§ Clause 3 (Raising and number of Militia).
§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOURmoved, in line 20, at the end of the clause, to add the words "and shall belong to some county Militia, under the provisions for raising the quotas of the several counties." He thought the Amendment would be in harmony with Clause 38, which made provision for the division of the Militia into quotas for service in several counties of the United Kingdom.
§
Amendment proposed,
In page 1, line 30, after "Parliament," insert "and shall belong to some county Militia, under the provisions for raising the quotas of the several counties."—(General Sir George Balfour.)
§ Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted."
627§ THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL (Mr. OSBORNE MORGAN)said, it would be highly inconvenient to introduce the words proposed by his hon. and gallant Friend in the present clause. If they were required at all, they would come much better in the 9th clause, which provided that every militiaman should be enlisted as a militiaman for some county, and should be appointed to serve in some corps of that county, or for some area comprising the whole or part of that county.
§ MR. BIGGARsaid, he presumed that the object of the clause was to enable Her Majesty to embody as many Militia as were voted by Parliament. He regretted that the Irish Militia were not placed on the same footing as those of the rest of the United Kingdom. In other parts of the Kingdom there were territorial regiments; but in Ireland it seemed that Militia regiments were not wanted at all.
§ Question put, and negatived.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ Clause 4 (Organization of Militia).
§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOURmoved, in page 2, line 12, after "officers," insert—
And for attaching to such corps such staff, composed of officers and non-commissioned officers and men of the Regular Forces, for such periods as may be deemed advisable for aiding in disciplining and training the Militia bodies.
§ Question proposed, "That those words be there inserted."
§ THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL (Mr. OSBORNE MORGAN)said, he thought that the Amendment proposed by his hon. and gallant Friend was quite unnecessary. According to the present system the Militia regiments belonged to one corps. The 2nd sub-section of Clause 4 made provision for the formation of militiamen into regiments, battalions, or military bodies, either alone or jointly with any other part of Her Majesty's Forces, and also regulated the appointment, rank, duties, and numbers of the Militia officers and non-commissioned officers. If the Amendment were accepted, and the officers and non-commissioned officers of the corps were discarded in favour of a staff composed of officers and non-commissioned officers from the Regular Forces, it would be necessary to have a change in the con- 628 stitution of the Militia altogether. He thought that Section 71 of the Army Act fully provided for everything his hon. and gallant Friend desired to meet.
§ Question put, and negatived.
§ Clause agreed to.
§ Clause 5 (Vesting in Her Majesty of jurisdiction under certain Acts in relation to the Militia) agreed to.
§ Clause 6 (First appointments to lowest rank of Militia officer).
§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOURmoved, in page 3, line 12, after "manner," insert—
Provided the person or persons fulfil all the conditions prescribed by a Secretary of State, as to age, physical fitness, and educational qualifications.
§ Question proposed "That those words be there inserted."
§ THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL (Mr. OSBORNE MORGAN)said, he would accept that Amendment with a slight alteration. He proposed to leave out the requirement that the conditions should be prescribed by a Secretary of State.
§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOURsaid, he would accept the alteration.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§
Amendment proposed,
In page 2, line 12, after "manner," insert the words "provided the person or persons fulfil all the prescribed conditions, as to age, physical fitness, and educational qualifications."—(Mr. Osborne Morgan.)
§ Question, "That those words be there inserted," put, and agreed to.
§ Clause, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause 7 (Permanent staff).
§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOURsaid, he proposed to add at the end of this clause an Amendment specifying that "all regulations providing for the duties, ranking, and position of such staff, shall be prescribed by a Secretary of State."
§ THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL (Mr. OSBORNE MORGAN)said, he proposed to omit Clause 7 altogether.
§ Motion made, and Question, "That Clause 7 be struck out of the Bill," put, and agreed to.