I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, during the last eighteen months, the usual sums of money required for the maintenance of the following vessels have been spent, viz., "Anson," "Howe," "Benbow," "Camperdown," and "Rodney," officially classed as first-class battleships, "Colossus," "Edinburgh," "Thunderer," and "Devastation," second-class battleships," "Hero," and "Conqueror," third-class battleships; whether these eleven battleships were not all omitted from the list of ships of the Royal Navy, on page 270c, at one time; and, if so, whether he can state the reason for including them again.

One of these battleships is in commission as a gunnery training ship, and is the only one which has required any considerable sum for maintenance during the past eighteen months. Eight of the ships are in special reserve and have cost very little to maintain. Two are lying at the Holy Loch and have cost nothing beyond the expense of caretakers. All eleven are on the verge of becoming obsolete, and it is therefore a matter of choice whether or not they should be included in a list which is meant for general information and does not profess to contain any detailed classification. It has been considered on the whole preferable that they should be included for the present until they are finally removed from the list of the Navy.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will take into consideration the advisability of approaching the London County Council with a view to substituting steam turbines for the reciprocating engines at present in use at the London County Council's power station at Greenwich, in order to abolish the vibration at present experienced at the Royal Observatory.

At the present stage of this extremely serious question, the Admiralty do not consider that it would be in the interests of the public service to make any statement on the subject.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, if he will consider the advisability of sending a civilian officer of health with the officer to be detailed to visit the packing houses in the United States on behalf of the War Office, so that he can furnish a report, from a medical and sanitary point of view, as to the conditions under which the work is done and the sanitary condi- tion of the buildings used by the contractors.

Lieutenant-Colonel Hobbs is considered thoroughly qualified and capable of carrying out the inspection necessary to protect the interests of the War Department. It is not proposed to send out a civilian officer of health to assist him.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is not the fact that Colonel Hobbs is merely a layman; whether this is not a question in which a knowledge of medical science would be of great use, and whether a medical report would not go much further than a report by a military officer to allay the apprehensions that are felt in this country? Would not a medical report be of infinitely greater value?

Colonel Hobbs is a highly trained officer.

Is it not the fact that the officers whose conduct is now being investigated by the South African War Stores Commission were also highly trained officers?

Does the right hon. Gentleman mean that this officer is highly trained in medical science?

I mean that he is highly trained in the Army Service Corps, and therefore is highly trained in this kind of work.

Is he medically trained. at all?

A man cannot do this work without a certain amount of medical knowledge.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider the advisability of arranging that Army pensioners shall be paid weekly through the medium of post, office orders at local post offices; and making it a criminal offence for people, other than the pensioners themselves or with their written permission, to apply for such pensions.

The whole question of the payment of pensioners is receiving careful consideration. As regards the last part of the Question, sufficient provision will be found in the existing Acts, viz., The Pensions and Yeomanry Pay Act, 1884, and the Army Act.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the wives of officers ordered abroad are now allowed to join their husbands free of charge for sea passage.

Yes, Sir. The new regulation applies to the families of officers embarked on or after April 1st, 1906, under the conditions set forth in Army Order 126 of June 1st.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the evidence upon which the Natal natives were condemned to death by a court martial has been received at the Colonial Office, and whether he proposes to lay it upon the Table of the House.

The evidence has been transmitted to the Secretary of State by the Governor, and Lord Elgin will ask him by telegraph whether there is any objection on the part of the Government of Natal to its publication.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether the attention of His Majesty's Government has been called to the repeated charges of disloyalty against Dinuzulu, and whether, in view of Dinuzulu's position in Natal, His Majesty's Government or the Natal Government have taken any steps to protect him against the effect of the publication of such statement, or to prosecute the originators or publishers of these charges.

Reports and rumours have been prevalent charging Dinuzulu with disloyalty, but it has been made clear in the papers presented to Parliament that Mr. Saunders, the Commissioner for native affairs in Zululand, has not considered that those suspicions were justified. It is a matter for the Natal Government to decide what steps, if any, should be taken with regard to the publication of statements at once so injurious and unwise.

Can the hon. Gentleman tell me whether Dinuzulu has recently boon summoned to appear at Pietermaritzburg, and, if so, on what ground the summons has been issued.

I believe the Governor, on the advice of Ministers, has requested Dinuzulu to go to Pietermaritzburg. Dinuzulu is unable to do so owing to the state of his health. I believe he is troubled with a very acute and painful disease, and that possibly he could only undertake such a journey at the peril of his life. He is sending several of his principal indunas, who will be fully empowered to speak frankly for him on all matters to the Governor; and I have reason to believe that the Governor and Ministers in Natal consider Dinuzulu's answer in that respect to be satisfactory.

Was it not a similar summons which drove Bambaata into rebellion?

In this case there appears to be no further difficulty.

asked whether the summons cast any reflection on Dinuzulu's loyalty, or whether he had been asked to go to Pietermaritzburg simply to give information to the Governor and other persons.

I should not consider that such a summons reflected in any way on Dinuzulu's loyalty. He has been invited to confer with the Government on native affairs at a time when those affairs are exercising all minds.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can communicate to the House any information regarding the Kowloon-Canton railway project, especially with regard to that section of the line which will pass through British territory; whether, for a period of about six months, rapid and substantial progress was made in the construction of this section of the line by the Public Works Department of the Government of the Crown Colony of Hong-Kong; that in the month of April the Colonial Government was relieved of further responsibility in the matter, and that the work is now being continued by a special staff of engineers appointed by the Crown Agents under the sole and direct authority of His Majesty's Colonial Office; and, if so, will he state the reasons for withdrawing the undertaking from the management of the Government of the Colony of Hong-Kong.

Negotiations are still proceeding with the Chinese Government for the construction and working of a line from Canton to Kowloon. The British section, which is in active progress, has been constructed from the first under the supervision of the consulting engineer, and there has been no change of policy in this respect. All the steps taken have had the full concurrence of the Governor of Hong-Kong.

I beg to ask the Under-secretary of State for the Colonies if the Government are prepared to withdraw the notice, recently circulated, on the advice of Lord Selborne, among the Chinese coolies in South Africa, relating to their repatriation, to which there has been little response, and issue a new notice informing the Chinese coolies that they would not be permitted to continue work in the mines in South Africa after the expiration of the term of their original three years' contract, and that they will then be required to leave the country.

The Secretary of State desires me to say that he sees no reason to withdraw the recent notice to the Chinese coolies of the conditions by which they may obtain relief from their contracts and return to China at Imperial expense. While it continues in force it is at the very least a safety valve against cruelty or oppression, and will become increasingly effective in proportion as the coolies grow familiar with it. No further proclamation to the coolies is in contemplation at the present time.

Does the proclamation really give the coolie an opportunity of going back to China?

I beg to ask the Under-secretary of State for the Colonies whether, with a view to putting a stop to the further recruiting of Chinese coolies intended for South Africa under the license granted by the late Government, the Government is prepared to fix a date after which no more Chinese coolies will be allowed to enter South Africa.

My hon. friend should be aware from the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this question during the debate on the address, and from other statements of ministerial policy, that so soon as a constitution conferring responsible government upon the Transvaal has issued under the authority of the Crown, a date will be fixed when the existing Chinese Labour Ordinances will be revoked; and unless before that date expires the Transvaal Legislative Assembly re-enacts a new ordinance to which His Majesty's Government are not unable to assent, the whole system of Chinese indentured labour will cease and determine, not only in respect of coolies already in South Africa, but also of any coolies for whose importation licences have already been issued but not exercised.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the future development of the British Central Africa Protectorate, the Government has under consideration the question of revising arrangements made under the general Act of the Conference of Berlin and the general Act of the Brussels Conference, whereby the inclusion of the said Protectorate in the South African Customs Union is practically prohibited.

The information at the disposal of the Secretary of State does not allow him to take it for granted that the provisions of the two general Acts to which my hon. friend refers are detrimental to the development of the Protectorate of British Central Africa. But even if that assumption could be made, the revision of the Acts would raise a large number of difficult and important questions, and could not be undertaken with reference to the interests of that Protectorate alone.

I beg to ask the Under-secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that though it will be many years before the whole British Concession at Chinde will disappear owing to erosion, it is the fact that the bonded portion of the Concession on the river bank has already almost gone, and that it is no longer possible to land goods for transmission to the British Central Africa Protectorate on the beach and foreshore of such Concession; and whether the Colonial Office can see its way to re-establish the bonded portion of the Concession upon the foreshore, the recent arrangement made by the Commissioner, in concert with the Portuguese authorities, having established the bonded portion too far from the foreshore to serve the purpose for which it is intended.

The Secretary of State has within the last few days received a despatch from the Commissioner of the British Central Africa Protectorate which shows that the facts are accurately stated in the hon. Member's Question. The steps to be taken to secure additional frontage on the river are under consideration.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Protestant mission services in Malta were disallowed by the Governor of the Island at the demand of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malta; and, if so, will he state why this refusal of religious liberty was made.

I beg also to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Governor of Malta recently took steps to prevent the Rev. J. McNeill, a well-known Presbyterian minister, from continuing to hold religious services in the Theatre Royal, Valetta; whether he will furnish the House with an explanation of this action; and whether he can assure the House that the Government will take immediate steps to safeguard the right of free speech in this portion of the Empire.

The Governor of Malta apparently fearing that the continuance of the mission services referred to by the hon. Members for the Wells and Cirencester Divisions would lead to breaches of the peace, decided in the exercise of his discretion, as the authority responsible for the peace and good order of Malta, that the services should be stopped a day earlier than was originally intended, and the Secretary of State did not see any sufficient reason to criticise the Governor's action in the matter.

asked whether it was a fact that permission was given, and that it was not until opposition came from the Roman Catholic Archbishop that the permission was withdrawn.

I believe that statement is not altogether out of harmony with the facts.

asked whether that was a sufficient reason for the cessation of the right of this particular person.

I think it is a matter for the Governor to decide in his discretion, and the Secretary of State does not feel called upon to take any action.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any information has been received at the Colonial Office from Pietermaritzburg, announcing another victory gained by the European forces and the slaughter of several hundred rebels. The hon. Member in putting the Question complained that the words "so called "had been struck out at the Table from before the word "rebels."

The Governor has reported that the fight lasted from day light to dusk, and that the rebel losses are estimated at 575, including Mehlokazulu and Nondubula, one of Kula's principal headmen. Bambata escaped, though reported wounded. Among the Natal troops there were ten casualties, including one officer killed, and one mortally wounded. The rebels are said to have numbered twenty companies. Colonel Mackenzie has reported that he has now no fear of the rebellion spreading in Zululand.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is in a position to state when the Indian Budget will be discussed.

I hope to state the date in a day or two. I will give full notice.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the Clive Fund is still in existence; if so, what are the qualifications required to claim upon the same.

The Clive Fund is not in existence. Under the terms of Lord Clive's bequest the capital sum mentioned in the Trust Deed has reverted to his representatives. Pensions to widows of officers of the late East India Company's Forces are, however, still granted under the Clive Fund Rules, subject to such amendments as have from time to time been made by the Secretary of State in Council.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that it is proposed to apply the funds at present absorbed by the deficits in the Macedonian budget, and which will be sot free by the proposed increase in the Customs duties, of which the greater part are levied on British trade, towards finding the kilometric guarantee for the Baghdad Railway; whether His Majesty's Government adhere to the declaration made by Lord Lansdowne that it shall be a condition of their consent to an increase in these duties that the expenditure of the money so obtained shall be controlled by a competent body controlling also the finances of Macedonia; and whether he will take steps to secure, firstly, the regulation of Turkish military expenditure in Macedonia, and, secondly, the recognition of the principle that funds derived from an increase in the Customs shall be devoted, after satisfaction of the needs of the Macedonian budget, to the promotion of foreign trade with Turkey in general and not to the setting free of revenues for any particular enterprise.

In reply to the first part of this Question, His Majesty's Government have no control over Turkish revenues, the allocation of which has not formed the subject of any agreement between the two Governments. 2. The increased revenue—less the 25 per cent, due to the bondholders—will, under the arrangement now under the consideration of the Porte, be devoted to meeting the deficit in the Macedonian Budget, which is already under the supervision of the Financial Commission. The establishment of this Financial Commission was accepted by Lord Lansdowne as the best control that it was practicable to obtain. 3. We have not stipulated for the regulation of Turkish military expenditure in Macedonia, but the Turkish Government have undertaken to make good from imperial funds all deficits in the Macedonian Budget, whether due to military or civil expenditure. 4. As at present estimated, the increased duty will be more than absorbed by Macedonia, and there will be no funds from this source for any other purpose; but, as will be seen when negotiations are concluded and Papers can be presented, His Majesty's Government have made some conditions which will be to the advantage of foreign trade.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received any official information that the German Embassy in Constantinople has made overtures to the Porte, for the purchase or lease of an island or station in the Persian Gulf; whether he has been officially informed of any negotiations between the German Government and that of Persia for a similar purpose; and whether he is officially aware of any application by Germany for a concession for a railway from Baghdad to Khanakin, on the Persian frontier.

I have no official information which I can give to the hon. Member on the subject.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the language used by the King of the Belgians with regard to the Congo Free State as essentially a personal undertaking, in which the Powers have no right to intervene, he will call the attention of King Leopold to Article 5 of the general Act of Berlin which denies the power to grant a monopoly or favour of any kind in matters of trade; and whether he will press for some further security beyond that already given, to ensure the carrying into effect of the decrees consequent on the Reform Committee's Report.

His Majesty's Minister at Brussels has recently explained to the Congo Government our views as to the right of the Powers parties to the Berlin Act to intervene in the affairs of the Congo State. With regard to the reform of the Administration, it would obviously be premature to make further representations to the Congo Government until we learn the effect of the new decrees.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the condition of Government securities on the Stock Exchange; and whether he proposes to take any steps to remedy this by curtailing the export of gold from this country, and by these means to increase our gold reserve.

The position of the gold reserves is a subject which is engaging my close attention, but I am not at present prepared to make any statement on the subject.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the fact that twenty-five servants of tramways companies have been dismissed from their employment for acts of fraud in connection with the system adopted by a number of newspapers of offering rewards of money for tram and bus tickets bearing certain numbers, and that in the same connection a child has lost its life; and, in view of these facts, will he take steps to put a stop, by legislation or otherwise, to this scheme of advertising.

My attention has not been called to the dismissal of employees of Tramway Companies, but, as I have already said, I regret the practice of the newspapers referred to. The question of the legality of the system is still under consideration, and I under stand that application will be made to a magistrate who recently dismissed a charge to state a case for the opinion of the High Court.

I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he can see his way to publish a postal handbook at a cheaper rate than the present sixpenny Post Office Guide, so as to bring postal information within the means of a larger portion of the population.

As the hon. Member is no doubt aware, a handbook of postal information was formerly issued at the price of 1d. The demand for this book how ever was small and had been declining for some years; and when the Post Office Guide was issued in a revised form. in July last my predecessor decided to suspend the publication of the handbook. Hardly a single complaint of the suspension has reached me, and I have no reason at present to think that there is any considerable public demand for a cheap manual of postal information.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether the London and North Western Railway Company has, in pursuance of Section 50 of the London and North Western Railway Act of 1900 and Section 21 of the London and North Western Railway Act of 1903, submittedand obtained theapproval of the Local Government Board to a scheme for providing new dwellings for the accommodation of persons of the labouring class, in lieu of the houses acquired under the said Acts in the metropolitan borough of St. Pancras; and, if not, whether any action is being taken by the company to fulfil its obligation.

The company have not obtained the approval of the Local Government Board to a scheme for the purpose mentioned in the Question. I am informed that the company have not incurred any obligation under the sections of the local Acts referred to, inasmuch as they have not at present acquired under those Acts twenty houses occupied by persons of the labouring class, but I am assured that there is no intention on their part to do this without fulfilling the conditions attaching to such acquisition.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Goverment Board whether, in view of the disclosures in connection with some of the sources of supply of tinned and preserved meat consumed in this country, the importation of which has been largely increased by the exclusion of live cattle from Canada and elsewhere, he will take steps to institute an inquiry as to the conditions and sources of our meat supplies, and particularly as to whether the encouragement of the importation of of healthy live cattle is advisable in the interests of the meat consumers in this country.

I am causing some inquiry to be made as to the conditions and sources of the meat supplied to this country. Any question as to the importation of live cattle would be one for the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries.

May I ask whether it is not the fact that there is a sufficient supply of healthy live cattle to be obtained from Ireland?

That is not a question for the Local Government Board.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will direct that no applications for pilotage certificates be considered by Trinity House pending the passage of the Merchant Shipping Amendment Bill now before Parliament.

The Trinity House have called my attention to this matter, and I am considering what steps are necessary to ensure that no undue advantage will be taken of the interval before the proposed clause can come into force.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the recent disclosures in connection with certain fire insurance offices; and whether he will consider the desirableness of introducing legislation compelling fire insurance companies to make a substantial deposit with the Board of Trade before commencing business, as is done in the case of life insurance companies.

My attention has been called to the facts in connection with the liquidation of two small fire insurance offices, but I do not think that there is any necessity to introduce legislation compelling fire insurance companies to make a deposit with the Board of Trade before commencing business.

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the proposal of the New St. Helen's Tramway Company to sell their undertaking to a new company; and, if so, will he call for an inquiry before completion, seeing that it bars the St. Helen's Corporation to purchase at the same price.

So far as the Board of Trade are aware the tramways worked by the New St. Helen's and District Tramways Company, Ltd., are owned by the Corporation of St. Helens, who have leased them to the company. Under the terms of the lease the company cannot assign their rights without the written consent of the Corporation.

I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland what are the duties and what is the salary attached to each of the following offices in Scotland, viz., Medical Superintendent of Statistics, Registrar General's office, Inspector under the Inebriates' Act, and Assistant to the Medical Adviser to the Prison Commissioners; and will he say whether each of these offices is a pensionable office, and what time the holder of each devotes to its duties.

The information required by the hon. Member is as follows:—Superintendent of Statistics: Duties are to supervise the abstracting of vital statistics and to prepare the statistical reports issued by the Registrar-General. Pay is £450 rising by annual increments of £15 to £500. Assistant to the Medical Adviser to the Prison Commissioners: Duties are to assist the Prison Commissioners' Medical Adviser, whose duties are to express opinion on matters referred to him by the Commissioners and to medically inspect prisons. Pay £100. Inebriates Acts Inspector: Duties are to inspect institutions licensed or certified under the Inebriates Acts, to prepare an annual report, and to advise the Secretary for Scotland on matters referred by him. Pay £50. None of these offices are pensionable and I understand that together they occupy the officer's full time.

I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland with reference to his statement that Major A. J. Ferguson, His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland, never made any statement on the 16th May reflecting on the character of recruits to the police force from the Western Islands, and does not hold the opinions erroneously ascribed to him, what steps he will take to secure that this misunderstanding should be corrected, and Major Ferguson be given an opportunity of publicly contradicting it.

In contradicting the misleading report on which my hon. friend based his former Question I spoke for Major Ferguson as well as for myself. Owing to my hon. friend's action the contradiction in this House will no doubt have obtained as much publicity as the original report.

was understood to say that Major Ferguson should have publicity given to the contradiction equal to that given to the original statement.

I beg to ask the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the delay in the settlement of many of the outstanding questions between the Free and United Free Churches in Scotland, as regards the ownership of Church property, is causing inconvenience; and whether he will use his influence with the Commissioners to expedite the settlement by the issue of a further interim Report or otherwise.

The settlement of questions referred to by the hon. Member has taken somewhat longer than was anticipated on account of the great mass of statistical and other information which has had to be collected by both Churches. The Commissioners had been anxious to expedite the investigation of all cases where congregational property was in dispute, but were informed that many of them were not ready for submission to the Assistant Commissioners. They are hopeful that this difficulty will now soon be overcome, and so far as they are concerned they have throughout been anxious to give every facility for the earliest possible determination of the questions submitted to them.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland what causes the delay in completing the sales of the Ridley, the Murphy, and the Wilson Hospital estates, in the parish of Fore, Westmeath, agreements having been signed in 1904; will the Commissioners, before sanctioning these sales, ascertain the value of the tenants' occupation interest and improvements, in order to deduct this tenants' property from the gross amount, and advance only the value of what the respective owners are legally and equitably entitled to sell; how soon will the estates be inspected for this purpose; and how soon may the tenants expect the sales to be completed.

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the estates mentioned in the Question have not yet been reached. The agreements for purchase in the estate of E. Ridley were lodged on March 10th, 1905; in the estate of Wilson Hospital on July 5th, 1905; and in the estate of L. P. Murphy on April 6th, 1906. These estates will be dealt with in their order of priority and as soon as possible, but the Commissioners cannot state with any accuracy when the estates will be inspected or the sales completed. The Instructions to Inspectors which have been laid on the Table and Form E. therein contained show what the practice of the Commissioners is in estimating price and security.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, in view of the importance and urgency of the question, whether, under the Land Act of 1903, Irish landlords are to be paid with public money for the tenants' occupation, interest, and improvements, and those tenants are to be made liable for the repayment of a price for their own property, and of the fact that there has already been a hearing by the Commissioner, will a preliminary second hearing on a fairly chosen test case be taken at such an early date as will allow of the whole matter being heard and decided by the Court of Appeal before the long vacation; and will a sufficient sum be retained from price and bonus in each case of sale to await the result.

In regard to the first part of the Question, I beg to refer to the reply which I gave to the hon. and learned Member's Question of May 23rd, † in reference to the case of King Harman and Hayes. The Commissioners will bring the matter forward as soon as they can, but cannot fix a date. The reply to the concluding inquiry of the Question is in the negative.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, in reference to the Murphy estate, Scrahan, Knocknagree, county Cork, whether any offer has been made to the Estates Commissioners to sell it under the Land Purchase Act of 1903; are they aware that two tenants, P. Guiney and Mrs. O'Connor were evicted in 1880 for the non-payment of one-half year's rent each and the hanging gale, and, as a consequence, a police protection hut was established at Scrahan which has involved an expenditure of £3,000 of public money since its establishment; and whether, in view of these facts and of the public feeling in the locality, the Commissioners will refuse to sanction the sale of the property unless an undertaking is given to reinstate these evicted tenants.

The Estates Commissioners inform me that no originating application or request in respect of the sale of the estate in question has yet been lodged with them. They have, however, received applications for rein statement from both of the evicted tenants named, and have referred these applications to one of their inspectors for inquiry and report. It is the fact that since the year 1881 a protection post has been in existence at Scrahan for the protection of the new tenant of the evicted farms, at an expense from public funds of upwards of £3,000. In regard to the concluding inquiry of the Question, the Commissioners are unable to state what action they may take until proceedings for the sale of the estate have come before them.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the attention of the Estates Commissioners has been called to the eviction of William Lapsley, of St. Johnston, East Donegal, who was evicted from his farm many years ago from the Duke of Abercorn's estate, on the ground that his farm was wanted for improvement purposes; and whether, seeing that no improvements have since been made, but the farm has been let from time to time for grazing to different men, and that the present occupant has been only four years in possession, the Commissioners, now that the estate is about to be sold, will instruct their inspector to inquire into Lapsley's case, and, if it was found that he was vindictively evicted, whether they will decline to sanction the purchase until he is reinstated in his farm or compensated for the loss of it.

The Estates Commissioners inform me that their attention has not been called to the eviction of William Lapsley, and they have no knowledge of the facts alleged in the Question. The Commissioners have received no application for reinstatement from Lapsley, but they will duly consider any such application which may be lodged with them.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state approximately the number of labourers' cottages in each province of Ireland on which loans will be outstanding on March 31st, 1907. I beg also to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state approximately the number of labourers' cottages in the county of Armagh on which loans will be outstanding on March 31st next.

A Return which was presented to this House on the 7th inst., on the Motion of the hon. Member for North Kerry,†gives full particulars, both by counties and provinces, of the numbers

†See Col. 520.

of labourers' cottages, built, or in course of construction upon which loans were outstanding on March 31st, 1906. I take it that this will be sufficient for the hon. Member's purpose, without preparing an approximate Return for a year ahead, assuming that this could be done with any approach to accuracy.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the fact that Mr. Jeremiah Hurley, who was sworn in as a magistrate at Rosscarbery, county Cork, on May 9th last, is identical with the Jeremiah Hurley who, on October 8th, 1891, was convicted of an assault on a man in a Glandore public-house and sentenced to seven days' imprisonment with hard labour, was known to the Lord-Lieutenant when the addition of his name to the commission of the peace was sanctioned.

The Lord Chancellor has informed me that there was no information in his Department to the effect stated in the Question, and, having regard to the fact that the incident is alleged to have occurred so far back as fifteen years ago, he does not think it necessary to inquire into the matter.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that on the 3rd instant, at Coalisland, a number of revolver shots were fired from an excursion train filled with members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, at persons standing on the railway embankment; and what steps he proposes to take to put a stop to such incidents.

I am informed by the police authorities that on the occasion in question five shots were fired from the excursion train in the direction of persons in a field about thirty yards from the railway line. It does not appear whether the persons were actually fired at. No one was injured. A constable who was on duty on the line saw the shots fired from the train, but could not identify the offender. A man named Quinn was subsequently arrested and prosecuted by the police upon information received, but the case was dismissed by the magistrates. The excursion train was accompanied by a force of eight policemen for the purpose of preserving the peace. Every possible precaution is taken to prevent firing from trains on such occasions and to bring offenders to justice. This very objectionable practice does not appear to be confined to one party in the North of Ireland.

I think the last few words of that Answer were super fluous.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Commissioners of Intermediate Education have declined to modify their rules, so as to provide that the Irish language should have equal recognition with French and German; and what steps he proposes to take in these circumstances.

Communications in reference to this matter are still passing between the Irish Government and the Commissioners of Intermediate Education, and I am not in a position to make any statement on the subject.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the rules regulating the standard of efficiency of the members for the Dublin Metropolitan Police Force is the absence of crime or complaint upon the part of the public residing in the area or the number of cases the men succeed in making.

I am informed that the efficiency of members of the Dublin Metropolitan Police force is judged by the success of their efforts in the prevention of crime and in the detection and arrest of offenders.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the superintendents of the Dublin Metropolitan Police are compelled to make a.monthly Return to the Chief Commissioner of the number of cases brought by the patrol and section sergeants under their control; whether the Return contains a column setting forth the number of cases made by the same men during the corresponding month of the preceding year; and, if so, will he state what is the object of this comparison.

I am informed that the facts are substantially as stated in the first two branches of this Question. The Return shows the number of licensed promises visited, and the number of irregularities observed and of prosecutions pending. The comparison effected with the corresponding period of the previous year relates to cases made in the same division, and not necessarily by the same men. The return is considered necessary in order that the performance of this important duty may come periodically under review. The practice of furnishing the return is of many years standing.

On behalf of the hon. Member for Dublin University, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, having regard to the interest of the Church of Ireland in the Divinity School of Trinity College, Dublin, and the number of graduates and students who belong to that church, he will consider the advisability and fairness of adding a member of that church to the Commission appointed to inquire into Trinity College, Dublin.

It would be undesirable to make any addition to the Commission appointed to inquire into Trinity College, Dublin, as it is now sufficiently large, and the members, four of whom are (I believe) Episcopalian Protestant, are fully competent to deal with the interests mentioned in the Question. I may add that the hon. Member for the University of Cambridge, who is a member of the Commission, has special qualifications for enabling him duly to represent to his colleagues those interests.

asked whether the terms of reference to the Commission would include an inquiry into the Divinity School.

The hon. Member can ascertain that as well as I can by reading the terms of reference which, have been published.

I beg to ask the Prime Minister whether, despite the repeated declarations of Ministers, he proposes to include The Peace Preservation (Ireland) Act, 1881, or any other temporary Irish Coercion Acts, in the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill this session.

I am not able at this period of the session to give a definite Answer to the hon. Member.