asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is intended to take any notice of the Special Report made to the House by the Select Committee on Public Petitions, that in the case of the Petition 14,619, the heading was inserted by one W. H. Cornish of Stroud, after the signatures had been appended to the Petition?

in reply, said, it would be a serious matter for the consideration of the Government whether they should interfere on behalf of the House, provided the case appeared to those who had been officially intrusted with the duty of examining it to be one calling for such interference. But he did not learn that, in the opinion of these authorities, it would be wise to take any steps in the matter. Under these circumstances, he did not think the Government would interfere.

as Chairman of the Committee, said the junior Member for Stroud (Mr. Winterbotham) attended before the Committee and gave such explanations as were possible, in addition to which he had received a letter from a person implicated, expressing regret at what he had done while labouring under a misapprehension. The Committee had reported the matter to the House as an illustration of the way in which Petitions were sometimes got up; but, under the circumstances, he should not make any Motion on the subject.

asked the First Commissioner of Works, If it is true that he has removed the men engaged upon the six-inch Ordnance Survey from South Wales to Sutherlandshire; and if so, and the removal is caused by an insufficient staff, if he will state to the House the reason why he does not ask for an increased Vote, in order to complete the survey as soon as possible?

in reply, said, that his hon. Friend was under a misapprehension. The men engaged in the survey had been employed in Wales during the winter months, and in the summer, when the weather in Sutherlandshire was favourable for the purpose, some of them were removed thither to complete work which had been left undone. When the weather in the North of Scotland ceased to be favourable to the conduct of the surveying operations, the men would go back to Wales to complete the survey of the mining districts.

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he will be willing to consider the propriety of granting a scale of salary and superannuation allowances to the District Registry Clerks of Her Majesty's Court of Probate, on the same footing as enjoyed by the clerks of the principal Registry Office?

in reply, said, that by recent legislation district registry clerks of Her Majesty's Court of Probate were not Civil servants at all. They were em- ployed by the Registrars in the conduct of their private practice. The business in the District Registry offices was very different from that in the Metropolitan Offices, the first-named officials being only empowered to grant probate where it was unopposed. He therefore could not hold out any hope that the positions of the two classes of clerks would be assimilated in the manner suggested by the noble Lord's Question.

said, he wished to know what position the district registry clerks held if they were not Civil servants?

They hold no position at all which can entitle them to the same terms as those enjoyed by Civil servants.

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether the alterations in the pay of the honorary Colonels of Cavalry Regiments recently appointed under the Royal Warrant of 27th December 1870 is legal, no Royal Warrant having since been issued authorizing the change?

I need, Sir, scarcely say that, if I had any reason to suppose the course illegal, I should not have proposed to take it. I have always understood that when any reduction is contemplated it is the rule only to permit an appointment to be made on condition that it is accepted subject to the new arrangement, if it shall be carried into effect.