§ SIR EDWARD WATKIN (Hythe)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he is aware that a Circular has, presumably with his sanction, been issued by the Adjutant General's Department, to the following effect:—
No Band, in future, whether belonging to the Regular or Auxiliary Forces, will be permitted to play in public without the express sanction of the Commanding Officer of the Regiment or Battalion, or, if it belongs to the Auxiliary Forces, of the Officer Commanding the Regimental District or of the Officer Commanding the Auxiliary Artillery or Engineers, as the case may he, who will ascertain before giving sanction that nothing of a political tendency is likely to occur at the place the Band is to play. Whenever sanction for a Band playing is given, an immediate Report of it is to he made to his Office, stating place, date, and nature of occasion. Should it he found, while the Band is playing, that the meeting, party, & c, it is playing at is a political one, the Warrant or Non-commissioned Officer in charge will immediately withdraw the Band;if he will state the reasons for this Order; and, why Colonels of Volunteer Regiments, whose Bands are maintained by local subscriptions, are to be deprived of their present power over the Bands of their respective Regiments?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)The Order quoted in the Question was not issued from the War Office. Bands, whether of the Army, Militia, or Volunteers, have been prohibited from playing in their military capacity at any entertainment organized for political purposes; and they have been further restricted, in the absence of special permission from the War Office, to their own military districts. No other curtailment of the power of colonels of Volunteer regiments over their bands is intended.