§ VISCOUNT LEWISHAMasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether Major Hutchinson, late of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was, on August 16th, 1880, ordered out to India at a few days' notice, being thus put to the expense of an Indian outfit, &c, although it was known at the time that he would be compulsorily retired in a short space of time; whether it is usual in such cases to send such officers to the depôt; whether, having landed in India on 12th September, 1880, he was compulsorily retired on December 31st of the same year, in accordance with Royal Warrant; whether he at once applied for a passage home but, through no fault of his own, was unable to receive one till January 25th, 1881; whether he was struck off Indian pay and allowances from December 31st, 1880, and had to revert to the ordinary English half-pay; whether by G.G.O., No. 482, of 1877, paragraph 6, he was entitled to Indian pay and allowance till the date of his leaving the station; and, whether it is the intention of the War Office in any way to compensate this officer?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONThe rule is that if a battalion is ordered out on active service all its available officers go with it; but if it proceeds on ordinary relief, officers about to be retired are detained in this country. The battalion was ordered on active service in August, 1880, when a continuation of operations in Afghanistan was expected. Major Hutchinson was placed on retired pay under the provisions of the Royal Warrant from the 1st of January, 1881. He applied at once for a passage home; but was unavoidably detained for 24 days at the port of embarkation. He received Indian pay and allowances up to the date of quitting his station, and British half-pay from that date. This was entirely under, and in accordance with, Indian pay regulations, over which the War Office has no control. I am not prepared to say that the case was not a hard one; but as Major Hutchinson was treated strictly in accordance with 1542 the Regulations applicable to all officers, I do not see how he can be granted exceptional advantage in the way of compensation.