§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOURasked the Secretary of State for War, If, following the practice of former years, a Return can be furnished of the guards and sentries mounted daily throughout the garrisons and stations at Home, and the purposes for which supplied; also the effects on the minds of men in causing dislike for the Military Service by such guards; and, whether many of these guards could be dispensed with by employing watchmen, and by providing storehouses with good doors, secured by efficient locks, and thus doing away with the necessity of posting sentries?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, it appears to be upwards of 60 years since such a Return was furnished, and then it applied only to the Metropolis. Returns are received monthly from districts and regiments showing the number of guards and sentries furnished, but not the purposes for which supplied. Sentry duty is, doubtless, irksome, and much disliked; but it is a very necessary part of a soldier's training, indispensable in war, and one for which some practice in peace is requisite. Of course, many of the sentries might be replaced by watchmen; but it would be at increased expense to the public. Attention is paid at all times to reducing, as far as consistent with public safety, the number of sentinels; and I had recently under consideration the possibility of a reduction of their number in London, where the duties are exceptionally heavy. But, for reasons stated to the House by the Home Secretary on the 19th of March last, it became necessary, as a temporary measure, to increase largely the sentry duty 1309 of the troops, especially of the Foot Guards in London. I cannot help taking this opportunity of expressing my sense of the alacrity with which these additional duties were undertaken by the Household Troops, and of the admirable spirit, temper, and good conduct of the men under conditions occasionally of a very trying character.