§ MAJOR PARKERsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, if 1229 he is preparer] to give an assurance that Regiments of Militia will not, unless the exigencies of the State require it, be called out for training during those periods of the year when the services of the men are most needed for agricultural purposes?
§ MR. SIDNEY HERBERTsaid, the Committee which sat on the subject of the Militia last year recommended that trainings in future should be as nearly as possible simultaneous, so as to prevent the passing of men from one corps to another, in order to get double bounty and training pay. The Government had determined, as far as possible, to act upon that recommendation. It was clear that in different portions of the country the time of harvest was different; he had, therefore, put himself into communication with the Lords-Lieutenant of counties; and, in all probability, regiments in the south of England would assemble in May, and regiments further north later, in order that the training should not occur at a time when labour was greatly required,