§ MR. LAURIEasked the Secretary for War whether some arrangement might not be made to relieve officers of the army from the expense of maintaining the bands of their several regiments?
GENERAL PEELsaid, that the hon. Member had no doubt perceived from the papers laid on the table that this subject had received the anxious consideration of the Commander in Chief. His Royal Highness was desirous of reducing the expense of the bands to the regimental officers, and had made a proposition on the subject to the late Government, which, he regretted to say, they did not accede to. He (General Peel) should take the opportunity of calling the attention of the present Government to the deduction of twelve days' pay from every regimental officer for the maintenance of the bands—a deduction which he had always thought a great tax on the officers.