§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
THE EARL OF PEMBROKE, in moving that the Bill, which had come up from the Commons, be now read the second time, explained that in the Indian Corps before the Mutiny and the amalgamation of the Indian with the Royal Army, there had prevailed among the officers a custom of subscribing money to make up a bonus which was given to superior officers for retiring. After the amalgamation that system went on; but after the abolition of Purchase in Her Majesty's Army it was, of course, impossible to allow such a system to continue. The object of this Bill was to enable the Army Purchase Commissioners to consider the claims on retirement of any officers who on the 1st of November, 1871, were serving in any one of what had been the Indian Ord- 963 nance Corps, and to grant to any of those officers who had retired since, or who might hereafter be permitted to retire, a compensation equal to the sums they would have received in the nature of a bonus for such retirement, after deducting such sums, if any, as they might have received from the Indian revenues in respect of bonus. Such were the provisions of the first clause. There were other clauses in the Bill, but they related only to conditions precedent and to the adjustment of accounts and such matters. He begged to move the second reading.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a"—(The Earl of Pembroke.)
§
Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House To-morrow.
House adjourned at a, quarter past Six o'clock, 'till To-morrow, a quarter before Five o'clock.