§ VISCOUNT LEWISHAMasked the Secretary of State for India, If he would state why the officers of the old Indian Artillery are not permitted to retire on the same terms as the officers of the old European Line Regiments; and, whether there is any prospect of the difference being removed?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, the retirement of the two classes of officers referred to proceeds on separate lines under the operation of Royal Warrant. Officers of the Indian Artillery were exempted, in their own interest, from the compulsory half-pay retirement clauses of the Royal Warrant under which officers of the new Line regiments, who were under Indian pension rules, are forced to go on half-pay on less favourable terms of retirement than those offered to Indian Artillery officers, who are exempted from the operation of these penal clauses. The new Line officer who has been compulsorily placed on half-pay cannot on retirement attain to a higher pension than £600 a-year. The old Indian Artillery officer, who is allowed continuous service, can, on electing to retire, attain to a pension of £1,000 a-year. The Indian Artillery officer is at no disadvantage and suffers no injustice from not being placed under the same rules as those which govern the retirement of the old Indian European Line. There is no intention of assimilating the two conditions of retirement.