§ MR. ALGERNON EGERTONsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether the Government have come to any decision on the question of the exemption of Officers of the Volunteer Force from service on Juries?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONsaid, that upon the representations made by the deputation introduced to Lord de Grey by his hon. Friend opposite, Lord de Grey made inquiries as to the facts relating to the exemption from serving on juries allowed in favour of militia officers. It appeared that they were not exempted from 672 serving on juries except when the militia regiments to which they belonged were embodied. It was supposed that militia officers were exempted during the time their regiments were out for training, but such was not the fact, and it was only when their regiments were actually embodied that militia officers were exempted from serving on juries. Under these circumstances, it did not appear desirable to extend to Volunteer officers a privilege which was not enjoyed by militia officers.