§ On the commitment of the Mutiny Bill,
Earl Grosvenortook the opportunity of making a few observations on military flogging, and expressed a hope, that the practice would be gradually abolished. He believed that a very great improvement in this respect had already taken place in many regiments. He was aware there might be considerable difficulty in doing the practice away suddenly, and that there might be cases which would make it imprudent to put an end to it altogether. It was part of the intended plan with respect to the negroes, to limit the number of lashes which should be inflicted. He wished the same regulation to be introduced into the army. He could not, however, agree with those who assimilated the punishment of the military to that inflicted on the negroes. There was no foundation for this comparison; for slaves were punished at the mere will of the persons who employed them, whereas the troops could only be punished in virtue of the sentence of a court martial.