§ 23. Sir B. FALLEasked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that captains and engineer-captains of the Royal Navy of under three years' service in that rank are placed under deputy surgeon-generals, admirals' secretaries, chief naval instructors, and paymasters-in-chief in the matter of the gratuity, although these officers are all equal in rank up to the day they are promoted to captain; and if he can give the reason why these last-named officers are given three years' seniority over the promoted captain and engineer-captain?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe answer to the first part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question is in the affirmative, except that, as stated in the reply given to him on the 26th February, the relative rank of admirals' secretaries, on which their gratuity is based, varies according to the length of service as secretary and according to the status of the officer under whom they are serving. Without going into the detail of the several cases, I may state that relative rank in the non-military branches has been fixed with regard to rank in other non-military branches, and to rank in the Army rather than with regard to rank in the military branch of the Navy. The rule under which a captain of three years' seniority has a higher relative rank with officers of the Army than a captain of under three years' seniority dates back to 1747, and its origin is not known.
§ Sir B. FALLECan the right hon. Gentleman tell me why it is thought necessary to follow the junior Service instead of the senior Service in dealing with seniority in the Navy?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAIt is a very interesting subject, but time would fail me to answer it just now.