§ LORD DORCHESTER, in rising to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether Volunteer corps have been invited to parade at the Review to be held on the 9th instant, at Aldershot; and, if so, whether her Majesty's Government will recommend that the whole, or any part, of the cost of such attendance shall be defrayed by the country, or whether it shall be a personal charge on the commanding officers, and on those who attend under arms? said, that all who saw the Volunteers on Saturday last march past Her Majesty must have been surprised at the military aspect of the regiments, and at the manner in which they discharged their respective duties. He was informed that on the 19th of May an intimation was sent to 3 the various Volunteer corps that their presence would be acceptable on the occasion of the Royal Review at Aldershot on Saturday next; but there had been great apprehension which had deterred several Volunteer corps from joining. There was a fear that each man would be put to an expense which many of them were not able to bear, and that they would not be conveyed free to the scene of action; he understood also that they were to be called upon to pay their own expenses for the day. Many of the men would have to start at 2 o'clock in the morning, and they would be lucky indeed if they got home within 24 hours. The plea of economy could hardly be received since the whole cost of the Volunteers attending from the Metropolis would not involve an outlay of more than £1,000. He thought it was for the credit of the country, and would be a testimonial to the work performed by the Volunteers, that some efforts should be made to secure that the men should not at any rate be out of pocket by attending a long and arduous day at Aldershot.
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Lord HARRIS)In the encomiums passed by the noble Lord upon the Volunteers who marched past Her Majesty on Saturday last, I most cordially concur. With regard to the noble Lord's Question, a Memorandum was issued on April 22nd, inviting such Volunteer corps desirous of attending the Review to notify their wish to the Adjutant General. It stated that an allowance, as in the case of Windsor Review of 1881, of 2s. per head for corps whose head quarters were over 50 miles from Aldershot, and 1s. for those under 50 miles would be granted, and that all other expenses of attending the Review would have to be met by the corps. All the corps accepting under the provisions of that Memorandum have been authorized to attend.