THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE ON ARMY DISCIPLINE.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2978, 31 August 1878, Page 3

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE ON ARMY DISCIPLINE.

(*BOM THE HOME NEWS.) The Duke of Cambridge was examined a few days since before the Select Committee of the House of Commons ap. pointed to inquire into the working of the Mutiny and Marine Mutiny! Acts. His Koyal Highness. stated that it was his opinion, ,that increased summary power Bhsuld be giren to commanding officers. He would do away with regimental courtsmartial altogether. The power •of commanding officers should be so increased as to allow them to give sentences of twenty-one days' imprisonment, the present limit being seven days, while that of a regimental ootlrt-martial is forty-two days. Supposing an offender thought himself unjustly treated by a oommandiDg ofßcer he should be able to appeal to a district court-martial. He would not recommend that commanding officers should take evidence on oath. The power of a commanding officer should not be increased- in regard to the stoppage of pay, and, of course, when a man was •bsent from duty he forfeited his pay. The discipline of the serrice would, he tliought, be greatly increased by giving short sentences wherever it was possible to do so. By giving a man a great deal of punishment'a great deal of harm was often done: The men got disgusted with the service, and in many cases deserted.. His Koyal Highneis objected in the strongest manner to the idea of a " penal battalion;" at the same time he would recommend that, in" order to punish deserters, they should be put for general service in different battalions. Their punishment rtould then be that they would not be 'able to desert. At the present time there were three kinds of court-martial— regimental, district, and general. There were certain cases which, being considered verjr serious, were tried by general court-martial.

General Grant, -ex-President, of the TTnitea States of America,' travelling through Holland,'visited Rotterdam last month in company with the American Ambassador. He was received on arrival by the Mayor, and the American Consul, and other notabilities. The party viewed the works of the Netherlands Steamboat Company, where, two steam corvettes and a monitor are in coarse of construction for the Netherlands Government. In consequence of the extension of the town, large works have been erected by the municipal authorities and the Botterdamiche Handelsvereeniging (the [Rotterdam Trading Society) on the left bank of the Meuse, consisting of bridges, docks, and warehouses, which splendid works underwent inspection. •