§ MR. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN (Kent, Faversham)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether, as owing to the large use of steam power and machinery on board ship the duties and responsibilities of the Engineer Department of the Royal Navy have of late years enormously increased, and as the officers of this Department are still far behind every other class of commissioned officers (except accountants) in the matter of rank, and behind every other class in the matter of pay, he will take steps to remedy this grievance, and to place these officers on an equal footing in these respects to those of any other branch of the Navy?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)The question of the pay and position of the officers of the Engineer Branch of the Navy has, from time to time, received the careful consideration of the Admiralty; and so late as in February, 1886, an Order in Council was obtained defining and re-adjusting the relative ranks of the officers of Her Majesty's Service, based on the recommendation of a Committee specially appointed to consider the question. I am not disposed to disturb this settlement.