§ MR. BIGGARasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether the seven young serjeants who were promoted by favour to lieutenancies on the 2nd July 1884 can all reach the Pay Department over the heads of 449 meritorious quartermasters; whether quartermasters were eligible for the post of regimental paymaster until the Pay Department was formed; whether 449 out of the 455 quartermasters shown in the Official Army List, dated 17th January 1884, are debarred from entering the Pay Department, and from all substantive promotion; and, whether quartermasters are combatant officers, as stated in the Royal Warrant of 1st April 1884, or non-combatant, as implied by recent statements by the Government?
§ SIR ARTHUR HAYTER, in reply, said, that omitting the words, "by favour," the Question might be answered in the affirmative. This was the fifth Question which the hon. Member for Cavan had addressed to Ministers on the subject, and he had uniformly had the same answer. There was another Question on the Paper relating to the same matter for Thursday next. If it were put, he should appeal to the Speaker as to whether the time of the House was to be wasted by the repetition of Questions which had practically been answered.