§ Considered in Committee.
§ (In the Committee.)
§ Clause 1 agreed to.
§ Clause 2:—;
§ LORD BALCARRES (Lancashire, Chorley)said he desired to ask the right hon. Gentleman a Question as to the precise meaning of this clause. The Bill had been before the House many years and had been strongly objected to by hon. Members now supporting the Government, owing largely, he thought, to this Clause 2. He wished to know why the right hon. Gentleman required for the War Office powers for the future which it did not at present possess of transferring a man from one branch of the service to another. Was it to be supposed that a man who had enlisted as an infantry man, for instance, was to be transferred to some other arm?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. HALDANE,) Haddingtonsaid this Bill was introduced by the Government of which the noble Lord opposite was a member, and the reason for the clause was that under the Act of 1852 if a man enlisted in a particular arm of the service and went into the Reserve he could only be called up to join the particular arm in which he had enlisted. The Bill was not retrospective, for those who had already enlisted would have that right still. The change was only with regard to the future, and the reason it was proposed was that when, during the South African War, they wished to call up certain cavalry regiments for remount purposes, they found they could not call them up except for cavalry purposes.
§ MR. WYNDHAM (Dover)said the Unionist Party could accept the clause and would be very pleased to see the Bill pass.
§ Clause 2 and remaining clauses agreed to.
§ Bill reported, without Amendment; to be read the third time upon Monday next.