§ In answer to a question put by Lord VIVIAN,
EARL DE GREY and RIPONsaid, it was the intention of the Government, as far as it was possible, to unite the volunteer companies into battalions, but it was not their intention to require those companies which were scattered about the rural districts to leave their homes and meet together for battalion drill when it might be inconvenient to them to do so. If any of the companies were willing to meet together to have a few field days in the year, that would be a private arrangement between the different companies, but Her Majesty's Government would not compel them to unite for battalion drill. The object of the Government was simply this:—If the volunteer force were called out for actual service, they must be formed into battalions, and the Government, therefore, thought it desirable that they should be got together, whenever it was practicable, for battalion practice under a recog- 1318 nized commanding officer. It was the intention of the Government, as he had stated the other night, to appoint adjutants to the volunteer corps, to be paid by the Government. The noble Lord argued that the Government might appoint the adjutants and sergeants of the permanent staff of the disembodied militia for this duty. But it was not a part of the bargain with these adjutants and sergeants that they should perform this duty, and he oub ted whether the Government could ompel them to discharge it. It was therefore thought better to appoint officers specially devoted to this purpose. If ever an emergency should arise which rendered it necessary to call out the volunteer corps, the militia would also be required at the same moment, and, as the adjutants could not be in two places at once, the militia, when they wanted their officers, could not have them without denuding the volunteers of them. What the volunteers most wanted were drill and organization under good officers, and the best assistance the Government could give them was to provide them with good military officers, which they considered much better than clothing and paying them. As to paying the volunteer artillery so much for drill, as the noble Lord recommended, it must be recollected that to artillery volunteers, like the rifle corps, were engaged upon such terms that upon fourteen days' notice they could retire from the service. The Government might expend a great deal of money, for example, upon a particular individual, and then, when they wanted his services, he might retire from the corps. If the volunteers were remunerated the whole system upon which the army was paid must be altered; and this the Government were not prepared to recommend.