§ MR. BUTTasked the Secretary of State for War, If his attention has been called to the fact that the Queen's Prize, annually given at Wimbledon, is open to competition by members of the Colonial Militia, but that it is not open to competition by members of the Irish Militia, and that, as Government will not permit the enrolment of Volunteers in Ireland, Ireland is the only part of Her Majesty's Dominions in which no one can become qualified to compete for that prize and the numerous prizes subject to the same regulations; and, whether he will take any steps to remedy this?
MR. GATHORNE HARDYIn reply to the hon. and learned Member for Limerick, I have to say that I have no power over the Queen's prizes. They are under the control of the Committee of the Association that manages the meeting at Wimbledon. But with respect to the particular circumstances referred to, I may say that the Colonial Militia of Canada and the Jersey Militia, which are permitted to compete are unpaid. That is the reason they are treated differently from other Militia. The Irish Militia are treated in exactly the same way as the English and Scotch Militia, on the ground that they are a paid body. For the same reason Yeomanry are not permitted to compete. But I may inform the hon. and learned Member that the Irish Volunteers in London do compete.