§ MR. W. J. CORBETasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he has had before him an application for an allowance to be made to the members of the Clerical Staff of Messrs. Cane and Sons, until recently Army Agents, in the same manner as an allowance was made to the gentlemen similarly situated at the termination of the agency of Boroughs and Co.; and, whether he will make any representation to the Treasury on the subject?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, in reply to the hon. Member, I have to state that there is no analogy whatever between the case of Sir Edward Boroughs' clerks in 1872, and that of Messrs. Cane's clerks now. When certain changes were formerly made in Sir Edward Borough's duties under special circumstances, described in Parliamentary Paper 135, of 1872, and 331, of 1874, gratuities were given to some of his clerks; but both Sir Edward Borough and Mr. Cane were distinctly informed in 1875 that on their deaths the agencies they held would cease. At Sir Edward 35 Borough's death, in 1879, his clerks petitioned my Predecessor for gratuities, but they were refused. Mr. Cane has sold his business to another firm, and if he has not provided for his clerks, it is no affair of the War Office. I have no intention to make any application to the Treasury on their behalf.