Scheme.

A Royal Warrant or other necessary authority to be obtained for Army Pensioners, after 21 years' service, to be allowed to commute a portion of their pensions, as follows:—

In case of Private Soldiers, if on basis of Government Annuities, 6d. a day; if on basis of 5 per cent (like Officers), 7d a day.

• In case of Rank and File Non-Commissioned Officers, 6d. a day, or such sum as will leave them not less than is a day.
• In case of Sergeants, 9d. a day, or such sum as will leave them is. 3d. a day.
• In case of Senior Ranks, at same rate as Sergeants, viz., at rate of 9d. in every 2s.
• In 1894, deferred pay will be larger by about £20 than in 1888. If £180 has been found sufficient, we should suggest the amounts allowed to be commuted by Private Soldiers should become either 5d. or 6d., according to basis of commutation.

Above privileges to be granted only to men registering their names for Colonization, and signing a paper authorising sum resulting from said commutation of pension and their deferred pay to be applied to expenses of passage, etc.; residue to be paid them in Colony selected by them, under certain conditions proposed below.

Men wishing to avail themselves of the above privilege, to send in their application through their Commanding Officers, stating what Colony they wish to go to, a given number of months before date of discharge, and the Commanding Officer to insert thereon whether he considers the men fit candidates. (Number of months would depend on where their Regiment was serving, and how long it took to make arrangements. It is most desirable that men should go straight from their Regiment to port of embarkation.;

That Department having checked record of service, and noted data for commuting pension, to forward the papers to the Colonial Office.

Colonial Office to forward to Agent-General of Colony selected by intending emigrant.

Agent-General, if satisfied with the case, to arrange for passage as soon as possible after date of discharge, and to send notification to port of disembarkation; returning papers, with date and port of embarkation and name of ship noted thereon, to Pension Department, who, adding necessary information of pension and commutation, would return the papers to the Regiment

Authority to be given by Secretary of State for War for page 8 soldiers about to Colonize to remain on, and be discharged just in time for them to proceed to port of embarkation.

The natural wish to see their relations before leaving England to be met by granting the furloughs generally given before discharge.

Contracts to be arranged whereby outfits, in accordance with voyage and Colony, should be supplied to men and families; payment being made by Regimental Paymasters.

Money for passage to be paid by Paymaster; money equal to cost of sending the man to his place of enlistment, whatever that might be, being credited towards it.

Surplus from commutation and deferred pay to be transmitted (telegraphic transfer, if necessary) to Department in Colony charged with payment of pensions.

Authority to be given Colonial Pension Department to advance six months of reduced pension from date of arrival, if necessary.

The reduced pension accumulated during voyage to be also in hands of Colonial Pension Department on arrival of pensioner.