§ MR. COBBOLDasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is the case that the provisions of Her Majesty's Warrant of 5th February 1880, allowing officers to count service given under the age of twenty as qualification for beneficial retirement, have, under that Warrant, retrospective application in the case of officers who had left the Army between the 13th of August 1877 and 5th February 1880, after completing twelve 1055 year' service, above the age of twenty, but have not such retrospective application in the case of officers who had left the Army between those dates, before completing twelve years' service above the age of twenty; whether, if this is the case, the distinction in this respect between the two classes of officers was intentionally made; and, if so, on what grounds, and whether he considers the ground for such distinction sufficient; and, whether he will take into consideration the propriety of extending the privilege of counting service given under the age of twenty as qualification for beneficial retirement to officers who left the Army between the 13th August 1877 and the 5th of February 1880, before completing twelve years' service above the age of twenty?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, the Warrant of the 5th of February, 1880, to which the hon. Gentleman refers, undoubtedly has the effect expressed in his first Question; but, as I am not responsible for that Warrant, which was issued on the advice of my Predecessor, I cannot venture to say what intentions may have passed through his mind. I have, however, received representations urging relaxations of the Warrant in the sense of the hon. Member's third Question; but at this moment I cannot say whether or not they will be complied with. Questions of the retrospective effect of new regulations are among the most difficult I have to deal with.