§ COLONEL COLTHURSTasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he will consider the desirability of allowing a pension to the widows and orphans of soldiers married with leave, and who have re-engaged after completion of twelve years' service?
§ COLONEL STANLEYIf the hon. and gallant Gentleman means to ask whether I have prepared any scheme for allowing the pensions to which he refers, I cannot say that that is the case. Of course, the question of the desirableness of allowing such pensions has often been considered; but they have never been granted generally, and I fear that the enormous cost and difficulty of their payment would prove a very great bar to the adoption of any such scheme.