§ SIR ALEXANDER GORDONasked the Secretary of State for War, If he will state what was the service, and the date of such service, on account of which Captain the Honourable R. W. Napier, Second Squadron Subaltern of the 18th Bengal Cavalry, and now serving as an Aide de Camp at Gibraltar, was, on the 19th August last, rewarded by promotion to the rank of Brevet Major, over the heads of (about) 1,443 captains who were senior to him in the Army?
MR. GATHORNE HARDYSir, it has been usual when the Commander-in-Chief in India vacates his command to grant to one of his personal Staff, if he has sufficient claims for services performed, promotion to a higher grade. Captain the Hon. R. W. Napier, of the Bengal Cavalry, was the senior aide-de-camp, and had performed good service in the field during the Umbeyla and Abyssinian campaigns. As this compliment had been paid to many retiring Commanders-in-Chief of the British Service—namely, granting a step in rank to members of their Staff who were British officers, His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief would have been extremely loth to have seen an invidious and unfavourable distinction made when the officers concerned were, and for the first time, of the Indian Service, and the Secretary of State 1363 for India in Council fully concurred with His Royal Highness in recommending the promotion to Her Majesty.