§ MR. MACPHERSON (Preston)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the lieutenant concerned in the recent alleged mutiny of stokers at the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, had been previously removed from another depot owing to the feeling caused amongst this class of men by his ordering them to go down on the knee.
I beg also to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if he has any official reports, showing that on Thursday, 1st November, Lieutenant Collard, after putting a certain number of stokers in His Majesty's Navy through their drill, at the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, dismissed them with the exception of sections one and three; that these men were then ordered to go down on the knee and were kept there for about ten minutes; that these two sections were then marched into the centre of the parade ground and Lieutenant Collard addressing them said that in future if they did not do as they were told they would get more knee drill; and, if so, whether he proposes to take any action in the matter.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONI can only refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on the 14th
† See Col. 597–8.993 November, to the hon. Member for the Kirkcaldy Burghs; † and I must appeal to the hon. Member not to press me to make any statement which must tend to prejudice the proceedings of the court martial.