§ Order for Committee read.
§ CAPTAIN STACPOOLEsaid, that the object of the Bill was to provide for the granting of commissions to subalterns in the army and officers on half-pay who might choose to enter the Militia.
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHsaid, that the Bill had his approval except the 3rd clause relating to the appointment of Militia officers for a temporary purpose. It was necessary to find officers from some permanent source; and, as there was a difficulty in procuring officers, he suggested that half-pay officers of the army, and those who had served some time abroad, should be appointed to Militia regiments. He hoped to hear from the right hon. Gentleman the Minister for War that he was prepared to deal with the subject in a satisfactory manner.
COLONEL GILPINsaid, he had no doubt the Bill was framed with the best 1418 intentions, but he feared it did not adopt the best plan to attach officers to the Militia. He would suggest that young gentlemen of the counties should be attracted to the Militia by the prospect of obtaining commissions in the Line.
§ MAJOR WALKER, while admitting the difficulty of dealing with the subject, was not sure whether the remedy suggested by the hon. Baronet would be the best that could be adopted. There was little encouragement to join the Militia at present, and promotions were now so extremely sluggish that if they were made slower he thought the Militia would come to a state of stagnation.
§ MR. CARDWELLsaid, it would have been unjustifiable to ask the House to go into Committee on this Bill if it necessarily involved a discussion on the cardinal question of the reserved forces, which was one of the greatest importance, and had engaged the attention of the present Government from the time of its formation. Two suggestions offered in this conversation showed that the subject was attended with great difficulty, and the probability was that both suggestions would have to be adopted to some extent in any really effective plan. His object, however, was to ask the House to consent to the small things which the Bill proposed, and which were necessary for the training of the Militia about to commence. There was power at present to train the Yeomanry and Volunteers along with the regular forces. The 1st clause of the Bill asked for the same power in reference to the Militia, and everybody agreed that it was desirable that power should exist. As there was a great scarcity of officers of Militia, particularly of subaltern officers, and officers could be found in the army for the Militia, the 2nd clause gave power to attach any officer of the regular forces to a Militia regiment; but there was not the least desire to force army officers into the Militia; and they were to be attached only on the requisition of the Lord Lieutenant. The 3rd clause, which was universally assented to, abolished the property qualification for Militia officers; and the 4th merely prevented a Volunteer, who had passed one period of training, availing himself of any technical error in attestation.
§ COLONEL BRISE,who had a regiment of eight companies with only eight company officers, one of whom was on the sick 1419 list while another was a Member of this House, cordially approved the Bill, and if it passed would immediately avail himself of the power of requisition. There was considerable difference of opinion involved in the question, and he, on a previous occasion, suggested that additional inducements should be offered to gentlemen who contemplated joining the army, to enter first into the Militia, while waiting for their commissions—also that a specified number of commissions in the regular Army should be periodically offered to Militia officers to be competed for.
CAPTAIN VIVIANsaid, the Bill was really a Bill rather to amend the law than to affect at all the question of the reserve force.
§ Bill considered in Committee.
§ House resumed.
§ Bill reported without Amendment; to be read the third time To-morrow.