NATIVE REGIMENTS (INDIA). (Hansard, 16 June 1896)

§ SIR SEYMOUR KING (Hull, Central)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, whether any recommendations have been received from the Commander-in-Chief in India in favour of granting to any officer or officers who have been in actual command of Native regiments for the regulation period of seven years an extension of command for one or two years; whether there is any precedent for such an extension of command in the case of the completion of seven years service in the Indian Army; whether his attention has been called to the fact that an assurance has been given by the Secretary of State for War that in the British Army, when tenure of regimental command is limited by the Regulations to four years, in every case when two years' extension was allowed by Royal Warrant and asked for, the manner in which such extension would affect the promotion of officers of lower rank would be carefully considered; whether he is aware that, even with the tenure of command limited to seven years, there will be many officers now serving, as squadron and wing commanders who will never obtain a full period of command, and that if this tenure is extended their chances of attaining the command will be still further diminished; and, whether he can give a similar assurance to the Indian Army to that given to the British Army, that no extensions of command will be sanctioned without a careful consideration of the effect of such extension upon the prospects of officers of lower ranks?