(NO. 206.) SECOND READING. (Hansard, 15 July 1873)

§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE,
in moving that the Bill be now read the second time said, its object was to extend the term of service in the Militia from five years to six. The Committee last year on clothing had, in the first place recommended this as a more economical period. The contemplated arrangements for stoppages, which would be applied to the Militia again made it desirable to adopt a plan which 391 would slightly diminish the cost to the public. Six years, moreover, was the normal term of service in the Regular Army. The Bill substituted one form of oath for the various forms of oath now required to be taken in the different parts of the United Kingdom; and provided that where local circumstances rendered it convenient that Militia recruits should be trained with Line soldiers they should, for the purposes of discipline, be under the command of the officers of the Line regiment and should be tried by them in Court martials. The Bill likewise repealed a stipulation in an Act of George III. forbidding the adjutant and permanent staff of the Militia to absent themselves from the place where the arms or stores were kept. Now that the county organization had been abolished, this restriction was undesirable. The fifth clause provided that when a commanding officer was on leave the command devolved on his second in command in accordance with the usual custom of the service. At present the Queen had to sign a warrant in each ease. The eighth clause entitled a borough which had contributed to a county Militia armoury to a share of the purchase money. These were the principal provisions of the Bill, which he would be glad to explain further if necessary.

THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH
asked whether the Militia bounty would be altered. He thought six years a more convenient term, but doubted whether the disgraceful rubbish now issued to the Militia in the way of clothing would hold together for that time.

§ THE DUKE OF RICHMOND
said, this measure might be for the good of the Militia force, but he rather doubted it. The Bill had only been delivered that morning, and he suggested that the Committee should be fixed at a distant date, in order that the Bill might be fairly considered by those noble Lords who took an interest in the question, which was of some importance. He did not think the proposal to place Militia recruits when out for training under the command of officers of the Line, instead of their own officers, would have a good effect. His own idea was that if Militia were to be well drilled, they must be trained by their own officers. There were one or two curious clauses in the 392 Bill. Clause 5, for instance, provided that— when the commanding officer of any regiment of militia is absent on leave, the command of such regiment shall devolve on the officer next in rank who may, for the time being, be present with such regiment, and be capable of assuming the command. He thought every officer of Militia was capable of assuming command if he had passed through drill, unless there were others senior to him, in which case they would be preferred. With regard to the alteration of the period of service, he had no objection to it; only he thought the same principle should be applied to the Regular Army.

§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE
disclaimed any intention on the part of the War Department to cast even the slightest reflection upon the value of the Militia as a force; nor did the Bill in any way ignore its just claims. As to clothing, the Department had the best hopes as to the result of the new arrangement, which was made in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Clothing. As to the command of Militia recruits, where a small body of Militia might, for convenience sake, train with a Line regiment, Line as well as Militia officers were to have the power of enforcing discipline. That, he thought, was at once a simple and necessary arrangement. Clause 5 was not intended to make any change with regard to the present devolution of the command, and as to the word "capable" it was not difficult to conceive cases where the commanding officer being absent his second in command might, from physical causes perhaps be "incapable" of replacing him.