§ MR. EDWARD MORTON () DevonportI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, whether he is aware that the Commandant of the 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment, now stationed at Devonport, has recently issued an order that the practice of surreptitiously raising money for the defence of non-commissioned officers who are brought to trial by court-martial for breaches of 396 discipline is entirely subversive of discipline, and is forbidden; and that any non-commissioned officer infringing this order will be severely dealt with; whether he is aware that the effect of this Order must be to deprive all noncommissioned officers who are brought to trial by court-martial of all chance of receiving legal assistance at their trials; and, whether the War Office will order the withdrawal of the Order?
§ *MR. BRODRICKAny surreptitious combination, or any combination except under direction of constituted authority, is subversive of discipline, and if the officer commanding the 2nd Battalion of the Berkshire Regiment issued the Order referred to he would appear to have acted rightly. If any man wishes individually to contribute to a comrade's defence, he can, of course, do so.