§ Order of the Day for the Third Reading, read.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 3a."—(The Viscount Bury.)
THE EARL OF LONGFORDsaid, he wished to repeat now what he said on Saturday last, when the second reading of the Bill was taken at a Morning Sitting—namely, that the Bill was introduced this year, as it was last, at a time when no Amendment could be introduced into it. It must not, however, be supposed that, because no Amendments were proposed, therefore none were needed. He objected to the Bill because, under its provisions, commanding officers would not have sufficient powers to repress disorder. Again, some change was necessary in the system of distribution of the booty of war. For 20 years a dispute concerning booty had been going on with the Public Departments concerned, and was still unsettled. In the Navy there was no difficulty of this kind, because for a long time they had had an efficient jurisdiction for determining those questions; and he hoped it would not be long before they had something of the same kind for the Army.
§ On Question? Resolved in the Affirmative.
§ Bill read 3a accordingly, and passed.