[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SpEcrAros. - j SIR,—The permission most graciously
accorded to me to deplore the fact that the Government have declined to allow the Volunteers to exercise in Richmond Park has been put on record by a member of the Government. I can but thank Lord Onslow for his condescension, and also for the prompti- tude with which he has proved one of my principal arguments. I stated that the presence of Volunteers in Richmond Park would be a source of great amusement to the public. We are now assured that this is the principal reason why they should be kept excluded. Mr. Akers-Douglas does not say so, it is true; his contention is that the amusement of the public would be seriously limited. Ministerial colleagues should really consult. By far the most significant utterance which we have yet had on this important subject was made last week in the House of Commons by Lord Stanley. He told us that the War Office was fully alive to its responsibility of providing means for the proper field train- ing of Metropolitan Volunteers, and that such training ought to take place in camp ; a very sound view, no doubt, and I only wish to add—and out of camp as well, for which latter purpose Richmond Park is indispensable. Then these pregnant words fell from Lord Stanley's lips, in answer to the hope expressed by Mr. Hobhouse that the Secretary of State may findit possible to reconsider his decision; "I do not think it is the decision of the Secretary of State that has to be reconsidered." Now where are we ? The Secretary of State is apparently persuaded already, but be stands in front of H.M. King Heron, and this kingly personage has champions who state that he also is per- suaded, and that he only stretches his sheltering aegis over another Royal personage in the shape of the pheasant. Does the chain of responsibility end here ? Lord Onslow is not correct in stating that the operations in my case "took place on enclosed ground, off which I could warn all except the military " ; on most of my land I no doubt could have warned
off the public, but I did not do so, as I like to see both the soldiers and their friends ; in neither case was my trust mis-
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