Mr. Lowe kept his promise of bringing the case of
the Civilians attached to the North-west Provinces of India before Parliament on Tuesday. He made a most amusing speech, the gist of which was that Civilians of twelve years' standing were only obtaining half their proper pay, or an average of £800 a year—equivalent to a payment of £400 a year to the stipendiary magistrates of London—and that their promotion was stopped by the constant promotion of outsiders with friends. Sir G. Campbell and Mr. Grant Duff supported his statements, and there was virtually no reply, except an assertion by Lord G. Hamilton that compensation had been made in concessions of pensions and furlough. Con- cessions of furlough as compensation for want of pay are ridicu- lous, and the concessions as to pension, whatever they are, have not been intended to make up for the "block," and have not done it. The Civilians do not get the advantages on the faith of which they went out, or sufficient reward for the kind of ability required of them. They would be happier on 2400 a year at home. Mr. Lowe did not press his request for a Select Committee to a division, and professed himself content with the debate, but we -very much doubt if the Civilians will be. The temptation to job Indian appointments is nearly irresistible, and will be checked only by a revival of the old order that certain lists of offices shall be reserved to the Services. If Lord Salisbury can give no general redress, he can at least order that a few appointments ehall temporarily be made prizes, and so content the best men.
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