§ MR. W. O. CLOUGH (Portsmouth)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, if he will inquire into the sentence passed by a Court-Martial, held on Thursday, 29th August 1895, on board Her Majesty's Ship Victory, flagship at Portsmouth, on Private Charles Warner, R. M. L. I., who was charged with striking his superior officer, Corporal C. E. Attwood, of the same corps, the latter being in the execution of his duty; if he will ascertain if the offence was committed in a moment of anger and under great provocation; if he is aware that Warner had borne for nine and a-half years an unblemished character; whether the Court acted within their powers in stopping the cross-examination by the offender's advocate; and, whether the Admiralty will consider the propriety of reducing the sentence of twelve months' imprisonment, with hard labour, which the Court-Martial passed upon the offender?
MR. GOSCHENThe question of the hon. Member has appeared for this morning only, and I have not had time to look into it. I cannot, however, undertake to deal personally with every question of naval discipline which may occur.