§ COLONEL HUGHES-HALLETT (Rochester)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, having regard to the amended warrant of 1st January last, which practically stops the promotion of captains to the rank of major until the two second lieutenant colonels and supernumerary majors in territorial regiments have been absorbed, he will, on the occasion of this Jubilee year of Her Majesty's reign, take into consideration the case of captains of 18 years' full pay service, whose prospects have been prejudiced by the Warrant alluded to, by recommending them to Her Majesty for a step of brevet rank, provided they are proposed for that step by their superiors?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)I am not prepared to accept the suggestion in my hon. Friend's Question. Promotion to the rank of major is mainly regimental, and considerable inequality in the rate of promotion is, therefore, inevitable. There are a few captains of 18 years' service; but, as a rule, promotion has of late years been so rapid that very few captains have even nearly approached the period for compulsory retirement. Now that that period has been postponed for five years, it is hoped that all deserving officers in the rank of captain will be promoted, notwithstanding that promotion will be for a time retarded by the recent alterations of establishment.