§ SIR THOMAS ESMONDE(for Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIEN,) Cork Co., N.E.I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office, whether his attention has been drawn to the case of an unfortunate Army pensioner named James Thompson, at present an inmate of the Kensington Workhouse, who received four severe wounds during the Indian Mutiny, which lamed him for life, and afterwards received other terrible injuries by reason of an accident at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Sparkbrook; and is he aware that Thompson was for twenty-four years denied the full pension to which a soldier wounded in action is entitled, and that he received no compensation for the injuries he sustained in the Royal Small Arms Factory; and, if so, whether, considering Thompson's advanced age and many injuries received in the public service, and considering that his present pension is appropriated to pay the cost of his support in the workhouse, some allowance will be made him in the shape of arrears of pension or compensation for accident which will save him from dying in a workhouse?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordJames Thompson served eleven years in the Army. He received a wound in 1857, but was not invalided till 1864, when he received a pension of ninepence a day, the usual rate in such cases, when the recipient is able to supplement his pension by his earnings. In 1888 it was represented that this was no longer the Case, his disability having become worse, and his pension was increased to one shilling and twopence. He was, however, sufficently fit for employment as a labourer in the Royal Small Arms Factory at Birmingham, but before he had been there seven months 36 he sprained himself, and had unfortunately to be discharged, receiving £12 10s. injury pay and £31 16s. compensation in August last. I am afraid that nothing more can be done for him, but of course should he leave the workhouse his pension of one shilling and twopence would cease to be diverted by the Local Authorities.