw the increased rates of pay. As to forage, an adjutant of Volunteers is a mounted officer, and until July, 1876, he was granted 2s. a-day to cover forage, &c. Some did not keep horses, and therefore the amount was all gain. Adjutants who keep horses now get 2s. 4d. a-day (a gain of 4d.), and those who do not are allowed horse hire not exceeding 1s. 10d. a-day. With regard to recruiting, when recruiting duties were first imposed on adjutants of Militia, some of the old adjutants, who were not receiving an increased rate of pay, complained of the additional duty thus thrust on them; accordingly, when it was decided that the pay of adjutants of Engineer Volunteers was to remain at the old rates, it was considered desirable to exempt them from any additional duty in the way of recruiting, in order to remove any possible complaints on that ground.