§ COLONEL O'BEIRNEasked the Secretary of State for War, If he will take into consideration the case of the Volunteer Sergeants serving on the permanent staffs of Militia Battalions, with a view of placing them on an equal footing as regards pay and allowances with their comrades serving on the permanent staffs under Line engagements, as the former have to perform exactly similar duties, according to their rank, 1369 as the latter non-commissioned officers; if it is a fact that a sergeant who has served five years in a Line Battalion may, at his own request, be transferred to a Militia Battalion, when he will receive pay and allowances amounting to 3s. 5d. per day, with deferred pay at the rate of £3 per annum, free schooling for his children, and a pension of 2s. 3d. per day after twenty-one years' service; while a sergeant serving on a Militia engagement—though he be a Paymaster Sergeant, or Orderly Room Sergeant, no matter how long his service, or how deserving he may be—receives but 2s. 4d. per day and a pension of 1s. per day after twenty-seven years' service and upwards; and, whether Militia Sergeants serving on the permanent staff would be permitted to enlist on an Army engagement under the same conditions as recently granted to pensioners serving in a like manner?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONIt is not in contemplation to equalize the pay and advantages of a Line sergeant serving on his Army engagement with those of a Volunteer sergeant who has given no service except in the Militia. The emoluments of the former must be taken as having, in part, reference to previous service in the Army, and as encouragement to good soldiers to aspire to the rank of non-commissioned officers. The ordinary source of supply for the permanent staff of the Militia battalions should be the Line battalions of the regiment.