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2. The liability of naval or military officers to similar deductions if they accept civil situations under the Colonial Governments, and the legality of such deductions, has also been brought under the consideration of the Treasury by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who was informed in August last that the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury were considering the report of an Inter-Departmental Committee on the subject, and a further communication was promised, but nothing further has been received from the Treasury, nor has the report been sent to this Department.

3. Colonel Stanley has been in personal communication with the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Secretary of State for War, and they concur in thinking that the whole question requires investigation, and that the best method of securing such investigation will be by the appointment of a strong Inter-Departmental Committee consisting of a representative of the Admiralty, the War Office, and this Department.

Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty 4. I am accordingly directed to request that the

Secretary of State for War may be invited to appoint a gentleman to serve on such Committee, which should, it is proposed, be directed to consider and report upon the conditions under which officers of Her Majesty's naval and military services, whether on full, half, or retired pay, and officers who have commuted their pensions, are now, and should continue to be, permitted to take employment under Colonial Governments.

5. Colonel Stanley would also suggest that, for the purpose of obtaining a com- prehensive report upon all cases in which persons in receipt of pay or allowance from Imperial funds may be likely to take employment under Colonial Governments, the Committee should also be instructed to make a similar report upon the conditions affecting persons drawing superannuation allowances in respect of civil services.

6. It would appear convenient and desirable that the Committee should report (1) what are the present legal restrictions upon officers, whether naval, military, or civil, as contained in the existing statutes and regulations; (2) whether, in their opinion, any and what alteration of the law or regulations is desirable; (3) with any general observations that the Committee may wish to offer.

7. The despatches from Canada and Victoria referred to above shall be communicated to you as soon as copies are received from the printer.

War Office 8. A similar letter has been addressed to the

and I am to add that Admiralty' Colonel Stanley would be glad to be favoured with an early reply, as it is understood that the cases of certain naval officers cannot be dealt with at the Admiralty pending a decision upon these questions.

The Secretary to the Admiralty.

The Under Secretary of State, War Office.

No. 4.

1 am, &c., (Signed)

JOHN BRAMSTON

THE INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

SIB,

Admiralty, February 4, 1886.

IN pursuance of the instructions contained in your letters of 29th ultimo, for an Inter-Departmental Committee to be appointed to consider, on behalf of the Colonial Office, the Admiralty, and the War Office, the question of the conditions upon which naval, military, and civil officers should be employed under Colonial Governments, we, having been appointed by our respective Departments to form this Committee, have to report, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that we have met at the Admiralty and have conferred by appointment there with the High Com- missioner of Canada and the Agents-General for the Colonies, whose names are given in Appendix 1, upon the employment of naval and military officers under the Colonies.

2. The question of the legal restrictions upon the issue of non-effective naval and restrictions. military pay with civil salary to such officers having been dealt with in the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee appointed under Treasury Minute of 19th December 1884 (ênclosure 2), was not re-opened.

Legal

• No. 3.

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3. In the absence of any representative of the Treasury on the Committee, it was Civil officers. considered that the Committee was not competent to deal with the question of the employment of officers drawing superannuation allowances in respect of civil services.

4. The report of the Inter-Departmental Committee mentioned in paragraph 2 hereof Enclosures. should be read in connexion with the papers, copies of which are herewith transmitted, viz. :-

Treasury Letter, 26th September 1885.

Printed Report of Inter-Departmental Committee.** Treasury Minute of 25th September 1885. War Office Letter of 8th December 1885. Treasury Letter of 17th December 1885. War Office Letter of 31st December 1885, which have been laid before us by Sir Ralph Thompson.

The following papers on the subject are also enclosed for the information of the Secretary of State :-

Admiralty Letter of 25th June

28th October

99

1885.

officers in

5. The Colonies being able to obtain the services of either active or retired officers Naval and of the navy and army, we consider it is most desirable to encourage the employment of military young officers on the active list in naval and military appointments, and that the naval and Colonies should be induced to ask for them in preference to older officers who are, or military em. will soon be, retired, and who, from age, &c. may have lost zeal and energy, and that ployments. touch of their service so necessary to ensure knowledge of the latest improvements, and the use of identical modes and instruments of warfare in the different Colonies.

6. Officers on the active list thus lent are at present treated on different principles by Present the Admiralty and War Office.

The navy officer gets half-pay, but has not been allowed (except in a few cases) to count time for pay or promotion.

The army officer gets no pay from his Department, but counts his time for every purpose.

rules differ for navy and

army.

7. It appears that the regulations which at present govern the navy in this matter Explanation (Order in Council of 7th February 1877 quoted at p. 6, part two of enclosure B.) of difference. were adopted from those governing the army at the time; but they have long been obsolete for the army, which is now dealt with under Royal Warrant, Art. 991.

8. The army rules in force commend themselves to us for adoption for naval purposes, Army rules

it being our opinion that the best form of assistance is given to the Colonies by lending approved. them a succession of fully-trained officers, whose promotion and pension are provided for by the Crown without cost to the Colonics.

9. These circumstances have been represented by Sir Anthony Hoskins to the Lords To be ap Commissioners of the Admiralty, and their approval (subject to Treasury consent) has plied to navy. been obtained to the War Office Regulations being made applicable to the navy.

10. Thus a naval officer on the active list, taking employment under the Colonies on Effect of

or after the date of the Order in Council which it is proposed to obtain to make the alteration. requisite changes in the Admiralty Regulations, will not receive half-pay as heretofore, but will count his service in naval or military employment as full sea service up to the date the officer is retired.

Existing arrangements should, however, not be affected, but officers now holding such Existing appointments should be given the option of remaining under the present, or coming under arrange- the new regulations.

ments no.

11. It is understood that retired pay will be in all cases issued to retired officers who disturbed. take appointments of which the salary is not derived from funds provided by the Imperial Parliament; but, as regards officers on the active list who are selected from Colonial appointments carrying no pay from Imperial funds, but qualifying the holder for promotion or for increase of retired pay in the naval or military service, we recommend that the general principle of the War Office Rule 991 should be followed; and that an officer who retires while holding any such appointment should be allowed to receive at once the retired pay or gratuity to which his service, exclusive of his service in any such Colonial appointment, may entitle him, but should not be allowed, while at any time holding any such Colonial appointment, to receive any retired pay or gratuity earned by service in such Colonial appointments. If the Colonies employ retired naval officers they should receive retired pay and not count time, but any part of retired pay earned in previous Colonial employment would be deducted.

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