607 The Military Forces

{COMMONS}

which does not agree with the sum given
by the Under Secretary of State for
India, and I venture to think that my
way of putting it is more accurate than
his. We have been told that there is
no necessity for any great jealousy of a
standing Army in these days. That may
be so; but if the House is to relax its
jealousy of a standing Army, it ought to
be done deliberately and in public. I
do not think the people of this country
have relaxed their jealousy of a standing
Army, whatever the House may have
done. I am by no means certain that
this House has relaxed its jealousy, and
I do not think it ought to do so. It is said
that it is absolutely impossible that our
liberties in these days can be menaced
by a standing Army. I do not know
In the recollection of all of
that, Sir.
us we have seen countries in which
liberties have been lost through the
influence of standing Armies; and we
hear from time to time that our Army is
not a large one compared with the re-
We have also
sources of the country.
heard great complaints of the small
number of our soldiers; and there is a
proposal for something very much re-
sembling universal conscription. Who
knows, but that under some fancy
or some desire to take a more promi-
nent part in the conflicts of Europe, our
standing Army may not be increased?
How is it possible to foretell that under
no circumstances a standing Army may
not encroach upon the Privileges of
Parliament. If it be true that there is
less reason now to fear that a standing
Army will conflict with the liberties of
the country than there used to be, there
seems to be one danger far greater than
it was 200 years ago. No doubt, as we are
told, the Crown has, and always had,
the power of making war, but it has it
far more completely and absolutely now
than it ever had it at any previous
period. Formerly wars were conducted
on a comparatively small scale, and with
comparatively a great expenditure of
time. Government did not want large
Forces of men then, nor large pecuniary
resources. Preparations had to be made
long before hand, and after they had
been made and the Expedition sent out
-things not being conducted on the
both Armies
scale of modern wars
went into winter quarters; and there
was plenty of time to consider, and per-
haps to give up the war. But now, with

of the Crown.

608

the great Armies and great resources at
the disposal of our Government, and
telegraphic communications all over the
world, the Government may give an order
which, within a week, may make a great
war absolutely inevitable-a war over
It is useless to tell us we
which Parliament can have no control
whatever.

have a control over the proceedings of
Government by our privilege of voting
Supplies. We know, in this instance,
It would be utterly impossible
what that privilege of voting Supplies
means.
however much Parliament might de-
sire it-for it to refuse to vote the
expense of the 7,000 troops coming to
Malta. A Government may give orders,
which will make inevitable a war in
more than one quarter of the globe,
over which it would be impossible for
Parliament to exercise any control where
it has once broken out. Sir, I maintain
that the powers of the Government for
making war are far greater than they
have been at any previous period. I
believe the precautions and restrictions
which Parliament has always thought it
necessary to take against the existence
Re-
of a standing Army should not be
relaxed, but rather strengthened.
peating again, that the action of the
Government, supported by the reasons
that they have given, does tend to
relax these restrictions, which, I main-
tain, ought to be strengthened, I still
prefer the Resolution I moved to the
Amendment which has been proposed by
the Government.

MR. O'DONNELL could not support
the action of the Government, since it
had been defended on absolutist prin-
ciples. From what had been said by
the Government, it seemed that their
main reason for the course they had
taken was the necessity of maintaining
secrecy. That was the necessity of main-
taining secrecy towards the Imperial Par-
liament, but not to anyone else. He knew
that long before the news had reached
this country-before even that a definite
order for the despatch of the Indian
troops to Malta had left the Goverment
at home-the measure had been dis-
cussed and criticized openly in India;
long before the 15th of last month, the
removal of the troops to Malta was al-
ready common talk in India. At that
time, colonels were trying the state of
feeling in their regiments with regard
to their willingness to embark on an

The House divided :-Ayes 226; Noes 347: Majority 121.

Bell, I. L.

AYES.

Acland, Sir T. D.
Allen, W. S.
Amory, Sir J. H.
Anderson, G.
Ashley, hon. E. M.
Anstruther, Sir R.
Backhouse, E.
Barclay, A. C.
Barclay, J. W.
Barran, J.
Bass, A.
Bass, H.
Baxter, rt. hn. W. E.
Bazley, Sir T.
Beaumont, Colonel F.
Biddulph, M.
Blake, T.
Blennerhassett, R. P.
Brassey, H. A.
Brassey, T.
Bright, J. (Manchester)
Briggs, W. E.
Bristowe, S. B.
Brogden, A.
Brooks, M.
Brown, A. H.
Brown, J. C.
Bruce, Lord C.
Burt, T.
Cameron, C..
Campbell, Sir G.

Cross, J. K.
Davie, Sir H. R. F.
Davies, R.
Delahunty, J.

Dickson, T. A.
Dilke, Sir C. W.
Dillwyn, L. L.
Dodds, J.

Dodson, rt. hon. J. G.

Downing, M'C.

Duff, M. E. G.

Duff, R. W.

Dundas, J. C.
Earp, T.
Edwards, H.

Egerton, Admiral hn.F.
Ellice, E.

Errington, G.

Evans, T. W.

Eyton, P. E.

Fawcett, H.
Ferguson, R.

European enterprize. He was perfectly | voluntary champions of an exaggerated sure that what had been kept secret from Prerogative-the champions of that Party Parliament was no secret at all, and was whose views were to be read in a recent well known to the Cabinet of St. Peters- article in The Quarterly Review-had inburgh. The only quarter in which the jured that Prerogative, and lessened the Government were able to maintain se- respect in which it ought to be held. crecy was the quarter in which their Question put. maintaining it was the most indefensible -namely, in respect of the Imperial Parliament. He maintained there was involved in this matter a very important principle beyond the mere question of the justice of the expenditure incurred in the matter. By the action of the Government, in keeping secrecy as to its intentions with them until it had carried them out, the House had been deprived of an opportunity of considering beforehand what would be the effect of the measure upon the domestic conduct and upon the future policy of India. It could not be denied that the House had been deprived of the opportunity of discussing the propriety of calling upon Indian mercenaries-engaged to maintain in India the defence of that Empire-of calling upon them to take part in an European war. The most disastrous administration was being carried on in India by imposing a vexatious taxation upon the country against its protests, till it amounted to financial oppression. It could not be denied that this House had a right to consider the whole bearing of this demand upon the military resources of India. What was the example now being held out to our Indian fellowsubjects? The worst of the Natives of India were induced by prospects of gain to leave their country, while the industrious taxpayers of the country were as far off as ever of receiving protection of Her Majesty's Government. He heartily and entirely concurred in the sentiments of the hon. and gallant Member for Galway (Major Nolan). The Irish Members had a double interest in resisting the advance of absolutist principles; for, if the British Constitution should be worsened, it must be taken for certain that the Irish would get the worst of the worsening. After taking the step of removing the Indian troops without consulting that House, the Government came forward and pretended to be acting for the benefit of the Constitution, even while advancing such exaggerated views of the Royal Prerogative. He trusted, that in years to come, it would not be found that the VOL. CCXL. THIRD SERIES.]

Campbell- Bannerman,
H.

Carington, hn. Col. W.
Cave, T.
Cavendish, Lord F. C.
Cavendish, Lord G.
Chadwick, D.
Chamberlain, J.
Chambers, Sir T.
Childers, rt. hon. H.
Cholmeley, Sir H.
Clarke, J. C.
Clifford, C. C.
Clive, G.
Cogan, rt. hn. W. H. F.
Cole, H. T.
Collins, E.
Colebrooke, Sir T. E.
Colman, J. J.
Conyngham, Lord F.
Corbett, J.
Cotes, C. C.
Cowan, J.
Courtney, L. H.
Cowper, hon. H. F.

X

Fitzmaurice, Lord E.

Fletcher, I.
Foljambe, F. J. S.
Forster, Sir C.
Forster, rt. hon. W. E.
Fothergill, R.

Gladstone, rt. hn.W.E.

Gladstone, W. H.

Goldsmid, Sir J.

Gordon, Lord D.
Goschen, rt. hon. G. J.
Gourley, E. T.
Gower, hon. E. F. L.
Grant, A.
Grey, Earl de

Grosvenor, Lord R.
Hankey, T.

Harcourt, Sir W. V.

Harrison, C.

Harrison, J. F.

Hartington, Marq. of

Havelock, Sir H.

Hayter, A. D.
Henry, M.
Herschell, F.
Hibbert, J. T.
Hill, T. R.
Holland, S.
Holms, J.
Holms, W.
Hopwood, C. H.

Howard, hon. C.

Howard, E. S.

Hughes, W. B.

Hutchinson, J. D.

[Third Night.]

Marjoribanks, Sir D. C.
Marling, S. S.

Massey, rt. hon. W. N.
Matheson, A.
Meldon, C. H.
Middleton, Sir A. E.

Milbank, F. A.
Monk, C. J.
Morgan, G. O.
Morley, S.

Mundella, A. J.
Muntz, P. H.
Murphy, N. D.

Ralli, P.

Ramsay, J.
Rathbone, W.
Reed, E. J.
Richard, H.
Robertson, H.
Russell, Lord A.
Rylands, P.

St. Aubyn, Sir J.
Samuelson, B.
Samuelson, H.

Seely, C.

Sheridan, H. B.
Simon, Mr. Serjeant

Sinclair, Sir J. G. T.
Smith, E.

Smyth, P. J.

Stanton, A. J.

Bateson, Sir T.

Beach, W. W. B.
Bective, Earl of
Benett-Stanford, V. F.
Bentinck, rt. hon. G. C.
Bentinck, G. W. P.
Beresford, Lord C.
Beresford, G. De la P.
Birley, H.

Blackburne, Col. J. I.

Boord, T. W.
Bourke, hon. R.
Bourne, Colonel

Bousfield, Colonel

Bowen, J. B.
Bowyer, Sir G.
Brady, J.

Brise, Colonel R.

Broadley, W. H. H.
Brooks, W. C.
Bruce, hon. T.

Smyth, R.

Bruen, H.

Stansfeld, rt. hon. J.

Brymer, W. E.

Stevenson, J. C.

Stewart, J.

Stuart, Colonel

Sullivan, A. M.

Swanston, A.

Bulwer, J. R.
Burghley, Lord
Burrell, Sir W. W.
Buxton, Sir R. J.

Cameron, D.

Campbell, C.

Tavistock, Marquess of Cartwright, F.
Taylor, D.

Taylor, P. A.

Temple, right hon. W.
Cowper-

Tracy, hon. F. S. A.
Hanbury-
Trevelyan, G. O.
Villiers, rt. hon. C. P.
Vivian, A. P.

Vivian, H. H.

Newdegate, C. N.

Waddy, S. D.

Noel, E.

Nolan, Major
Norwood, C. M.
O'Brien, Sir P.
O'Conor, D. M.
O'Conor Don, The
O'Donnell, F. H.
O'Shaughnessy, R.
O'Sullivan, W. H.
Palmer, C. M.

Palmer, G.
Parker, C. S.
Pease, J. W.

Peel, A. W.

Waterlow, Sir S. H.
Weguelin, T. M.
Whalley, G. H.
Whitbread, S.
Whitwell, J.
Williams, B. T.
Williams, W.
Wilson, C.
Wilson, Sir M.
Young, A. W.

Pender, J.

NOES.

Ashbury, J. L.

Assheton, R.
Astley, Sir J. D.
Bagge, Sir W.
Bailey, Sir J. R.
Balfour, A. J.
Baring, T. C.

Castlereagh, Viscount
Cave, rt. hon. S.

Cecil, Lord E. H. B. G.
Chaine, J.

Chaplin, Colonel E.
Chaplin, H.

Charley, W. T.
Christie, W. L.
Churchill, Lord R.

Clive, Col. hon. G. W.

Close, M. C.
Clowes, S. W.
Cobbold, T. C.

Cochrane, A.D.W.R.B.
Cole, Col. hon. H. A.
Coope, O. E.
Cordes, T.

Corry, hon. H. W. L.
Corry, J. P.

Cotton, W. J. R.
Crichton, Viscount
Cross, rt. hon. R. A.
Cubitt, G.

Cuninghame, Sir W.
Cust, H. C.
Dalkeith, Earl of
Dalrymple, C.
Davenport, W. B.
Deedes, W.
Denison, C. B.
Denison, W. B.
Denison, W. E.
Dick, F.

Dickson, Major A. G.
Digby, Col. hon. E.
Douglas, Sir G.

Garnier, J. C.

Gibson, rt. hon. E.
Giffard, Sir H. S.

Gilpin, Sir R. T.
Goddard, A. L.
Goldney, G.
Gooch, Sir D.
Gordon, W.

Gore-Langton, W. S.
Gorst, J. E.
Goulding, W.
Grantham, W.
Greenall, Sir G.

Greene, E.
Gregory, G. B.
Guinness, Sir A.
Gurney, rt. hon. R.
Hall, A. W.
Halsey, T. F.

Hamilton, Lord C. J.
Hamilton, I. T.

Hamilton, right hon.
Lord G.

Hamilton, Marquess of
Hamilton, hon. R. B.
Hamond, C. F.
Hanbury, R. W.
Harcourt, E. W.

Lopes, Sir M.

Lorne, Marquess of
Lowther, hon. W..
Lowther, rt. hon. J.
Macartney, J. W. E.
Mac Iver, D.
M'Garel-Hogg, Sir J.
Majendie, L. A.
Makins, Colonel
Malcolm, J. W.

Mandeville, Viscount
March, Earl of
Marten, A. G.
Master, T. W. C.
Mellor, T. W.
Merewether, C. G.
Miles, P. J. W.

Puleston, J. H.
Raikes, H. C.
Read, C. S.
Rendlesham, Lord
Repton, G. W.
Ridley, Sir M. W.
Ripley, H. W.
Ritchie, C. T.
Rodwell, B. B. H.
Roebuck, J. A.

Rothschild, Sir N.M. de
Round, J.

Russell, Sir C.
Ryder, G. R.
Sackville, S. G. S.
Salt, T.

Samuda, J. D'A.
Sanderson, T. K.
Sandon, Viscount
Sclater-Booth, rt.hn.G.
Scott, Lord H.
Scott, M. D.

Moved, "That the House be now put mote it he ventured on what he thought into Committee on the said Bill."