§ SIR ROPER LETHBRIDGE (Kensington, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India, with reference to a Despatch from the Government of India, dated 28th March, 1870, and signed by Lord Mayo, Sir William Mansfield, Sir Henry Durand, Sir John Strachey, Sir Richard Temple, and Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, which was understood to contain a passage to the following effect:—
We shall be glad to see some plan adopted by which the furlough allowances of civil engineers shall be equalised with those of military officers in the Public Works Department, and so far as practicable their advantages of pension also,whether any, and what, steps have been taken to carry out this recommendation; and whether this Despatch, and other Papers relating to the furlough allowances and pensions of civil engineers in the Public, Works Department of India, can be laid upon the Table of the House?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir J. GORST, Chatham)The passage quoted is a correct extract from the Despatch, which is to be found in Parliamentary Paper No. 115 of 1871, with other Papers. The steps taken to carry out the recommendation, so far as has been found practicable, are stated in the correspondence published in Parliamentary Paper No. 439 of 1888.
§ SIR ROPFR LETHBRIDGEArising out of that answer, will my right hon. Friend inform the House whether any steps were subsequently taken; and, if so, with what result?
§ SIR J. GORSTSteps have been taken, but I am afraid I am not able without notice to describe them.