The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-22 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS.

A deputation from the metropolitan committee on the
Volunteer Bill waited on Earl de Grey and Ripon at the
War-office, on Saturday, in reference to the objectionable
clauses of that measure. The deputation was headed by
Capt. Worms, of the Queen's (Westminster) Volunteers ;
Messrs. Few, Parson, E. Draper, J. Roebuck Lawrence,
and several others ; and Messrs. Prince and New, the hon.
secretaries of the committee.

Capt. WORMS stated that the object of the deputation
was to protest against clause 20 of the new Volunteer Bill,
which they considered arbitrary and unconstitutional, and
which had created alarm in the minds of the Volunteers
throughout the kingdom. The Volunteer movement was
a spontaneous and patriotic one, and the Volunteers ought
not, in common justice, to be submitted to restrictions which
neither the army, the militia, nor any other portion of her
Majesty's service were called upon to submit to. He con-
sidered that the power placed by the bill in the hands of
Volunteer officers was of too arbitrary a nature to bestow
on any men, and begged most emphatically to state that it
was the opinion, both of the deputation and of the class
they represented, that if the objectionable clauses were per-
mitted to pass into law it would be the means of destroying
the Volunteer movement altogether.
Mr. FEW said that all the Volunteers required was the
right of being heard before any judgment was passed upon
them. He submitted that for all real purposes the clause
giving the right of appeal was valueless.
Earl DE GREY and RIPON said he was glad to find that
the deputation was prepared to admit that the clause re-
ferred to was not a new one, but was only a repetition of
the old Volunteer Act of the 44th of George 111., cap. 54 ;
but he would remind them that notwithstanding the existence
of this Act, courts of inquiry had not only existed through-
out the present Volunteer movement, but had been permis-
sively recognised. There was no one more ready than him-
self to admit that the Volunteer movement owed its very
existence to the spontaneous patriotism of the people them-
selves ; but it was not possible for 160,000 men to enrol
themselves as volunteers without knowing that they were to
a certain extent submitting themselves to military law. The
present bill was simply a consolidation of the old Volunleer
Acts of the reign of Geo. 111., and they felt they had no
right to make any change in the principles laid down therein.
He was most desirous of removing another impression which
had gone abroad, that the bill gave powers to a commanding
officer to dismiss officers. This was quite erroneous, the
power of dismissing commissioned officers being vested in
the Crown alone. It was also not true that there was no
power of appeal. Any volunteer who considered himself
wrongfully dismissed had the power of appealing to the
Secretary of State for War, and that Minister could cause
him to be reinstated if he saw that he had been unjustly dis-
missed. It should be borne in mind that under the present
acts courts of inquiry were only permissive, but under the
16th section of the present bill commanding officers were
given the power of instituting such courts, thus giving them
for the first time legal status. As to the comparative value
of courts of inquiry, they did not administer any oath to
those called before them, nor did their members take any
oath themselves. On the other had, the commanding officer
was directly responsible for the discipline of his corps, or
for the rightful or wrongful dismissal of any of his men.
For his part he w0u1.2 sooner be tried by a responsible offi-
cer than by a self-constituted court of inquiry holding no
judicial authority whatever. The volunteers had an immense
advantage over the army and militia by the privilege they
had of resigning at 14 days' notice if they found their com-
manding officer coercive or tyrannical. So far from abolish-
ing courts of inquiry the new bill possessed a special clause
which said, "it shall be lawful for the commanding officer
at any time to assemble a court of inquiry to assist him," &c.

Mr. PRINCE suggested that charges made against men
should be preferred in writing.
The Marquis of HARTINGTON (who was present) said,
such a rule would interfere with the powers of instant dis-
missal by the commanding officer.
Earl DE GREY and RIPON said he would consider both
the points alluded to by the deputation, but Parliament had
expressed a most decided opinion in favour of the clauses
objected to. He could not agree that the liberties of volun-
teers were interfered with in any way by the bill.
In answer to several other remarks and questions from
other members of the deputation, Earl DE GREY and RIPON
said he would give every consideration to the objections that
had been urged against the bill, but he could not in any
way allow a departure from the principles laid down therein.
He trusted the statements made that there was so strong a
feeling among volunteers against the bill that they would
abandon the service of their Queen and country would not
be realised.