§ LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL (Paddington, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that, on the evening of the 7th January last, three non-commissioned officers of the Royal Horse Guards were refused admission, by the manager of Her Majesty's Theatre, to a box which had been specially given them by a General Officer commanding in the district; that the ground of such refusal was that the men were in uniform; and whether it is in his power to take steps to provide that soldiers in uniform shall, when frequenting places of public entertainment, enjoy the same right sand privileges as the civilian, and shall no longer be subjected to disabilities and vexations on account of their wearing the uniform of Her Majesty's Army?
§ MR. E. STANHOPEMy attention has been called to this case, and I should like to express my entire agreement with the view expressed by the noble Lord in the question—that it is intolerable that any disability should attach to wearing the Queen's uniform. I have no direct power in the matter, and the best means of dealing with it effectively require consideration. But, after consultation with the Lord Chamberlain, I propose, as a first step, to send him a Memorandum setting forth the views we entertain, and he has undertaken to circulate it to the theatres within his jurisdiction.