§ SIR W. WEDDERBURN (Banffshire)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Gunners H. Watson and J. Downie, of the 1st Banff Volunteer Artillery, applied in writing for their discharge on the 29th of January last, and that this application was refused; whether ordinarily a discharge is granted on 14 days' notice; and whether he will state on what grounds the refusal in the present case was based, what steps these Volunteers should take in order to obtain their discharge, and what their position and liabilities are until their discharge is granted?
§ MR. BRODRICKThe gunners in question were refused their discharges at the time they asked for them because they had not made themselves efficient for the year, nor had they paid the sum lost to the corps by their non-efficiency. One of these courses was obligatory under the rules of the corps, with which section 7 of the Volunteer Act requires compliance.