§ LORD LYVEDENsaid, he wished to ask the noble Earl the Lord Privy Seal a Question upon a matter which had been frequently the subject of Petitions to that House, both in this and in previous Sessions, and which related to the wrongs suffered by Indian officers on the amalgamation of the Indian with the Queen's army. His question was, Whether the noble Lord the Secretary of State for India (Viscount Cranbourne) had found, on taking office, any scheme which he was prepared to adopt with regard to the claims of those Indian officers who alleged that they had suffered by an amalgamation of the Company's and the Queen's services; or whether he had yet had an opportunity of considering those claims? The case of these officers had already been inquired into by a Royal Commission of officers, whose conclusions upon the several points brought under their consideration he now held in his hand. Upon points 1 and 2—the retention on the cadres of Native regiments of the names of officers transferred to new line regiments, and arrangements for promotion to the rank of General Officer—the Commissioners reported that the measures taken by the Government were effectual and sufficient. Point 3 was "the filling up of one-half the vacancies occasioned by the retirement of lieutenant-colonels and retention of their names upon the regimental gradation lists;" and upon this point the Commissioners considered that a few promotions were required in completion of the reduced establishment from the 1st of January, 1862. On point 4—"the rule fixing twelve years' service in the rank of regimental lieutenant-colonel for promotion to colonels, with colonel's allowance"—the Commissioners stated the period of twelve years to be, upon the whole, about two years in excess of a fair period for lieutenant-colonels promoted prior to the 1st of January, 1862. On point 5—"the supersession of regimental officers by officers of the Staff Corps"—they considered that the measure adopted by the Government had not been effectual and sufficient, because of—first, the non-removal from the cadres of regiments of the officers transferred to the Staff Corps 1269 and the new line regiments, as indicated by the committee assembled by the Secretary of State, of which Lord Hotham was President; secondly, the consequent withholding of promotion; thirdly, the disturbing effect of the brevet. Whether rightly or wrongly, these Indian officers were under the impression that they had cause to complain of great grievances. His own opinion was that their claims were not to be judged merely on legal or technical grounds, but should be dealt with in the generous spirit in which a great country like this ought to treat the claims of its old servants. Their Lordships ought not to separate without having some assurance upon this subject.
§ THE EARL OF MALMESBURYsaid, that he had been instructed to say that the attention of the noble Lord at the head of the Indian Office had been directed to this subject, but that he had not yet had time to consider any scheme. His noble Friend was perfectly aware of the pressing nature of the subject, and in a few days hoped to be able to inform the House of his intentions respecting it.