§ MR. MONCKTON MILNESSir, I wish to ask the right hon. Secretary-at-War whether, in the new arrangements respecting Militia officers, it is intended to give colonels' pay to lieutenant-colonels commanding, while on duty, and while incurring the same expenses as full colonels? I understand that, for the future, the whole responsibility and expense of command of the Militia regiments is to devolve on the lieutenant-colonels; and if, while they are subject to that responsibility and expense, they are to receive only 15s. 11d. per day, while other regimental colonels are receiving 1l. 2s. 6d. per day, great inequality and great inconvenience will be the result.
§ MR. SIDNEY HERBERTSir, in answer to my hon. Friend, I will state shortly what was the reason for the change which has been made in the Militia regulations. Regiments of the line are generally commanded by lieutenant-colonels, and until this change took place regiments of Militia were commanded by full colonels. The result was, that if a Militia regiment was quartered in a garrison town, the colonels of Militia would take the command of all the lieutenant-colonels commanding regiments of the line, who might happen to be there stationed. This, of course, was a very undesirable state of things, and it was under these circumstances that my noble Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department made the alteration to which my hon. Friend has referred, and decided that, in the case of new appointments—not interfering with those which had already been made—regiments of Militia should be commanded by lieutenant-colonels only. It is obvious that if lieutenant-colonels commanding Militia regiments were to receive the pay of full colonels, they would be paid at a higher rate than lieutenant-colonels commanding regiments of the line, who are not only in command all the year round, but are also liable to be called out upon foreign service.