§ MR. GIBSONasked the Under Secretary of State for India, Is it the fact that 54, or more than one-third of the entire Bombay Civil Service, occupy the three years 1867–70; and, if so, what steps does he intend to take to get rid of the superfluous men or their discontented juniors?
§ MR. J. K. CROSSNo, Sir; it is not the fact that 54, or more than one-third of the entire Bombay Civil Service, occupy the three years 1867–70. There are 160 men—including five statutory civilians—in the Bombay Civil Service. Of these, 48 were appointed in the four years, 1867–70, inclusive. A Memorial was received last year from a civilian, appointed in 1869, complaining of slowness of promotion, and praying that he might be allowed to retire on a special pension. In forwarding this Memorial, the Bombay Government said that, "while conscious that at present there was an unfortunate block in one part of the Service," they did not consider it expedient to induce special retirements by the grant of proportionate pensions. The Secretary of State refused the application, seeing no reason for dealing with it in an exceptional manner.