§ MR. BIGGARasked the Secretary of State for War, "Whether it is true that on or about 23rd June a number of officers of Cavan Militia attended in uniform at a concert held in the County Court House, Cavan, for the purpose of raising funds to build an Orange Hall; whether the following Rule:—
By the Queen's Regulations officers and soldiers are forbidden to institute or take part in any meetings, demonstrations, or processions for party or political purposes, in barracks, camp, quarters, or elsewhere,applies to Militia as it does to officers of the Line; and, if it be true that the Cavan Militia officers attended under the above circumstances, and if the rule laid down as to soldiers and officers of the Army applies to men and officers of the Militia, whether he proposes to take any, and if so, what steps in reference to the matter?
§ CAPTAIN STANLEY, in reply, said, that it was true that on the 23rd June a number of the officers of the Cavan Militia attended a concert in uniform; but the officer commanding the Militia denied that there was anything of a party or political character in the meeting held on that occasion. So far as he (Captain Stanley) could understand the concert was not held in order to raise funds to build an Orange Hall. It was true that by the Queen's Regulations officers and soldiers were forbidden to engage or take part in any meeting or procession for party or political purposes; and this rule during the time that the Militia were out for training applied to them as well as to soldiers of the Line. The officers of the Cavan Militia attended in their uniform under a regulation of the service which directed that officers should wear uniform when attending on public occasions.
§ MR. ARCHDALLasked permission to read a letter from Colonel Saunderson, the colonel of the Cavan Militia. He said—
My dear Archdall,—Mr. Biggar has given Notice of a Question on Tuesday next as to the attendance of the officers of the Cavan Militia in uniform at a concert given in Cavan on the 23rd ultimo in aid of the building fund of an Orange Hall. The officers of the regiment will feel extremely grateful to you, as the Member for the next county, if you will say that the concert was not in aid of the funds of an Orange Hall, or for any party purpose whatever. The building in the aid of which it was held is to be devoted to the various clerical meetings and society meetings of the diocese, and the Question is, of course, a political attack upon the Saundersons, of whom there are three in the regiment.