§ Order for adjourned Debate on Second Reading read.
§ MR. E. MORTON (Devonport)I have already spoken for about ten minutes upon this Bill, but, unfortunately, I had not concluded my remarks when I was interrupted by the Twelve o'clock rule. I do not, however, propose to delay the House over the matter now. We shall have an opportunity of discussing it at greater length upon the Estimates, and I only wish to say in a single sentence what it is that we contend for, and what we shall contend for on the Estimates. The Greenwich Hospital was founded, and received many contributions from 1251 various sources, for the benefit of seamen and marines when they attained a certain age, or became disabled by sickness or accident. Since that was done the funds of the Hospital have been appropriated for various purposes, and in exchange for that, for every seaman who had served a certain time it was agreed that a sum of 5d. a day should be set apart, with the same arrangement for all marines as soon as they reached the age of 55, in addition to their pensions. In 1892 the sum so set apart was found to be insufficient, and some 50,000 seamen and marines who had attained that age, or were disabled, were not receiving their pensions. A Committee of this House was appointed to consider this matter, and in 1892 the Committee reported that it was advisable that as many as possible of those who were not receiving their pensions should receive them and that a sum of £16,000 should be set apart from the Consolidated Fund. Since that time there has been such an increase in the Navy that that sum is found totally inadequate, and there are now about the same number not receiving their pensions as there were in 1892. I hope the Government will be induced to allow a further contribution to be made from the Consolidated Fund, or from some other source, to enable the remaining 3,000 seamen and marines to receive the pensions that they are entitled to. I would just mention, in passing, that it is only those who joined within a certain period that are entitled to this special grant, and that their number will diminish as time goes on. In the meantime, we contend that these 3,000 or so who are not receiving the grant ought to receive it. If the question is not immediately taken up these men will probably be without their pensions for the rest of their lives. That is the case that we shall present when the matter comes up on the Estimates. For the present I do not propose to continue the Debate, or to stand in the way of the Second Reading of the Bill.