§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
1029THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE MARQUESS OF DUFFERIN AND AVA)My Lords, this Bill amends Section go of the Naval Discipline Act, which applies to men and to ships not regular men of war which are taken up by the Admiralty in time of emergency. The purpose of the Bill is to remove three difficulties which at present exist as the section is drawn. The first difficulty is that the section only applies in time of war. As your Lordships know, although war is not any less popular than it used to be, it is at any rate less fashionable, and people are less inclined to go through what is now the formality of declaring war. Your Lordships will understand that there might easily be occasions before war was actually declared when it would be important that this Act should be applied to these men and these ships. The second reason for this amending Bill is that one provision of Section go which is now being amended refers to the ships' companies, the men and officers of the ships which are taken up by the Admiralty, and applies to them as individuals of ships' companies the Naval Discipline Act. Your Lordships can easily see that on a strictly legal interpretation, if a man was transferred from one ship to another, or went ashore for 1030 training, or if he got wounded and was sent to hospital, it might be argued, and it has been argued, that legally the Naval Discipline Act would no longer apply to him. It is quite obvious that that is an anomaly, and accordingly this Bill puts that right.
Finally, the third reason for this Bill is that it makes clear what the exact status of these men is going to be. As your Lordships can imagine, when the Admiralty takes over shipping it takes over ships of every kind and description, from gigs to liners. Usually a man's status is perfectly clear, whether an officer or a rating, but there are occasions when his status is in doubt. Accordingly under this Bill, in doubtful cases, the matter will be settled on behalf of the Admiralty by Order in Council. Those are the three reasons for the Bill. I need only repeat that it is based on voluntary principles, and I can commend it to the House for Second Reading.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava.)
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.
§ House adjourned at nineteen minutes before eight o'clock.