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The 1875 Yeomanry Committee In April 1875, Lord Skelmersdale counted among the 12 members of the Yeomanry Committee appointed by the Secretary of State for War, "to consider the various questions that have arisen with respect to the Yeomanry Cavalry". The reading of the Minutes of Evidence of this report provide an extraordinary insight into the actual life of mid-1870s Yeomanry Regiments : no less than 20 witnesses were heard, from Inspecting Officers to Yeomanry Serjeants. I have transcribed here most of the questions asked by Lord Skelmersdale (and some about him and his regiment) ; they give us an interesting view of his specific topics of interest (I would go so far as to venture : the retaining of the Lancashire Hussars' lavishly adorned uniforms, regimental prizes, and the expenses of a Troop Captain...).

13th April 1875. Col. Edward Seager, Inspecting Officer of Auxiliary Cavalry for the First Cavalry District.
252.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Do you find in many regiments that there are many old men who are perfectly useless as far as any of those duties (NB: skirmishing and outpost duties) are concerned ? — There are very few. I do not think that there are any in any regiments in my district ; there are very few old men, they are all gone now. I cannot name any.
253.	Is is necessary, in your opinion, to put a limit to the age at which a man after attaining a certain age should be obliged to leave a regiment? — I do not think you can put a liit to the age of the men, because men are so differently constituted ; for instance, a man may, after 60 years of age, be well and able to do his work. But if a man is infirm, and not able to do his work, he ought to go ; but that, I think, should be left to the Inspector very much, if the Colonels do not do it themselves. I think you will find that there are very few old men now in the Yeomanry.
306.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Do not you think with regard to the dress that any alteration in the dress of a local corps would do away with its attraction in that particular neighbourhood ? — I think it would, and therefore I think it ought to be kept up.
307.	There is an affection for the dress of the corps ? — Yes, a smart dress brings you recruits, and if the dress is interfered with, I think it would do away with that ; a number of men wuld not join.
415.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) You stated that you thought all officers ought to attend troop drill. No doubt you are aware that a great many officers do not live in the counties in which their regiments are ? — Yes.
416.	How would you provide for a case of that kind ? How would you give them the necessary instruction ? Would you insist upon it ? — I think that with regards to officers who live a long way from their head-quarters they ought not to belong to a regiment. If it is worth their while to be in a regiment, I think it should be worth their while to do their duty.
Adjourned to the 16th April, 1875.
425.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) As a rule, is not the forage for the serjeant's horse provided by the Captain of the troop ? — It is not always so, but it is generally.
453.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) You are aware, are you not, that as many as eight or nine drills take place in a regiment ? — Yes, in one or two corps.
454.	That is owing, is it not, to a number of the men not being able to attend at certain times, and they come as they can ? — They come out very strong sometimes, and for as many as nine drills. I am aware that they do come out, but then the object of their coming ought to be to come out in a large body, as large as possible. You cannot drill two or three men, to work by fours.
455.	Some of the men do attend the whole of the mounted drills, do they not ? — Yes, and very well indeed.
456.	Would you make any difference in the pay of those men who come from a long distance, and of those who are at hand, and come to those drills ? — No. I do not think you could do that. At the present time, as I said before, they get nothing. I do not think I shoul make any difference in the pay ; it would make it a complicated question, I think, if you did.
502.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) You have mentioned that fines were imposed in a certain regiment, can you explain to the Committee how those charges are levied ? — They are principally levied for being absent from parade, and for being late at parade, and for a bad turn out. I cannot tell you the amounts of the fines, as they are laid down by the regulations. I mean in the Yeomanry Regulations, but I believe they vary in different regiments.
503.	How is the money procured from the men ? — It is stopped from their pay at the end of the week.
504.	Has it ever come to your knowledge that a man has resisted a fine, because its imposition was not legal ? — I never heard of that, but it may have been so. The men were generally paid on the day after the inspection. I may have left the town, and it has not been reported to me.
634.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Do you think it advisable to call out the Yeomanry in aid of the Civil Power in its own immediate neighbourhood, particularly in the colliery districts ? — Yes. I don't see why they should not be called out: if they are to be of any use at all they ought to do duty there as well as anywhere else. I do not think that they are men who, generally speaking, have much political feeling, and they are very loyal altogether.
635.	Might it not be the case that they woul have relations among the disturbers of the peace ? — They might have, but I have that opinion of them that I do not think it would prevent them from doing their duty.
636.	Is it allowable for a single troop to be called out on the authority of the Captain in aid of the Civil Power, without the authority of the commanding officer ? — The requisition ought to be made to the Colonel of the regiment-I cannot answer the question as to wether the Captain can do it on his own responsibility. If the Captain receives a requisition from the Magistrates, and it is a case of great emergency, I think he would be justified in going out, but that is only my opinion-there is no rule laid down.
637.	In any case, however, it must be a requisition signed by wo Magistrates ? — Yes, and you must yake care also to have a Magistrate riding wih you, or they would not go out.
664.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) You have spoken about a penalty or a fine ; are you aware that in any particular regiment that is the practice ? — Yes.
665.	And that sums to the amount of 10l. have been obtained ? — Yes.
666.	From men leaving without having given notice ? — Yes.
667.	Do you think it advisable that there should be so large a fine as that inflicted ? — Yes ; I think they ought to be fined, and the fines are laid down in the Yeomanry Regulations now.
668.	That is generally not known, is it ? — No ; but in some regiments they carry them out very strictly, while in others they do not.
722.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) The Contingent Fund is often supplemented by the troop officers, as well as by the Colonel ? — Yes.
723.	And therefore they ought to have a voice in the use of their oan money ? — Yes, and of course they have a voice in it, in what they spend extra for their troops.

20th April 1875 - Colonel OAKES, C.B., Inspecting Officer of Auxiliary Cavalry for the Second Cavalry District.
1152.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) In purely agricultural districts, where there are no hounds, and where the Yeomen, as a rule, never ride, would it not be easier to teach them in a military saddle than in a hunting saddle? — On the whole it would not make much difference if you commenced teaching on a regimental or hunting saddle — from the former they might not have quite so many falls:
Adjourned to the 23rd April, 1875.
1268.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) As I understand you, you think that the minimum number of men in each regiment should be 300 ? — About 300, in order to make them useful in the field.
1269.	And you hold that opinion, in spite of the fact that it appears'by the last Returns that there is a general reduction going on throughout the country ? — Yes ; I think that the reduction in the regiments is owing to the men imagining that they have not sufficient inducements to bring them out, and that they are serving their time for nothing. If you gave more money you would get the regiments up, I am informed.
1270.	You think that there is a wish for more pay ? — Yes, and other advantages also.
1271.	As a rule, do -you consider that large regiments work better than small ones? — I think that where you have good and effective permanent serjeants, they know their work and undoubtedly work better.
1473.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Do you advocate officers and non-commissioned officers attending the same class ? — No ; I recommend that they should not.
1474.	With reference to the question of the desirability of not allowing them to be attached to regiments any longer, your reason for wishing them all to go to the School is in order that they may get more uniform instruction ? — Yes.
1475.	And also because you consider the instruction that they get there very good ? — They learn a great deal more at the School than there is time or opportunity of teaching in a regiment.
1476.	The officers in charge of the School are particularly good instructors ? — Particularly. I never met such good instructors before.
1477.	So that it is desirable to take advantage of that, and to instruct as many officers as possible at the School ? — Yes ; and we get a uniform system, which is a great thing.
1947.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Do the Adjutants in your regiment receive any extra allowance from the Captain of each troop ? — I have never had an Adjutant ; but he would not.

30th April 1875 - Lieutenant-Colonel Viscount MALDEN, Hertfordshire Yeomanry.
1975.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) There has been some question with regard to assimilating all the uniforms of the different Yeomanry Regiments, do not you consider that that would be a mistake? — Yes, I think so.
1976.	If the regiments are fond of their uniforms in the different counties, it is of some importance, is it not, with regard to recruiting? — Yes.
2086.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Am. I to understand that you do not invariably swear your men in— the recruits ? — No.
2087.	Are you aware that that is laid down in the regulations ? — I believe it is.
2088.	Virtually you have no power over them ? — No ; some of them, I believe, have been sworn in.
2121.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Do the Captains in your troop supplement the pay of their serjeant- majors to any great extent ? — They find them a house and a horse.
2122.	But they do not assist them with any money ? — No ; — I beg pardon in saying that they do not assist them with money — they find quarters for them during, permanent duty.
2123.	Are they not billetted like soldiers ? — No ; they pay for their quarters — every man does that.

30th April 1875 - Major DAVID SCOTLAND, late Adjutant, Cheshire Yeomanry.
2210.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Have you found any difficulty in obtaining Serjeants when you have had vacancies ? — No ; I should like to mention to the Committee that I think some stringent rules should be adopted in sending to the Yeomanry, regimental Serjeants who are thoroughly qualified as instructors. I know it very often happens that a commanding officer has a very excellent old troop Serjeant-major or serjeant in the regiment, and he wishes to find him a good berth; he passes a sort of mug-up examination before his commanding officer, and he is reported upon as being able to instruct the men ; that is so in some cases, I do not say in all. If a man is simply crammed, he i» after six months' idleness perfectly unfitted to instruct. I think that these non-com, missioned officers should be men who have been in the habit of teaching, for several years in their regiments, and who have taught recruits from the goose step, up to increasing and diminishing the front and the formations ; otherwise, if they are not thoroughly grounded, and considered good instructors before they leave the regiments, they are of no use whatever to the Yeomanry, they do more harm than good. To bring a man forward for one of these appointments who has not been grounded in his regiment as a drill instructor is very objectionable, be'cause, when he comes to a Yeomanry regiment, he has nobody to lean upon. He has not the regimental serjeant-major, nor the rough riding serjeant, nor the serjeant instructor of musketry to lean upon. He is all those non-commissioned officers in one ; and he ought, therefore, to be most strictly examined by a competent officer, and in his presence drill a troop mounted and dismounted in all parts of elementary drill.
2211.	With regard to the difficulty of getting Serjeants, have you found that the old Army Serjeants have an objection to go into the Yeomanry? — No ; I have not found it so. At the present moment there are in the Adjutant's office, several applications for appointments in the Cheshire Yeomanry. I think there are four or five now.
2212.	The Serjeants of Yeomanry who are taken from a Cavalry regiment, are I suppose, as a rule, quite on a level with the Yeomanry that they have to deal with ? — Quite ; they are not their inferiors at all. I do not -think that the Yeomanry have ever treated them in that way — not even substantial farmers.
Adjourned to the 4th May, 1875.
2310.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) In the event of the Yeomanry being called out suddenly in aid of the civil power, would it not be better that they should have their arms and accoutrements in their own charge, or should they be under the charge of the serjeant-major at the troop store, where they would be sure to be in readiness for use ? — I think that they should be in their own charge, they would be more ready if they were in the charge of the Yeomanry than they would be in the troop store.
2342.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) With regard to noncommissioned officers, do you not think that they should be sent, every now and then, either to their old regiment, or to the nearest Cavalry regiment, to be re-instructed in any changes in drill ? — Yes.
2343.	They get very, rusty, do they not ? — Yes ; the inspecting officer, I think, ought to test them so thoroughly as to be able to decide whether it was requisite they should go or not.

25th May 1875 - Captain KENDAL COGHILL, Adjutant, Queen's Own Royal Glasgow and Lower Ward of Lanarkshire Yeomanry Cavalry.
3375.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Are all of your men in billets, or is any man who lives close to the neighbourhood allowed to live at home ? — Quite so. Many of them hire houses for themselves or take up all the hotels for themselves.
3376.	Have you heard complaints from the men that their pay does not meet their expenses when attending permanent duty? — No, but I have heard them complain that they have been imposed upon as regards the cost of stabling which they have to pay, but not with reference to the pay which they receive being inadequate.
3377.	Do you find great objection among the owners of stables to let the Yeomen have the use of them ? — No, on the contrary. Before the Yeomanry come out, most of the stable-keepers buy up all the good stabling in the town, and sub-let it at the high rate of a guinea a stall to the men ; but we billet the majority of them now, except those who give an extra price for their own thoroughbred horses.
3378.	When you enlist a Yeoman recruit, is it for any certain time, any number of years, or is there any regulation with respect to that ? — There is a regulation with respect to it, but I think that it has been more honored in the breach than the observance. They are supposed to be enrolled for three years.
3379.	Are they under any penalty ? — They are under a penalty of 5l. if they retire before their time without the sanction of the commanding officer.
3380.	Has that penalty ever been enforced? — Never ; but there is a further penalty, if a man retires within fourteen days after submitting his application, and that penalty lias been enforced.
3381.	Do you impose fines for non-attendance at drills, or for being late on parade ? — There are rules to that effect, but I believe that no fine has ever been carried out in this regiment. When I raised many objections to the men being late and unpunctual in attendance, and detained them for an extra hour on parade in consequence, they said, " Why do not you enforce the fines and get the men together, and then we should all be able to break off earlier." I have compiled a book of standing orders this year, and I am bringing the fines prominently forward, so that each man can be furnished with a copy of the book, where all the penalties and fines are laid down.
3382.	Do you find that the men are willing to attend, and that they are ready to subject themselves to those rules ? — Yes ; there is nothing new as to the fines, excepting that the rules have been obsolete for some years, and I have embodied the old ones, adding some supplementary new ones.
3383.	With regard to the troop drills, would you make any difference between the pay given to men living in the immediate neighbourhood of the troop drills, and the pay given to those who come some distance ? — I think not, because they do not drill at the head-quarters of the regiment, they drill at then- own troop head-quarters.
3384.	I mean those living at some distance from the troop head-quarters, say, eight or nine miles off? — They live hardly so far off as that, say, from five to six miles, which they can easily trot in. I should not advocate any extra pay for that, I think.
3396.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) With regard to hired horses, is there any stipulation that a horse, which is hired for permanent duty, is to be available in the event of the corps being called out? — There is no stipulation about it, the horses are generally hired from large horse dealers in the city, and we always have a large supply.
3397.	So that you seldom see a hired horse a second time ? — Very seldom.
3398.	The men almost always turn out with fresh horses, do they ? — Yes.
3399.	That is rather objectionable, is it not ? — Yes.
3400.	Will you state whether, in your opinion, it is advisable for the Government to find horses for the permanent staff ? — I see no source from which they could get them except a regiment, which I am satisfied would object to it. I think that the horses for the permanent staff should be provided, or that they should receive an allowance for them. At the present time there is only one fund allowed by the Government, only 2l. a-head per man, and out of that the whole expenses of the regiment are to be found, and it would not pay one-fourth of them, that is allowing something over twelve years for a man's uniform to last him.

25th May 1875 - Serjeant ROBERT MILNE, Pembrokeshire Yeomanry.
3455.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Are you mounted ? — The Captain of my troop supplies me. with a horse during the eight days of permanent duty.
3456.	Have you the use of that horse during any other part of the year ? — Yes, we have three private drills, mounted, and if we are at the home station I can have the horse then, but if I go far off in the country I do not have the horse.
3457.	Have you to mount yourself then ? — No, I dismount a trooper and take his horse.
3481.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) You say you got 20 recruits last year, and only half of them came up this year? — There might be more than half, but several dropped out.

25th May 1875 - Serjeant ROBERT George Kerr, Dorset Yeomanry.
3547.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) What is the number of men in your troop ? — 38.
3548.	Is that above the number of the other troops of the regiment ? — Some of the other troops are stronger. That has been the strength since I joined the Yeomanry, 38 to 40 ; 40 has been the full strength, 38 is the present strength.
3549.	That troop, consisting of 38, is divided into two portions ? — It is divided into two portions.
3550.	Do you drill one portion in the spring and the other in the autumn ? — No ; they have both the same number of drills. I go to the places named to drill them, and perhaps another troop comes to drill with them. They come to the most convenient place for them to drill.
3551.	You say that none of the serjeant-majors in your regiment have civil employment. You do not drill in schools ? — There are no schools in our neighbourhood where we could get employment of that sort.
3552.	When the men are paid after permanent duty, does the money pass through your hands? — No.
3574.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) While you are at the School of Instruction at Aldershot you are attached to a regiment ? — Yes.
3575.	Does that entail much expense upon you ? — Yes.
3576.	You are keeping up two homes ? — Yes.
3577.	When out on permanent duty are you billeted ? — No, each man takes lodgings in the town for the time.
3578.	Do the men spend much money when they are out on duty ? — Some do.
3579.	Is it a subject of complaint with their relations ? — No.
3580.	Have you in your regiment any system of fines for being late on parade or for turning out dirty ? — A man is fined for coming late, and if he is not properly dressed he is fined.
3581.	Those fines are enforced ? — Yes.
3582.	Do you know what becomes of those fines ? — They form a troop fund.
3583.	Does that fund go to providing for the casualty of a man having his horse killed or injured ? — Nothing of the kind has taken place since I have been in the regiment. I know they have given away out of the fund since I belonged to the regiment.
3584.	For casualties ? — Yes. The serjeant I succeeded died, and they gave his wife 40l. out of it, and they gave me 20l. out of it on account of my losing my pay as a serjeant-major in the army on being transferred to the Yeomanry. Anything of that sort would come out of that fund.
3585.	That fund is .kept up partly from the fines and partly from contributions by the officers ? — Yes.
3594.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Does the Captain of your troop give prizes for the best turned-out man, and for the best swordsman ? — He gives prizes for the best swordsman, and for shooting.
3595.	Does he also give a prize for the best horse of the year? — No, not that I am aware of.
3596.	Are there any regimental prizes ? — Yes, there are two regimental prizes given for the best shots in the regiment.
3597.	You have no prize for the best horse? — Some of the troops give prizes for the best turned-out man in the troop.
3598.	Are there any races in your regiment ? — Yes.
3599.	Do those races take place after the permanent drill ? — The races go on while the permanent drill is going on.
3610.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Do the men in yom regiment set much store by their uniform ? — Yes, they are careful with it.
3611.	Do you think they would object to their uniform being made the same as the adjoining county ? — I have not asked them such a question.
3612.	They take a pride in their uniform, and keen it as smart as they can ? — Yes.
3613.	If you took away their lace, for instance, and turned their uniform into a dull-looking uniform, they would probably not care so much about belonging to the regiment ? — That is a question I have never thought of asking them.

27th May 1875 - Serjeant-Major JOHN GRAY, Essex Yeomanry Cavalry.
3736.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Are your men in billets when they are out on permanent duty ? — No, we tried that a year ago, but it did not answer, and now the men find their own quarters, and we take an account of where their quarters are now.
3737.	Does it put them to greater expense ? — Yes, it must a little, but the men- prefer it because it leaves them more independent as to where they can go.
3738.	At the end of the permanent duty, are the men paid by their Captains, or does the money pass through the hands of the Serjeants ? — They are paid by the Captains, the Serjeants being present.
3739.	I think you said that some prizes were give for carbine and sword exercise ? — Yes.
3740.	Are there prizes given also for the best horses ? — Yes, every year for the best turnout.
3741.	Is there any prize given for the same horses being brought out several years in. succession ? — No, we have nothing of that kind.
3783.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) Do you know whether any Captains of troops in the regiment have been in the habit of compelling their tenants to find horses under agreements in their leases ? — There has been nothing of that sort.

Colonel Sir ROBERT GERARD, Bart., Aide-de-Camp to the Queen, and Colonel of the Lancashire Hussars. This witness' testimony is particularly interesting, as he was Lord Skelmersdale's Commanding Officer. Here are included more excerpts included here than Lord Skelmersdale's questions only - for they provide us with some interesting insight on those.
3823.	(Mr. Tudor Johnson.) Are your permanent staff-serjeants principally discharged soldiers with pensions ? — I think that my serjeant-majors receive pensions; they have been with me for some time, and I believe they are all but one on the old pension, list.
3824.	Is the horse that is provided for them by their Captains at their disposal during the whole year, or only during the permanent duty ? — I believe that in one troop the serjeant-major has the use of a horse all the year round. In my two troops, which, are composed of my tenants, it is done in this way, we only provide them when they are necessary. In Lord Skelmersdale's troop the serjeant has a horse all the year round. I may mention that I keep a number of light cart-horses, and they make excellent and useful horses for the Yeomanry, and the serjeant-majors can take one when it is required.
3908.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) With regard to the roll being called, I believe it is called in the presence of the inspecting officer, at the inspection on parade ? — Always, and every man, even if his horse is unwell or lame, must be present on that occasion.
3926.	(Marquis ofAilesbury.) Am I to understand that none of your tenants ride their own horses ? — No ; a good many do.
3927.	Do those, who do ride their own horses, associate and mess with the servants of those who do not? — Yes, in their particular billets; they generally all mess together, I believe.
3928.	The same man, I suppose, who rides the horse eats the dinner? — Yes, of course.
3929.	The masters in one case, and the servants in the other, all mess together ? — I think so ; in the same public house, at all events. I do not know that they dine at the same table, but they live in the same public house together. Perhaps they do not dine at the same table, because a man who rides his own horse might be able to afford a little better dinner than a man in another position ; but I do not think that our men spend a good deal of money in that way.
3930.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) We have no gentlemen in our corps ? — No ; our men are obliged to do up their own horses, and stand by at the time when the officers go round the stables. We do not take men who keep servants into the regiment.
3931.	(Captain Ridley.) Are any prizes given in your regiment for good horses ? — We have a regimental prize, and each troop has a prize for the best horse. I believe that in the troops they have a prize which they divide into three. I give the regimental prize myself, and the Captain of the troop gives the troop prize.
3932.	Do you make it a condition in giving that prize that the horse' should belong to the man who rides it ? — No ; we take the best horse in the regiment.
3933.	In that case the prize goes to the owner of the horse ? — Yes.
3958.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) In the event of any horse being hurt or disabled during the permanent duty, have you a fund to meet any incidental expenses ? — Yes.
3959.	Where is that fund kept? — It is kept expressly at the bank, and there is generally a committee of officers appointed who determine how much a man shall receive for damage done to his horse, or to himself.
3960.	From what is the fund formed ? — I think two days' pay of the officers is annually taken for that purpose.
3981.	(Marquis of Ailesbury.) I understand that it is the custom with you to let your farms with these conditions in the leases, that a tenant taking a farm shall furnish a horse and a man to ride it ? — Yes, we have three ancient conditions in my farm leases ; one is that the tenant should find a man and a horse, another is that he should keep me a dog, and the other is that he should keep me a fighting cock.
3982.	Are all the men who are enrolled in your regiment, generally speaking, tenants either of yourself, or of other gentlemen, under similar conditions as those you have described ? — I think I may say that almost all the men that find horses in my regiment are confined to three gentlemen, namely, myself, Lord Skelmersdale, and Mr. Leigh, and the best of our tenants form the basis of the regiment. There may be some men besides who are not tenants, but generally speaking, they are the tenants' horses, at all events.
3983.	The tenant furnishes a horse and a man, and the man is enrolled ? — Yes.
4006.	(Lord Skelnersdale.) With regard to the question of money in a regiment. In your own regiment it has been the custom, has it not, when any large extra expense has been incurred, by either the creation of a new troop or new uniforms being wanted, that the Captains have subscribed ? — When your Lordship's troop was created, the Captains of troops and I subscribed 50l. each a-year for several years to the Contingent Fund. We could not meet it in any other way ; in fact we should have been in debt now, considerably, if it had not been for that annual subscription.

3rd June 1875 - Lieutenant-Colonel Sir HENRY EDWARDS, Bart, Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the 2nd West York Yeomanry
4337.	(Lord Skelmersdale.) What number of drills do you expect from the men before the permanent duty ? — Altogether since the formation of the regiment in 1863, including foot drills, we have been out for 32 days in the year, and the average number of those drills for many years has been 18 on foot, 4 mounted, and 10 on permanent duty, including two marching days, the total being 32, exclusive of the extra drills. We have a great many extra drills, but I merely put down our average at 32, because those are the days on which all the men are expected to be present ; but the drills far exceed that. When I say that we have drills for three months before the permanent duty, I may say that the men assemble, very cheerfully indeed, two nights in the week, so that you may imagine the amount of drill that I can exact from my regiment.
4338.	That is foot drill that you are speaking of ? — Yes ; we have four mounted drills before going on permanent duty. I often have a troop or a squad out. There is a squadron keeping the ground to day for the Militia on their inspection, and that is often done, so that the men see a good deal of service in the course of the year.
4339.	When your men are out on permanent duty, are they billeted ? — Yes ; they are all billeted, that is, they find their own quarters, but as we have no authority to compel owners of houses to take them in, as is in the case with the Army and Militia, no pecuniary advantage to the men is derived from this. I have a form with me which, I think, might be interesting to the Committee. It shows the number of drills that each individual has had, and the officers also. That form, I think, might be very useful if it was adopted generally by the Yeomanry.