§ SIR HENRY TYLER (Great Yarmouth)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is the case that a Lieutenant from the Royal Marine Artillery has been appointed to a Lieutenancy in the Royal Engineers, over the heads of all existing Lieutenants of Engineers whose commissions bear date subsequent to 15th February, 1883; and, if so, on whose recommendation and on. whose responsibility that appointment has been made; whether, under the terms of the 1072 Royal Warrant, such an appointment could legally be made; and, whether, in view of the injury which may result to officers thus superseded, the precedent thus for the first time created is to be allowed to be followed in the future?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)Lieutenant Gordon, of the Royal Marine Artillery, had been employed for some time at Suakin as our acting Engineer, and he was reported to possess in a marked degree the qualifications of an Engineer officer. As he was also a nephew of that very distinguished officer of Engineers, the late General C. G. Gordon, the authorities of the corps were desirous that he should be transferred to it, so that one of the same name and family should still be borne on the roll of the Royal Engineers. In accordance with that desire, the Secretary of State, on the recommendation of all his military advisers, felt justified in submitting to Her Majesty a transfer which was undoubtedly unusual. Care was taken that Lieutenant Gordon should not supersede in the corps any officer who had been a candidate with himself and above him when, in 1880, he qualified for admission to the Royal Military Academy, though he was not successful in gaining admittance.
§ SIR HENRY TYLERIs it not a fact that 193 officers have been superseded?
§ MR. E. STANHOPEsaid, that, as he had already stated, care had been taken that no one should be superseded, and that no injustice should be done to any other officer by the transfer; but he could not state whether the figures quoted by the hon. Member were exact.