THE MARQUESS OF CLANRICARDErose to ask Her Majesty's Government, Whether they did not consider it expedient to postpone the training of the Militia in Ireland to a later period than that now proposed, in consequence of the backward state of agricultural operations in that country. The calling out of the Militia at the period proposed would be seriously inconvenient to the farmers of the west of Ireland; and as, moreover, it would occur at a time when labour was exceedingly well remunerated, it would also be injurious to the interests of the militiamen. Nothing could be more injudicious than to fix upon such a time for the training as it was obviously desirable to render the service as popular as possible with all parties concerned. By persisting in the course they had announced he was afraid the Government would lose a great number of the men. Many of the persons who had received the bounty had applied it to the purposes of emigration; and as an extensive emigration was now going on from the 216 west of Ireland, the same result would probably happen again if the bounty were paid now and the men dismissed just before their idle time. He hoped that the Government would therefore give their best attention to this matter, and consent to a postponement of the period of training.
THE EARL OF CLANCARTYwished to bear his testimony to the importance of this subject. The calling out of the militia at that time of the year, especially in the west of Ireland, would be attended with serious inconvenience, not only to husbandry in general, but to the operation of cutting turf. When labour ceased to be in demand there was great distress among the working classes; and at such a period there would be great advantage in having the able-bodied men called out to serve in the Militia. Moreover, it was desirable to increase the number of volunteers from the Militia to the line; and under the pressure of want, no doubt, many would apply for enrolment.
EARL DE GREY AND RIPONexplained the course which the Government had taken in this matter. The Militia Commission which sat last year gave it as their opinion that it was very desirable the militia regiments throughout the country should be trained as nearly as possible simultaneously, in order to prevent the practice of fraudulent enrolment first in one regiment and then in another. That recommendation was adopted by the Government and sanctioned by the Parliament, and the Secretary of State for War subsequently issued a circular calling the attention of Lords Lieutenant to the provisions of the Act, and announcing that the various regiments would be called out almost simultaneously—those in the South of England at the end of April or the beginning of May; those in the northern counties somewhat later. Communications on the subject were also made to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and his Excellency having consulted the Lieutenants of the counties, the larger number of them thought the time fixed upon for the training of the English regiments would likewise suit the Irish regiments, although a few of them suggested a later period for the purpose. In all those cases in which the later date had been recommended it had been adopted; and in some cases in which, though an earlier period was at first recommended, a postponement was afterwards desired, a postponement 217 had been accordingly assented to. The intention therefore was to call out some of the Irish militia regiments on the 1st of May; some, again, on the 14th of May; and the last on the 22nd of the month; the effect of which would he that for a certain period the whole of the regiments would he out at the same time. He understood that but few representations had been made to the Irish Government that any serious inconvenience would result from the adoption of the plan determined upon. And as the date for calling out the regiments was now so very near, it was not deemed desirable nor necessary to make any changes in the matter.