§ MR. LODER (Brighton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War; whether he is aware that the certificate of discharge of Sergeant Major O'Connor, formerly of the King's Own Borderers, now Sergeant Major 1st Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, showed that at that time he held the rank of colour sergeant; whether he was, between January, 1878, and the date of his discharge, borne on the strength of his regiment as supernumerary colour sergeant; whether he can state on what 1715 grounds colour sergeants' pension has been refused to Sergeant Major O'Connor; and whether Sergeant Instructor Graham, of the Cirencester (Gloucestershire) Volunteers, has received colour sergeants' pension, and in what respects his case differs from that of Sergeant Major O'Connor?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. E. STANHOPE,) Lincolnshire, HorncastleBy the regulations in force at the time of Sergeant Major O'Connor's transfer to the Auxiliary Forces, he was required to revert to the rank of sergeant from that of colour sergeant, which he then held. At that time there was no difference in the pension of the two ranks, though by a later Warrant the pension of colour sergeant was increased. As O'Connor never regained the latter rank, he was rightly pensioned as a sergeant. He was incorrectly described in his discharge certificate. The case of Sergeant Instructor Graham seems to have been similar; but through an error in his record he obtained a colour sergeant's pension. As he died several years ago, no further steps can be taken in the matter.