§ MR. J. M'CARTHY (Londonderry)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether it is true that a grave " block " still exists in the Bombay Civil Service, that nearly one-third of the whole Service is crowded into the four years preceding 1871, and that, although the " block " has been officially acknowledged, nothing has been done by the Government of India, or the Secre- 900 tary of State, towards removing it; and why have no " blocked " Bombay civilians been employed under the Government of India?
SIR J. GORSTNo doubt promotion in the year named in the question of the hon. Gentleman has been slow; but steps have been taken, by the grant of what are called "minimum allowances," to meet cases of exceptional hardship. It is not the case that Bombay men of the years named have not been employed under the Government of India.