LORD STANLEYS.E., Vesthoughton) (Lancashire,I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is a fact that he has refused permission (hitherto annually granted) for the Lichfield races to be held on War Office lands; and, if so, for what reason?
*THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL-BAXNERMAN,) Stirling BurghsFrom a military point of dew it was considered undesirable to hold a race meeting so close to barracks occupied by young soldiers, and I failed to find any circumstances of a local nature in favour of these races which would outweigh the military objection.
MR. JAMES LOWTHERwished to know whether the then Secretary of State for War, the present Lord Cranbrook, did not distinctly tell the inhabitants of Lichfield that the buildings connected with the military estabishment would be so arranged as not be interfere with the races, and would probably last for two centuries?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid, that he knew that it was to be in the power of the military authorities of the day to do what they liked in the matter. He was not a connoisseur in race meetings, but he understood that this particular meeting was not what might be called from the outside point of view a first-class meeting. Therefore, nothing damaging to the interests of horse-breeding was likely to be caused by the action of the Authorities.