§ MR. STACPOOLEasked the Secretary of State for War, If it is true that in several cases where, since the promulgation of the Royal Warrant of May 1878, vacancies by death or compulsory retirement at seventy years of age have occurred in the establishment of general officers, majors have not received the promotion to which they are entitled under paragraph 21 f of the Warrant; whether there is any provision in the Warrant rendering it necessary, in order to give the senior major in the Army the right to the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel under the said paragraph, that such vacancy on the establishment of general officers should be filled up; and, if no such provision exists, whether the refusal to senior majors of promotion on the occurrence of such vacancies in the establishment of general officers is not a violation of paragraph 21 f of the Royal Warrant?
§ COLONEL STANLEYI do not think there has been any violation of the Royal Warrant. If any name or any personal references be given to me, I shall be able to trace these cases, and possibly be enabled to answer the Question generally. However, I may say this much—that the death or retirement of an officer holding a rank in which there are supernumeraries does not ever create a vacancy.