ADDRESS FOR A RETURN. (Hansard, 14 March 1879)

§ LORD TRURO
rose to move— That a humble Address be presented to Her Majesty for Return showing the number of courts of inquiry ordered by the War Office in each year in the Volunteer Force since its establishment; the number of volunteers of all ranks, the number of adjutants, and the number of instructors in each year on whom such were held, and the several offences charged. 883 The noble Lord said, he had hoped that the Return would be unopposed; but almost at the last moment the noble Viscount the Under Secretary of State for War (Viscount Bury) had given him to understand that he did not intend to comply with his request. Returns of this character were made annually in the Army, and he thought it desirable that they should have something similar in regard to the Volunteers. Such a Return would search out all the weak points, whatever they might be, of the whole system—with respect to the working of which he intended on a later day to move for a Royal Commission, and for that purpose the Return he now asked for would be available. When Returns were opposed, it was usually on the ground that they were injurious to the public interests or that they would involve considerable expenditure of money or time. In the present instance no such objection could be urged, as letters addressed to the commanding officers of the various corps would elicit all the information he desired. With reference to the Report of the Departmental Committee, he admired the dexterity with which the Government had postponed, if not denied, the grant of any additional public money to the Volunteer Force. It would have been better if they had frankly stated their inability to recommend an increase of the annual grant. Most of the witnesses examined before the Committee were men of what he might call War Office proclivities, who, though they might command respect and consideration, were unable to understand the extreme difficulties that surrounded the Volunteers.

§ VISCOUNT BURY
said, that he would reserve his defence of the Departmental Committee till the noble Lord moved for the Royal Commission. He was sorry that the War Office could not furnish the Return asked for by the noble Lord; but there were no records in the Office from which the information could be 884 compiled, as when courts of inquiry were ordered no special note was kept of the order. Nor could the suggestion of the noble Lord that circular letters should be sent to the commanding officers of the corps be efficacious. The courts of inquiry were held, some under the authority of the Crown, and some under that of the commanding officers of the regiments; the former were held on officers, and the latter on the private members of the Force. In many instances corps had ceased to exist, and it was not probable that in all cases their records were complete; but, in any case, the War Office must decline to be responsible for the returns that might be procured. Moreover, in his opinion, the Return would involve serious expense and trouble.

§ LORD TRURO
asked whether it was the fact that no record had been kept at the War Office of courts of inquiry ordered to be held upon adjutants attached to the Volunteer regiments?

§ VISCOUNT BURY
replied, that in the case both of the Volunteers and of the Regular Army the same course had been pursued.

§ THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE
I must repudiate the notion that the military authorities have been opposed to the interests of the Volunteers. Whenever the War Office has had to decide a question of the kind referred to by the noble Lord (Lord Truro), we have taken into our fullest consideration the views of the commanding officers. I do not wish that your Lordships should have the impression that the military authorities are insensible to the interest of Volunteer officers. They are ready at all times to meet the Volunteers more than half way.