§ Mr. CALLANasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether the statement is correct which appeared in the London morning journals of Saturday last, that—
For playing 'St. Patrick's Day' on the parade ground at Aldershot early in the morning of St. Patrick's Day, fifteen drummers and fifers of the 1st battalion of the 15th Foot, were made prisoners and confined in the guard room. They played without let or hindrance or fear of confinement on past occasions;471 and, whether they or any others have been since further punished for the same transaction; and, if so, to further ask, whether the bands of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and the 41st, the Welsh, do not usually play Welsh national airs on the morning of St. David's Day "without let or hindrance or fear of confinement," and in truth and fact did on the morning of St. David's Day in the present year and month, at Cork and Shorncliffe, play the "March of the Men of Harlech" and other Welsh airs, and neither drummers nor fifers were therefor "made prisoners and confined to the guardroom," and further punished; and, if so, to ask, why the playing of "St. Patrick's Day" by the drummers and fifers of the 1st battalion of the 15th Foot was visited with exceptional penalties?
MR. GATHORNE HARDY, in reply, said, that in consequence of the hon. Member's Question relating to the punishment of certain drummers and fifers at Aldershot for playing national airs he had made inquiries into the matter, and he found that the Question did not very accurately represent the whole of the circumstances of the case. The drummers broke out of barracks a few minutes before midnight on the 16th instant, taking with them the drums and fifes, the property of Government, and for this military offence they were punished, and not for playing any particular airs. Two lance-corporals and one drummer had been remanded for trial by a regimental Court-martial, which had not been proceeded with, pending the reference of the matter to His Royal Highness the Field Marshal Commanding. The remainder of the drummers had been sentenced to 28 days' confinement to barracks. The act was a grave breach of discipline, contrary to the Queen's Regulations, both as regards quitting barracks without permission and playing after tattoo. The officers commanding the 1st battalion 23rd and 41st Regiments had reported that the bands of their regiments never played Welsh airs on St. David's Day without permission, and did not do so on last St. David's Day without permission. The drummers of the 1st battalion 15th Foot had not played on former occasions without permission, and consequently had not been punished. But perhaps the hon. Member was not aware that the 15th Foot was not an 472 Irish regiment, but belonged to the East Riding of Yorkshire.