HC Deb 22 April 1841 vol 57 cc971-2
Mr. Hawes

gave notice, that to-morrow he should move for a return of the number of instances of corporal punishment which had been inflicted on a Sunday in the British Army during the last ten years. He begged to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary -at-War whether there had been any infliction of corporal punishment under circumstances similar to those that had taken place in the recent punishment of a soldier of the 11th Hussars, under the command of the Earl of Cardigan.

Mr. Macaulay

said, he was much obliged to his hon. Friend for asking this question, and for giving him an opportunity of setting right a misunderstanding with regard to what he stated on a previous night. It had been stated that he had said that there were precedents for the conduct followed—he must say most improperly and culpably—by Lord Cardigan, in flogging a soldier on a Sunday. What he had stated was this, that having inquired of officers of great standing and experience in the service, he had learned from them that there were precedents of punishments having been inflicted on a Sunday, but not precedents which bore out the conduct of Lord Cardigan, because they bad stated that such punishments were never justifiably inflicted except in cases of military exigency, and on march, when there was no choice. But the Sunday punishments did not bear out the conduct of Lord Cardigan, and he had distinctly stated that the punishment in the particular case alluded to, might without the smallest inconvenience, have been postponed till next day. This information would probably meet the views of his hon. Friend. He was not aware that such a return would afford an instance of a similar kind; and his own belief was, that for the last ten years there were no instances of punishments having been inflicted on a Sunday except in cases of great disorder occurring on a inarch or other exigency.

Sir H. Hardinge

begged to state that he had understood the hon. Secretary-at-War in the sense that he had explained; and that, on the whole, his explanation was perfectly satisfactory.