§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked the Financial Secretary to the War Department, with reference to a proposal to grant the rank of Lieutenant Colonel to Staff Paymasters of five years' standing, Whether, as a matter of fact, Staff Paymasters have not always held the rank of Major?
§ SIR ARTHUR HAYTERAs a matter of fact, Staff Paymasters have held the honorary rank of Major since the formation of the Army Pay Department in 1878. Perhaps I may be allowed to add that, by the courtesy of the hon. and gallant Baronet the Member for West Sussex (Sir Walter B. Barttelot), my attention was privately called to a very Blight error on this subject in my reply of the 12th ultimo to the hon. Member for Liverpool (Mr. Whitley), when I said that the rank of major had recently been conferred on Staff Paymasters. I should have said that the rank was conferred on the formation of the Pay Department in 1878. But as there is not now, and never has been, any intention of conferring the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel on Staff Paymasters, and as the date on which the rank of major had been first assigned to them was not material to the understanding of my reply, it seemed to me unnecessary to take up the time of the House by an explanation of what appears to me so trifling a mistake.