§ MR. SAMUEL SMITHasked the Secretary of State for War, How many Presbyterian commissioned chaplains are there in the Army, what are their salaries, and to which denomination of Presbyterians do they belong; how many of them are actively employed abroad with the Army; in whose hands does their appointment rest; what is the scale of their retiring allowance; and, how many Presbyterian soldiers are there in the Army?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONThere are seven Presbyterian commissioned chaplains in the chaplains' department. Their salaries are regulated by Article 244 of the Royal Warrant for the pay of the Army. Five belong to the Scotch Presbyterian Church, two to the Irish Presbyterian body. Three are employed abroad, in Egypt. The appointment rests with the Secretary of State for War, who is usually guided by the advice of the Moderator of the Church from whose ranks the candidate is chosen. Retired pay is regulated by Article 979 of the Royal Warrant. According to the last general Annual Return of the Army, the number of Presbyterian soldiers was 12,619. The preliminary Return for 1884 shows 6,640 serving at home on January 1, 1885.