Mr. Otway, it will be remembered, carried his motion for
the abolition of flogging in the Army by a majority of one. Sir John Pakington appears, from his speech on Thursday, to have been willing to accede, but the Duke of Cambridge was not, and the obedient Minister of War proposed a com- promise. Nobody is to be flogged except for mutiny, insab- ordination with violence, and indecent conduct. In other. words, flogging is to be abolished as an instrument of discipline, but retained as a deterrent from recruiting; abolished where it might be of use, and retained where it must be mischievous. It is clear from the debate that the root of this stupid proposal is the distrust of the Duke of Cambridge in the common sense of Englishmen. He thinks they will not bear that men should be shot for insubordination withviolence —a _pure delusion. Striking an officer on duty is a purely voluntary acts and a _Reformed House of Commons would undoubtedly uphold the summary.court. which ordered the striker's execution. Our discipline needs to become at once more honourable and more terrible, and. it would. become soil old officers did not think all other Englishmen fools. Who on earth wants to turn .the British Army into a mob?
Previous page
