§ LORD EUSTACE CECILasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, considering the number of General Officers of high rank in the Army now out of employment, the vacancies at the War Office, caused by the appointment of Sir Garnet Wolseley and. Sir John Adye to commands in Egypt, will be filled up, in the one case on the usual conditions of a five years' appointment, and, in the other, by a Member of this House? The noble Lord added that he understood the right hon. Gentleman to say yesterday that the offices had not been vacated, and that the appointments in Egypt had only been made for three 30 months. He wished to ask whether, if the operations went on beyond three months, these appointments would be continued or not; and, further, whilst the appointments are being temporarily filled, pay would be received by these two distinguished officers, both for their appointments at the War Office and in Egypt?
§ SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOTasked the right hon. Gentleman whether he considered it desirable that such appointments should be made without the vacancies being filled up?
§ MR. CHILDERSI think Notice should be given of such Questions as that last addressed to me. In reply to the noble Lord, I have to say that I fully answered his principal Question in the debate yesterday; and the noble Lord will, therefore, excuse me if I do not repeat what I then said. If the campaign should last longer than three months it will be necessary to reconsider these appointments.
§ LORD EUSTACE CECILHow about the pay?
§ MR. CHILDERSThe pay, of course, of the offices at home will not be drawn while the officers are on duty elsewhere. In one of the cases—that of the Adjutant General—I stated that another officer was to be appointed for the time.