§ CAPTAIN PIMasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether, considering the lateness of the Session and the importance of having a comprehensive scheme for the re-organisation of the Admiralty, he will consent to postpone the Admiralty and War Office (Retirement of Officers) Bill until next Session; and, whether there is any objection to lay upon the Table of the House a Return showing the name, age, salary, and length of service of the Civil Servants under the Admiralty, specifying the branch in which they are serving, whether in a dockyard or elsewhere; and also Copies of all Petitions from Admiralty Civil Servants forwarded since 1870, with the Minutes of the Superintendents thereon and the replies thereto?
§ MR. W. H. SMITH,in reply, said, the measure referred to in the Question of his hon. and gallant Friend was very important to the Public Service, and any delay would be serious both to the War and Admiralty Departments. He, therefore, hoped the House would find time to pass the Bill into law this Session. Certainly, the Government would lose no opportunity of pushing it forward. He did not see that any advantage would be derived from laying on the Table any of the Returns asked for by his hon. and gallant Friend. Some of them were confidential, and could not be made public; others would involve considerable labour and expense, and could not possibly be issued in time to be of use in connection with the present Bill.