§ Colonel YATEasked the Under-Secretary for India whether the rule lately introduced for the Indian Army, by which officers who have reached the age of forty-eight for the Cavalry and fifty for the Infantry are debarred from promotion to the command of their regiments, has inflicted a hardship on certain senior second-in-commands who, had the rule been issued with prospective effect, instead of immediate effect, would have obtained command; and, if so, whether he will take into consideration the financial loss and disappointment suffered by these officers who, having devoted their lives to qualifying for this command, are suddenly and through no fault of their own debarred from that honour, and will give them the compensation that is their due?
§ Mr. MONTAGUAs regards the first part of the question, the new rule may in certain cases inflict hardship, but the threatened serious block in promotion in Indian regiments, detrimental both to personal efficiency and to the interests of all regimental British officers, necessitated some drastic change in the old rules. Commanding officers vacating their appointments under the new rules will be entitled to serve on for full pension under the old terms.