LORD MONKSWELL,in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, said he hoped their Lordships would allow him the satisfaction of passing this Bill. It was merely an enabling Bill, and would not put anybody under any new obligation. The objection taken to the Bill in the House of Commons was that it did not go far enough, and he did not suppose that their Lordships in the present circumstances would think that a fatal objection. The first object of the Bill was to enable the Secretary of State to call out any part of a Volunteer corps when, under the Act of 1863, he might call out the whole corps. Secondly, it proposed to empower the Secretary of State to accept, whenever the Militia were embodied, the services of Volunteers who might signify to him their willingness to serve. It was quite possible that the Militia might be embodied in circumstances when it would be impossible for the Secretary of State to call out the Volunteers, because the Militia might be embodied in cases of 39 national danger or great emergency, whereas the Volunteers could only be called out in case of actual or apprehended invasion.
§ Read 2a (according to Order); then it was moved that Standing Order No. XXXIX be considered and dispensed with; agreed to. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House forthwith; House in Committee accordingly. Bill reported without Amendment. Standing Committee negatived. Bill read 3a, and passed.