§ MR. SANDFORD, in calling attention to the recent military scandal at Hythe, said, it appeared that there prevailed among the officers there, as among many of our regiments, two practices which he thought were most disgraceful—namely, that of breaking into an officer's room, and on some occasions pouring water on him, which was called "drawing;" and that of breaking into an officer's room and scattering about the contents, which was called "making hay." An officer at Hythe in the course of last autumn became unpopular with his brother officers. They practised "drawing" upon him, which he did not report; but he did report them when they practised "making hay" in his room. The consequence of his reporting 1220 them was that late one evening upon the public parade at Folkestone he was forced to enter into a pugilistic encounter with them. Several other officers stood round, kept a ring, and prevented the astonished public from interfering. The language used by the officers, he was sorry to say, was of such a description that he would not venture to repeat a single word of it to the House. This affair was also reported; a Court of Inquiry was held, and certain sentences were passed. When the country had to pay £14,250,000 for the Army, it was only right that they should know the state of its discipline; but the particular reason why he called attention to this occurrence was that he wished to show to the House the light in which conduct of the kind he had described was viewed by the authorities, as indicated by the sentences passed. What was done to the officers who had broken into a brother officer's room, and he (Mr. Sandford) believed poured water upon him upon the first occasion? They were simply ordered to join their regiments. Was that a real punishment? He had always understood that, according to military discipline, the senior officer present was held responsible; but on this occasion that officer did not appear to have been even reprimanded. Neither had the officer in command of the depot been reprimanded for allowing such scenes to occur under his eye. When the second case occurred, and there was a Court of Inquiry, the delinquents were called up for punishment. One was dismissed the Army, and another was "condemned to wear his uniform." The latter sentence he would not further allude to, than by simply observing that a mistake had been made at the Horse Guards in the wording of the sentence. An officer concerned in the "drawing" was only slightly reprimanded. When he found these facts, that the senior officer had not been reprimanded, and that the officers implicated in these transactions had only been slightly reprimanded, it seemed to him that the War authorities were almost condoning the offence. They had heard lately of insubordination among the men; but how could they expect subordination among the men when there was insubordination among the officers? Some persons, he knew, thought his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for 1221 War was indifferent on this subject; but he believed that his right hon. Friend wished to put down conduct such as that which had been referred to. He believed that the Commander-in-Chief also desired to put it down. Who, then, was it that stood between their wishes and the just enforcement of military discipline? It was not his present intention to move for the Reports of the Court of Inquiry, because to do so would appear to imply a Vote of Censure upon the Secretary for War or the Commander-in-Chief. All he now asked was that real measures should be adopted to put down the disgraceful practices to which he had referred. He understood that circulars were sent down to the officers in command; that officers were asked whether any practical joking was indulged in, and that none was reported, though such proceedings were heard of. He did not wish the sham circular should be sent round; but that the officers commanding districts, and the senior officers, should be held responsible for occurrences of this kind. If his right hon. Friend would give him a satisfactory assurance upon this subject, he would only be too happy to allow this question to be buried in oblivion; but if, on the other hand, such assurance were not given, he would on the earliest opportunity move an Address, praying Her Majesty to take energetic steps to repress such disorders.