§ MAJOR RASCH (Essex, S.E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it has been found necessary to reduce another Militia battalion in consequence of the difficulty of recruiting up to regulations; whether he will take steps to discover if a considerable portion of the Militia Force is not, owing to fraudulent enlistment, in the same condition, i.e., by the same men serving in different battalions in consecutive months; and whether he will popularise the Force by reverting to the old system of bounties on enlistment?
* THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL-BANNER-MAN,) Stirling, &c.Two battalions of Militia have recently been amalgamated from mobilisation considerations, and not from any difficulty in recruiting. The full previous number of men will, it is expected, be maintained. Steps are taken to detect cases of double enlistment in the Militia, and it is believed that much has been done to lessen the numbers. One of the principal reasons for abolishing bounties on enrolment in 1533 the Militia was to discourage fraudulent enlistment in more than one regiment.