SIR HENRY FLETCHERasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, If he can inform the House what is the proposed reduction in the Royal Marines, and whether it will be by discharge or by discontinuance of recruiting; and, if he can further state what benefits the Officers of the Royal Marines are to receive by the proposed reduction?
§ MR. TREVELYAN, in reply, said, that Papers would very shortly be de- 820 livered to Members stating the benefits which, not only all officers of the Royal Marines, but the non-commissioned officers and the men would obtain by the now proposals which the Admiralty had made. The exact course of these proposals it was impossible at present to ascertain, and the exact effect on the rank and file of the corps; but the proposed reduction would certainly not be made by what he might call the discharge, but by the retardation of recruiting. It would be brought about by raising the standard.
§ In answer to Mr. WARTON,
§ MR. TREVELYANsaid, it was not intended to extend to captains of the Royal Marines who had already retired the privilege of returning to the Service under any circumstances. As to the retirement for age being limited to the rank of major, the circumstances and conditions of Marine service had enabled the Admiralty to fix no age for compulsory retirement of captains, and the Admiralty were gratified at being able to spare captains the anxiety of not being able to say whether or not they might be compulsorily retired as they approached the age of 40 or 42. There would be no compulsory retirement of majors until the age of 48.