§ MR. TUITE (Westmeath, N.)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, by the Royal Warrant relating to Army Pensions, issued July, 1881, the mode of computing pensions of soldiers discharged as non-commissioned officers was so altered that any non-commissioned officer whose service was continuous was entitled to have his years of service, previous to his attaining the age of 18 years, considered in fixing the pension; whether the Addenda Warrant, issued March, 1882, is so framed as to exclude the years of service under the ago of 18 years; and, whether, having regard to the hardships inflicted by this Rule, he is prepared to recommend that the 21 years of service should be reckoned from the date of enlistment?
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, WAR DEPAETMENT (Mr. BRODRICK) () (who replied) Surrey, Guildfordsaid: The Rules for calculating service are so framed with regard to boy service as to benefit the soldier either way. The service counts toward pension, except in cases where it is to the soldier's advantage that it should not so count, as occurs in a very few cases of soldiers who enlisted under Warrants of earlier date than 1881.