§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)asked the Secretary of State for War, Upon what grounds the Commissioners of Chelsea Hospital refuse to pay to George Williams the amount of arrears of good conduct pay to which he is entitled, and which was certified to be due to him, and payment of which was promised by the Letter of the Com- 432 missioners, No. I. Bd. 1. 6. 85, Case No. 31, dated 8th June, 1887?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, WAR DEPARTMENT (Mr. BRODRICK) (Surrey, Guildford)(who replied) said: Under the Warrant of 1848, 1d. a-day was added for each good conduct badge to pensions—whether temporary or permanent—granted on their discharge to soldiers incapacitated in the Service—the temporary pension being renewable for such period as the circumstances might warrant. It was decided by Viscount Cardwell, in 1870, that a temporary pensioner, whose pension was so renewed, had no claim to have good conduct pay added to the renewed pension. Pensioner Williams claims arrears of this good conduct pay, which was not added to his renewed pension in 1865. The present Secretary of State is of opinion that a soldier who was granted a temporary pension under such circumstances, and whose temporary pension was so renewed or made permanent, should have the good conduct pay added to pensions, as had been the case up to the decision of Viscount Cardwell in 1870. He caused his interpretation of the Warrant to be notified to the Chelsea Commissioners, who informed Williams that he would get the arrears. It was subsequently pointed out that the Secretary of State would require the approval of the Treasury to a reversal of the decision of a former Secretary of State, involving the grant of arrears. The Treasury differed from the Secretary of State in his interpretation of the Warrant, and held that, as the Chelsea Commissioners and Secretary of State for the time being refused to recognize the claim, their Lordships could not grant the arrears asked for.