To ask the Postmaster-General whether he will explain why an order has been issued prohibiting postmen from signing the identification papers of Post Office pensioners, in view of the fact that in some cases hardship has been caused to the pensioners.

The power to attest declarations by pensioners is limited by Treasury regulations, as regards the Post Office, to certain officers authorised to make payments, among whom postmen are not included. But I am communicating with the Treasury to see whether the authority should not be extended to postmen.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether any bill was sent up to the grand jury at the recent Cork Assizes in the case in which Constable Healy, who was returned for trial by a bench consisting of seven magistrates sitting at Macroom, was indicted for inflicting serious injury on one Jeremiah Cotter by breaking a baton on his head, as a result of which his life was certified to be in danger; if no bill was sent up, will he explain the reason why; and will he state what further action the authorities intend taking in this matter, seeing that in the cross case, in which Cotter and others were charged with assaulting the police and escaping from arrest, these men were acquitted, the Judge declaring that the police acted illegally in not proceeding their warrants.

After a careful consideration of the evidence I directed that no bill on behalf of the Crown should be sent up to the grand jury in the case against Constable Healy, as I could not see that there was any foundation whatever for the charge. The learned Judge, however, at the request of the private prosecutor, allowed a bill to be sent up, which the grand jury ignored. The Judge does not appear to have stated that the police acted illegally in not producing their warrants, but he said that if the police had not the warrants in their possession they were not competent to arrest. The police, however, proved that the warrants were in their possession when the arrest was effected. It is not intended to take any further proceedings in the matter.

To ask Mr. Attorney-General in how many cases his consent has been asked for a prosecution under The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1906, and in how many cases he has given his consent.

There have been four applications for the Attorney-General's fiat for prosecutions under The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1906. Fiats have been granted in three cases; one is at present under consideration. Convictions were obtained in all cases.

To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, seeing that the practice of reducing the salaries of pensioned officials who have been re-employed as a set-off against their pensions is disapproved and discouraged by at least one Department of State, he will consider the necessity, as an act of justice, of amending the Superannuation Act of 1887 and the regulations thereunder, so as to relieve pensioned officers of the British Army and Navy who are employed in the Civil Service of the country from the deductions made from their civil salaries on account of the pensions they receive.

The system of deductions under The Superanuation Act, 1887, does not apply to Army pensioners below commissioned rank. Such pensioners, when employed by the State in a civil capacity, are permitted to draw the remuneration of their civil employment, as well as their pensions, in full; and I understand that the reference in the earlier part of the Question is to some observations by my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for War in favour of similar liberality being shown by private employers. The retired pay of Navy and Army officers is regarded not entirely as a reward for past services but to a large extent as compensation for loss of employment at a comparatively early age. Where the State finds employment for a retired officer, it is regarded as reasonable that at any rate the portion of the retired pay representing such compensation should be suspended during that employment. For administrative reasons, however, it has been found more convenient to make a deduction from the civil remuneration rather than to follow the strictly logical course of suspending payment of the retired pay. The deduction in practice rarely exceeds 10 per cent. of the civil remuneration, which is usually much less than the amount which would be abated from the retired pay if the principle I have indicated were strictly applied. The legislation of 1887 was very carefully considered at the time; and, so far as I am aware, nothing has occured since which would render its repeal desirable.

To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that a Return is issued annually giving in detail all stock transactions entered into on behalf of the Trustee Savings Banks, setting out the amount of stock purchased or sold in each separate occasion, together with the sum paid or received and the price per cent. at which the stock was purchased or sold; will he state whether there is any reason why the same particulars should not be given in respect of transactions entered into on behalf of the Post Office Savings Bank; and, if no such reason exists, will he take measures to secure that in future such particulars shall be given.

The account relating to Trustee Savings Banks to which my hon. friend refers is required to be presented to Parliament by Section 60 of the Act, 26 and 27 Vict. c. 87. I doubt, however, whether the details of the separate transactions are of sufficient public interest or importance to justify the labour and expense of preparing and publishing the account, and think it will be well, when an opportunity offers. to amend the law requiring its presentation. There is no similar statutory requirement in the case of the Post Office Savings Bank.

To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the new customs tariff of the Commonwealth of Australia which imposes heavy additional protective duties upon imported commodities; and whether, as such a tariff is likely to impede the development and thus to impair the credit of Australia, he will represent to the Lord Chancellor the desirability of omitting Australian stocks from the list of trustee securities.

The new Australian tariff to which my hon. friend refers is still under consideration by the Commonwealth Legislature, and it is impossible to say at this stage what precise form the proposals will take before they are placed on the Statute-book. As regards the second portion of the Question, I may point out that thestatus of "trustee" securities is given to Colonial stocks by The Colonial Stock Act, 1900, subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions prescribed by the Treasury under powers given them by that Act, and that the Lord Chancellor has no power to exclude from the category of "trustee" securities any Colonial stock with respect to which the requirements of the Act are complied with.

To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the treatment by the Claims Department of the Inland Revenue of applications for repayment of income-tax is often unduly protracted, and that communications from claimants are frequently ignored; and whether he will take immediate steps to secure prompt attention to such claims in future.

I am aware, as I stated in reply to a Question put to me by the noble Lord the Member for Marylebone on the 6th instant,that, owing to the immense accumulation of claims within a few months of the year and to the close investigation necessary to ensure the Department against paying away money to which the claimant's I title has not been conclusively proved, there is during the summer months a considerable delay in the settlement of claims. Every effort, however, is made by the Board of Inland Revenue to minimise this delay, both by the adoption of the most expeditious methods of dealing with the work, and by the employment of the staff on long and continuous overtime. Much as I regret the inconvenience thus caused to the public, I feat that it is impossible, consistently with the due security of the Revenue, to devise any method of reducing it further.

To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Claims Department of the Inland Revenue received, on or about 23rd June last, an application for repayment of, income-tax from the executor of the late Miss M. G. Homan; whether any reply was made to such application; whether two further communications from the said executor have been received, asking for settlement of this matter; and whether he will direct that it shall be promptly dealt with.

The application in question was received in the Inland Revenue Department on the 26th June last. It is not the practice to acknowledge the receipt of claims for repayment, and to do so would, owing to the great number of such claims with which the Department has to deal, require the employment of additional staff. The two further communications mentioned in the Question were duly received and answered. Various references were necessary before the claim could be settled, but there was no undue delay, and it has now been paid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs are the commercialattachés who are in future to have their head quarters in London to be placed under the control of the Foreign Office or of the Board of Trade; and to whom must the British manufacturer apply for information respecting such Foreign markets as have hitherto been represented by commercial agents, but which are in future to be represented commercially by members of the consular service.

The commercialattachés are primarily under the control of the Foreign Office, who, however, act in consultation with the Board of Trade as to the best manner in which their services can be utilised. Inquiries from British manufacturers as to Foreign markets, or as to other matters of commercial interest, should in the first instance be addressed to the Commercial Intelligence Branch of the Board of Trade.

To ask the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the case of the schoolmaster of Llanrwst national school; whether he is aware that the managers have served the schoolmaster with notice to terminate his appointment as from 29th September next, and that the local education authority decline to assent to this proposed dismissal; and will he say whether the Board of Education have informed the managers that they do not consider it necessary that the consent of the local education authority should be sought to the formal termination of the agreement with the teacher, and have suggested to the managers that the master may be dismissed without midi consent.

The Board have stated that they do not consider the consent of the local education authority is required to the formal termination of a teacher's agreement when such termination is merely a preliminary to the re-engagement of the teacher under a fresh agreement. The Board have not suggested that the teacher may be dismissed without the consent of the local education authority, and they do not consider the dismissal of the teacher can legally take place until such consent has been obtained.

To ask the Postmaster-General whether he can state why two assistant postmen at Cardiff, of good character and aged twenty-two and twenty-three years of age respectively, are refused promotion to two vacancies for full-time postmen in that city.

The vacancies in question have been filled by the transfer from the rural district of two established postmen who had prior claims to those of the assistant postmen. If the latter had been willing to accept employment in the rural district it would have been possible to give them appointments as postmen some time ago.

To ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the acting sub-postmistress of Trim, county Meath, refused to pay wages on Saturday the 3rd instant on the ground that there was no money, that she ordered a man who was oft duty at 1 p.m. to attend at 8 p.m. without payment, when she would have some money, and, because he was unable to, called upon him to give an explanation of this conduct; and whether he will see that proper arrangements for paying wages are made at Trim.

I will make inquiry and communicate the result to the hon. Member.

To ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether he will explain why, at the Munster winter assizes of 1906, in the case of Rexv. William Ward and Timothy Casey, Irish labourers, who were being tried for their lives, twenty-one jurors were ordered to stand by; at the same assizes, in the case of Rexv. Cornelius Leary, Daniel Leary, James Cronin, and Patrick O'Keeffe, charged with resisting eviction, fifteen jurors were ordered to stand by; at the same assizes, in the case of Rexv. Patrick Meany, forty-five jurors were ordered to stand by; and in the same assizes, in the case of Rex.v. Cornelius Healy and ten others, charged with obstructing an eviction, fifteen jurors were ordered to stand by; whether, in the early part of 1906, several months before the preceding cases were tried, he sent a circular to each Crown solicitor in Ireland impressing upon him the importance of strictly complying with the rule that Crown solicitors should not inquire into the religious or political opinions of any juror, and should not direct any juror to stand by on account of his religious or political opinions; if so, what special circumstances caused him to issue this circular; and was this rule contravened in the preceding cases; and whether he will now order jury packing to cease.

A circular was sent out by me to the Crown solicitors throughout Ireland in February, 1,906, in the terms mentioned in the Question. The only special circumstances which caused me to issue it were frequent public. complaints that Crown solicitors had been in the habit of disregarding the rules as regards empannelling juries. I had no means of judging whether or not these complaints were true as regards the past, but I thought it desirable to ensure for the future strict compliance with the rules. The number of jurors respectively ordered to stand aside in the several cases mentioned in the Question is correct. In Meany's case the large number was due to the fact that extensive canvassing by friends of the prisoner was carried on, and it was necessary to order all those believed to have been affected by the canvassing to stand aside. In the other cases the number ordered to stand aside was not in my opinion in any case excessive. In one case (that of Ward and Casey) actually eight more jurors were challenged by the prisoners than were ordered to stand aside by the Crown. I have carefully scrutinised the action of the various Crown solicitors throughout Ireland since the issue of my circular, and have reason to believe that they have in every case loyally obeyed it. In no case, that I am aware of, has the rule which forbids jurors to be ordered to stand aside on the ground of their religious or political views been contravened.

To ask the President of the Local Government Board in view of the fact that before the lymph obtained from any calf is used, the animal is slaughtered for the purpose of ascertaining the condition of its health, will he state how many of the 505 calves hired last year were found on examination to be in perfect health; and, seeing that the hire of a four months' old calf for a fortnight costs the Board on an average 34s., will he say whether, in making arrangements for the supply of calves, the Board calls for tenders, and for what period are contracts made.

Of the 505 calves hired last year 444 were, after slaughter, examined by the veterinary surgeon, and 442 were certified as perfectly healthy. The contracts are not made for any definite period. The Board have from time to time made inquiries with a view to obtaining tenders from different contractors, but they have not found persons willing to tender under the conditions which they find it necessary to impose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is yet in a position to give the House any information as to schools for girls at Khartoum, appropriation of land there by the Soudan Government, and the possible application of Wakf property to purposes of education.

With regard to the first Question, the facts were stated in Lord Cromer's last annual Report. They are as follows:—A petition for the establishment of a Government school for girls was received by the Governor-General of the Soudan in October last. The matter was fully considered and it was decided in March last that a girls' school should be established, sufficient funds having been set aside for the purpose. A beginning will shortly be made with the erection of a suitable building. The petitioners were in no case referred to the missionary school authorities. As explained by Lord Cromer, such Moslem girls as attend missionary schools in Khartoum receive secular education only unless at the express wish of their parents or guardians. With regard to the second Question, the Soudan Government expropriated for public purposes an area of 1,202 feddans of land at the confluence of the Blue and White Niles. The land was expropriated under the Land Acquisition Ordinance, 1903, a copy of which is enclosed. The prices were fixed by a Commission of three members, consisting of the sub-Governor and two official members, and were based on the prices given at the private sales which had been effected from time to time of various parts of the land. The whole of the land expropriated, except a narrow bank on the Blue Nile, consists of a low-lying fiat which is flooded at times of high Nile. The bank on the Blue Nile is being rapidly washed away. The expropriation was made with a view to building a protective masonry embankment along the Blue Nile, to protect the bank, and of constructing works to reclaim the remainder. The scheme is intimately connected with proposals for connecting Khartoum and Omdurman with a railway and a bridge, and with the eventual erection of quays along the White Nile. With regard to the second part of this Question, the Egyptian Government have on two or three occasions expropriated land at Khartoum North (Halfaya). No association of the name of the "Model Farming Association," or any similar name, is known. In 1905 a piece of uncultivated land was expropriated for a Government experimental farm, and the price paid to expropriate private rights over part of such land was at the rate of £E2 a feddan, but the average price was considerably higher. No part of this land has been sold. With regard to the third Question, the Egyptian Government have not confiscated any Wakf property. They have certain Wakf lands in their hands which are at present mainly unproductive, but some of which have a considerable value as building land. The proceeds are applicable for purposes recognised as charitable by Mahomedan Law, such as the upkeep of mosques, the payment of mosque officials, education (especially religious education), alms, etc. It would not be in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants of Egypt to restrict the application of Wakf property to educational purposes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can now state what knowledge of Arabic is required of British officials under the Egyptian Ministry of Public Instruction and give the statistics of the examinations; and can he also give any information as to the rate of pension and salaries payable to native and British Judges respectively, and as to the inspectors appointed in the Slave Trade Repression Department in Egypt.

With regard to the first Question, British teachers in Egyptian Government schools and British officials attached to the Ministry of Education are not required to show any proficiency in Arabic prior to their appointment. Appointments under the Ministry of Education, as in other branches of the Egyptian Civil Service, are, however, probationary for a period of not less than one year or more than two years. With the exception of certain senior officials, whose appointment depends upon the possession of special technical qualifications, all British officials under the Ministry of Education are required to show proficiency in

Grade.	School Year.
	1902–3.	1903–4.	1904–5.	1905—6.	1906—7.
Elementary Examination	5	17	12	15	19
Advanced Examination.	1	2		3	1
Honours Examination					1

The examinations are held in April and November, and officials who fail at one examination are allowed to present themselves at any subsequent examination subject to the condition that unless they pass the elementary examination within the two years' limit of their probationary service they become liable to dismissal. With regard to the number of failures at the elementary examination, seventy-six British teachers and other officials em speaking, reading, and writing current Egyptian Arabic before they can be confirmed in their appointment or recommended for any increase of salary. Regulations instituting such an examination optionally were first enacted in 1898. In 1900 the elementary examination was made compulsory and an advanced examination in modern Arabic and an honours examination in classical Arabic were instituted. The compulsory clause in the regulations of 1900 is not retroactive, but all except four of the British officials to whom the clause, if retroactive would have been applicable, have voluntarily passed the elementary examination. Only twelve of the British officials now serving under the Ministry of Education have been exempted as specialists from the obligation of passing the examination as a condition of their appointment on the permanent staff; apart from these exemptions the regulations have been rigorously enforced. The advanced and honours examinations are optional, but promotion depends in a large measure upon an official passing at least the advanced examination. The number of British officials who have passed the tests during the last five years is as follows:— ployed under the Ministry of Education passed the examination on presenting themselves for the first time, and twenty-two on presenting themselves for the second time, whilst three who have presented themselves once and one who has presented himself twice have not yet passed the examination. With regard to the second Question, in the Mixed Courts the annual salaries of the native judges are:—President of the Court of Appeal, £E900; Judge of the Court of Appeal, £E1,000; President of Court of First Instance (Cairo) £E720; Judge of Court of First Instance, £E750. These Judges are entitled to pension,see page 5,infra. The annual salaries of the British judges are:—Judge of the Court of Appeal, £E1,850 (of which £E1,543 is true salary and £E307 is an indemnity in lieu of pension). Judge of Court of First Instance. £E1,388 (of which £E1,157 is true salary and £E231 is an indemnity in lieu of pension). These Judges are not entitled to pension. In the Native Civil and Criminal Courts the present salaries of the Native Judges are:£President of the Court of Appeal, £E1,500; Judges of the Court of Appeal, £E800 and £E1,000; Presidents of Courts of First Instance, £E600 and £E800; Vice-Presidents of Courts of First Instance, £E540 and £E600; Judges of Court of First Instance, five classes. £E240, £E300, £E360, £E420, and £E480. The salaries of the British Judges are:—Vice-President Of Court of Appeal, £E1,750; Judges of Court of Appeal, £E1,000 and £E1,200; Judges of Court of First Instance, £E600 to £E800. All the above native and British Judges are entitled to pension.See page 5,infra. The history of the above salaries is as follows:— The Court of Appeal was established in February, 1884, the president (native) being entitled to a salary of £E1,200, the vice-president (native) to £E900, Native Judges to £E720, Native assistant Judges (juges suppléants) to £E540, and British Judges to £E962. In 1894 the salary of assistant Judges was raised to £E660; in 1896 all the assistant Judges became Judges; and in 1897 their salaries were raised to £E720. In 1899 a British vice-president was appointed with a salary of £E1,200. In 1902 the salaries of Native Judges were raised to £E800 and of British Judges to £E1,000. In 1904 the salaries of the Native president and of the British vice-president were both raised to £E1,500. In 1905 the salaries of Judges doing assize work were raised, Native Judges to £E1,000, and British Judges to £E1,200. In 1907 the British vice-president's salary was raised to £E1,750. The Courts of First Instance were established in Lower Egypt in February, 1884, presidents (Native) being entitled to salaries of £E600 and £E720, vice- presidents (Native) to £E480 and £E600, Native Judges to £E420, Native assistant Judges to £E264, and British Judges to £E700. Similar courts were established in Upper Egypt in June 1889, presidents (Native) being entitled to a salary of £E420, vice-presidents (Native) to £E336, Native Judges to £E300, Native assistant Judges to £E174. In 1893 the salaries of presidents in Upper Egypt were raised to £E540, of vice-presidents in Upper Egypt to £E480, and of vice-presidents in Lower Egypt to £E540. At the same time all the Native Judges for both Upper and Lower Egypt were divided into the five classes existing at the present day. In 1903 the salaries of the presidents of Cairo and Alexandria were raised to £E800, and those of presidents in Upper Egypt to £E600, and of vice-presidents in Upper Egypt to £E540. In 1905 British Judges were first appointed in Upper Egypt, and at the same time the salaries of British Judges in both Upper and Lower Egypt were put on the present footing. In the Mahomedan Ecclesiastical Courts all the Judges are Natives. Their present salaries are as follows:—President of the Supreme Court (Grand Cadi), £E1,735; Judges of Supreme Court, £E480; Judges of Central Court of Cairo, £E300 and £E480; President (Cadi) of Central Courts, £E168, £E192, £E216, £E240, £E480, and £E600; Judges and Muftis of Central Courts, £E120, £E216, £E240, and £E300; Judges of District Courts, £E72 and £E120. All these Judges are entitled to pension,see page 5,infra. As regards the history of these salaries it appears that in 1876 the Grand Cadi and the presidents and Judges of the Central Courts at Cairo and Alexandria were drawing their present salaries. Before 1884 the presidents of the other Central Courts were receiving salaries up to £E144 and the Judges' and muftis' salaries up to £E84. In that year the salaries of the presidents were raised to £E144 to £E240, and of the Judges and muftis to £E84 to £E96. In 1907 the salaries of Judges and muftis were raised to the present figure. In 1880 the salaries of Judges of the district courts were up to £E60; in that year they were increased to £E60 to £E72; in 1891 they were all equalised at £E72; and in the present year the salaries of about half of these Judges have been raised to £E120. As regards pensions as mentioned above the British Judges of the Mixed Courts are not entitled to any. Six native Judges of the Native Courts are entitled to a pension, under the provisions of the Pension Law of Said Pasha (26th December, 1854), at the rate of one-fourth of their last year's salary after fifteen years service, one-third after twenty years, one-half after twenty-five years, two-thirds after thirty years, and to a pension equal to their last year's salary after forty years service. Three native Judges of the native Courts are entitled to a pension, under the Pension Law of Ismail Pasha (11th June, 1871), at the rate of one-fourth of their last year's salary after thirty years service. All the other Judges above-mentioned, viz.: native Judges of the Mixed Courts,

Name.	Rank.	Appointed.	Salary.
F. J. Atterbury	Inspector	1st January, 1905	£E500
Mr. Brander Dunbar	Inspector	1st January, 1906	£E500
Resigned and replaced by—
Mr. Akers-Douglas	Inspector	11th July, 1906	£E500
Mr. Lake Geere	Inspector	1st January, 1906	£E500

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to one or two recent judgments of Mr. Justice Ross in the Land Judges' Court, in which severe strictures are conveyed upon the action of the Estates Commissioners, and a charge made against them that in their administration of the Land Purchase Act of 1903 they have been acting in entire violation of the law; whether, in view of these allegations, he is in a position to grant a Return giving particulars of the instances in which the differences which arose between the Estates Commissioners and the Land Judge have been the subject of judicial determination and the effects of that determination. of the Native Civil and Criminal Courts, and of the Mahomedan Ecclesiastical Courts, and British Judges of the Native Courts, are subject to the provisions of the Pension Law of the 21st June, 1887. A Judge who has entered the Government service under the age of thirty-five, has served for twenty-five years, and attained the age of fifty-five, is entitled to pension under this law. The basis of this pension is the average annual salary drawn by him during the last three years of his service, and he is entitled to a pension at the rate of one-sixtieth of this average salary for every year's service. This pension cannot exceed either £E600, or three-quarters of his average salary. With regard to the third question the following officials were appointed to the Slave Trade Department during the years 1905–6:£

I am not in a position to give a Return such as the hon. Member asks for. Anyone who may be interested in the subject of the Question can, I presume, obtain full information upon it by referring to the Irish Law Reports.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware of the sums of money available for the construction of certain improvement works in connection with Kinvara Harbour, Galway; whether the initiation of the works is contingent upon a grant being given by the Galway County Council; whether the council has signified to the Agricultural Department, the Congested Districts Board, and the Board of Works its willingness to make the said grant; and whether, in view of the urgency of the works, the Government will enable the county council to carry out the works, which are not alone essential in the interest of the harbour, but certain to be of advantage to the poor people this bad season in providing them with employment.

As the hon. Member is aware, the difficulty in this matter arises from the fact that in the present state of the law, the Galway County Council have no power to make the necessary contribution towards the cost of the work in question. This difficulty would have been removed if the Navigation Works Bill of this session had become law.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that there is a police barracks at Crossdoney, county Cavan; how many men are stationed there; what is the population of the town, and how many inhabited houses are there; how many licensed houses; how near is this station to the nearest police barracks; is there a telephone and telegraph office in Crossdoney; and is it intended to continue this police station.

The police station at Crossdoney is occupied by four men. The village itself has a population of but seventy-five persons occupying eleven houses, but the district attached to the station is of considerable extent and has a population of 1,660 persons. The village contains no licensed houses, but has a telegraph and telephone office. The station is two and a half miles distant from the next adjacent station. The question whether it may be possible to abolish the station at Crossdoney has recently been under the consideration of the police authorities, but a decision has not yet been arrived at.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Com- missioners of National Education have framed any, and, if so, what new rules with respect to the introduction of the bilingual programme for the present school year; whether any, and, if so, what, conditions are to be laid down as to the qualifications of the school staff; and whether, in view of the fact that the official training colleges have not given adequate facilities far training young teachers in the Irish language, and that this work has been carried out by the voluntary training colleges established by the Gaelic League at Ballingeary, Mount Partry, Cloghaneely, and Dublin, for each of the four provinces, he will see that no obstacles are placed in the way of national schools desirous of adopting the bilingual programme.

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that their regulations as to the use of the bilingual programme in national schools are as follows:—The use of the bilingual programme may be permitted only—(1) If the home language of the majority of the pupils is Irish; (2) If the teacher can speak Irish fluently; (3) If instruction through the medium of English will be given to any exclusive English-speaking pupils whose parents desire it. In schools in which the bilingual programme is adopted Irish should be mainly the medium of instruction for the junior standards (I. to III.), and English mainly for the higher. The merit of the teaching is judged by the proficiency both in Irish and English, the former being the main factor in the case of the junior classes, and the latter in the case of the higher. Permission to use the bilingual programme is withdrawn if the school declines in usefulness under bilingual conditions, or if the recognised Irish-speaking teacher leaves, unless his successor satisfies the condition as to knowledge of Irish. A fee of 4s. may be paid for each unit of the average attendance of pupils receiving bilingual instruction in schools classified as fair as a result of the annual inspection, of 6s. in schools classified as good, and of 8s. in schools classified as very good or excellent. These regulations are the same as those which were in operation for the school year ended 30th June last, except that the maximum fee per pupil for the past year was only 4s. The Commissioners inform me that they are strongly in favour of the use of the bilingual programme in schools in Irish-speaking districts, and no obstacles are placed in the way of its introduction in schools in which the conditions of the rules are fulfilled.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can states why the Commissioners of National Education granted increments to certain teachers on 1st April, 1903, and only granted further increments to such teachers from the 1st November, 1906, thereby depriving them of seven months increase of salary; and whether he can get the Commissioners to make such alterations as are necessary to deal equitably with the cases of such teachers.

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that teachers to whom increments were granted on 1st April, 1903, were awarded further increments as from 1st April, 1903, in all cases in which the intervening service was continuous and satisfactory. In the absence of information as to the particular cases to which the Question refers, the Commissioners are unable to give reasons why the increments were postponed in these cases. The Commissioners claim that increments are equitably awarded, and that there is no reason why they should alter their mode of dealing with such cases.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state how many national teachers in Ireland are to be disallowed promotion for the triennial period ended 31st March, 1907, to second-of-first grade and first-of-first, respectively, through the adverse report of a new inspector on his first visit to a school in cases where the two preceding reports were up to the required standard; will the National Board allow an impartial and unprejudiced investigation into all such cases in which the managers alleged at the time that the minutes of such new inspectors were unjust and unwarrantable and requested a reinspection and in cases in which such reinspection was refused; has the National Board yet seen the advisability and justice of complying with the requests made frequently by the Central Executive Committee of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation and the various associations of national teachers throughout Ireland for the past two years that no teacher be disallowed promotion on account of the adverse minute of any inspector on his first visit to a school when the two preceding reports had been of a character to justify such promotion.

In reply to the first part of the Question, I refer to my Answer to the hon. Member for South Belfast on 12th instant. The Commissioners inform me that all cases are carefully investigated in which a manager alleges that an inspector's report is unfair. The Commissioners are unable to give an assurance of the general nature suggested in the concluding part of the Question.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that only a small proportion of the Commissioners of National Education usually attend the meetings of the Board, some of them being old and unable to take any active interest in educational matters; and, seeing that the whole work of the Board is practically in the hands of the Resident Commissioner and a few of the higher officials, who being over sixty years of age can, unless they do as he desires, be called on to retire, as recently happened to a chief inspector, whether he will consider the desirability of advising the Lord-Lieutenant to dismiss several of the present members of the Board in the hope that the dissatisfaction with its administration may be somewhat abated.

The hon. Member is mistaken in supposing that only a small proportion of the Commissioners attend meetings of the Board. I find that during the last school year an average of about two-thirds of the members attended each meeting. I have no information that any of the Commissioners are incapacitated by age from taking an active interest in their work, or that, as a matter of fact, the Board delegates it proper functions to the higher officials. As at present advised, I am not aware of any reason why the Lord-Lieutenant should dispense with the services of any existing members of the Board.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that work has been stopped at the fishing pier at Ballyconnell, county Sligo, which was commenced by the Congested Districts Board; that it is quite useless in its present state, and that a pier is greatly needed by the fishermen of the district; and can he say when the work will be resumed and the pier completed.

The Congested Districts Board are informed by their engineer that the work which they undertook at Knocklane, Ballyconnell, has been practically finished.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether two children named Horan, who were duly committed to the Cavan industrial school, were ordered to be discharged by the Lord-Lieutenant on the ground that the evidence on which they were committeed was insufficient; if so, will he say on whose representations was their discharge ordered; and will he have this case fully investigated.

This case was brought to my notice by the inspector of reformatory and industrial schools in the usual course, and I was advised by the law officers that the evidence did not justify the committal of the children to an industrial school. I was obliged, therefore, to direct the discharge of the children.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether negotiations for the lease of the C. C. B. White estate, Newtownmanor, county Leitrim, now in the Land Judge's Court, have been completed; and, if not, will he take any steps open to him to secure a sale of this estate at the earliest possible moment.

The Land Judge has made an order for the sale of this estate, and the Estates Commissioners some time since lodged a request, under Section 7 of the Act of 1903, for particulars of the estate with a view to considering the question of purchase. The title of the estate, however, is very long and complicated, and hence there has necessarily been considerable delay in complying with the Estates Commissioners' request. The Registrar of the Land Judge's Court informs me that the matter will be pushed forward as rapidly as possible.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that promises have been repeatedly made by his predecessors in office that provision would be made for the better housing of the working classes in towns in Ireland; and can he inform the House whether he has considered this matter, and what are his intentions in reference to it.

I am not aware of any foundation for the hon. Member's suggestion beyond the fact that on 22nd November last my predecessor informed him that the Government would, at a convenient opportunity, consider whether any Amendments of. the law relating to the housing of the working classes in the towns of Ireland may be necessary. I have already said that I cannot at present promise legislation, but that I recognise the importance of the subject and will give it full consideration.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that Robert Devereux, Battlestown, Duncannon, applied to the Estates Commissioners for restoration to one or other of the farms from which he was evicted; if the Estates Commissioners have considered his application; and do they propose restoring either of his farms to him.

The Estates Commissioners have inquired into the application and have ascertained that the evictions took place more than twenty-five years before the passing of the Act of 1903. The applicant, therefore, does not come within the provisions of Section 2 of the Act.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland will he give, by tabulation or otherwise, the operation of sinking funds on first advances and also on additional advances under the various Purchase of Land Acts, commuting the dividend instalments under what are termed the decadal reductions.

I would refer the hon. Member to the several Treasury rules prescribing the redemption tables to be used under the Land Purchase Acts, and also to the provisions of Section 25 of the Act of 1896 with regard to the decade system. I will send a list of the rules in question to the hon. Member.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland can he say whether Captain Fitzpatrick, resident magistrate in Kilmallock, county Limerick, has been instrumental in preventing the members of the Town Tenants Association, a strictly non-political body, from using for their meetings the courthouse in the town, or are the functions and duties of that gentleman, a paid magistrate, quite in keeping with such conduct; and can he say who are the real custodians of the courthouse and have they delegated their powers to Captain Fitzpatrick.

I am informed that at the opening of the Kilmallock petty sessions court on 2nd instant, the Chairman, Captain Fitzpatrick, resident magistrate, announced that the magistrates had decided not to allow the Town Tenants Association to hold meetings in the courthouse. The magistrates are the custodians of the courthouse, and it is to be presumed that Captain Fitzpatrick spoke with their authority. That gentleman, however, is at present on leave of absence, and I have had no opportuinty of communicating with him in the matter.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that in the cities of Waterford, Cork, Limerick, and Belfast, the members of the Royal Irish Constabulary who perform the duties of policemen in those cities have numbers on their uniforms for the purpose of identification; that, although the members of the Royal Irish Constabulary in the cities have numbers on their uniforms, the constabulary in country districts do not wear numbers on their uniforms; and that the constabulary in the cities, when drafted even for a few hours into country districts, have the numbers removed from their uniforms, whereas the constabulary in rural districts when drafted, as in the recent Belfast riots, into the cities, have numbers place d on their uniforms; what is the reason that the means for identification of a policeman by the wearing of the number on his uniform should be afforded to the inhabitants of the Irish cities and denied to the inhabitants of country districts; whether he is aware that the senior Member for the City of London, when Chief Secretary for Ireland, defended the practice of not placing numbers on the uniforms of the constabulary in the country districts on the ground that such means of identification was calculated to give facilities for the making of false accusations against the police; and whether, having regard to the fact that members of the constabulary have refused to give their names when reqiured to do so by persons desiring to complain of their conduct, and of the difficulty of identifying them by reason of their uniform, steps will be taken, now that the alleged grievances of the Royal Irish Constabulary are to be taken into consideration with a view to their removal, to provide that the members of the Royal Irish Constabulary, like the members of the police of other countries, should wear numbers on their uniforms in towns and country alike.

This Question is practically identical with one which the hon. and learned Member addressed to my predecessor on 6th March, 1906. The matter is new to me, and I have not had time to look into it fully since notice of the Question was given. I am, however, informed that Mr. Bryce's Answer still holds good.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he could state the circumstances under which the Riot Act was read and the military ordered to fire on the people by Major Thackeray, R.M., at Peel Street, Belfast, on the night of 13th August; whether people in the immediate vicinity of the magistrate were not aware of the Riot Act having been read and received no warning that the military were to fire; whether Major Thackeray had made any Report on the subject; and whether any compensation would be made by the Government to the families of those killed and wounded.

The coroner's inquest in this case has been adjourned till Monday next, and while it is pending it would be irregular and undesirable to answer any Question on the subject.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether an application for a payment in connection with extra police has been made to the county council of Leitrim; by whom has the application been made and by whose authority; under what statute is it proposed to levy the charge; have the Law Officers of the Crown in Ireland been consulted in reference to this matter; what is the maximum quota to which Leitrim is entitled; when was the quota fixed and what was the average number of constabulary stationed in the county of Leitrim in the years 1881, 1891, 1901, and 1906; have full particulars been furnished to the county council; and will he give his personal attention to this matter.

The Inspector-General of the Royal Irish Constabulary applied to the Leitrim County Council for the payment of sums amounting to £339 18s. in respect of extra police stationed in the county during the year ending 31st March last, and as the county council refused to pay, the amount has, by order of the Lords Justices, been deducted from the sums payable to the county from the local taxation account. The Inspector-General acted under the authority of the Acts 9 and 10 Vic., c. 97, and 11 and 12 Vic., c. 72, which authorise the charge to be levied. The Law Officer were not consulted on this particular case, in which the established practice was followed. The present free quota of police for Leitrim is 147,which was fixed in May, 1906. The average number of the free force in the county was: in 1881, 210; in 1891, 220; in 1901, 182; and in 1906, 146. It is, however, to be remembered that since 1881 the population has decreased by nearly one-fourth. Full particulars of the extra forces charge 1 for have been furnished to the county council.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can explain the cause of the continuing delay in the presentation of the Reports of Irish Departments to the House of Commons; whether he is aware that the Reports of, the Commissioners of National Education, the Department of Agriculture, the Local Government Board, the General Prisons Board, the Estates Commissioners, etc., have only been presented within the last week; and if he proposes to take any steps to ensure that these Reports will in future be laid before Parliament in sufficient time before the close of the session to permit of their examination, and the discussion of their contents where necessary, by the House of Commons, which the present procedure seems to be calculated to prevent.

It cannot be admitted that there has been any undue delay in the presentation of the Reports to which the hon. Member refers. The Reports of four of the Departments named are for the financial year ending 31st March, while that of the National Board covers the school year ending 30th June. I find that last year the Reports of two of these Departments, namely, the National Board and the Estates Commissioners, were not presented till after the House had risen, and the present year therefore shows an improvement. It must be remembered that all of these Reports contain elaborate statistics which in some cases cannot be prepared until particulars have been received from local authorities, and that the mere printing occupies a considerable time. In the circumstances it would not appear that a period of three months for preparing the Reports is unreasonably long. I am assured that all possible expedition is used in the preparation of the Reports.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland will he say the number of policemen injured during the Belfast riots, and the particulars of the injuries they received.

Forty-five policemen were injured during the riots at Belfast on 11th and 12th instant. Of these fourteen received injuries to the head and face, and thirty were injured about the body and limbs, the injuries being in all cases inflicted by stones, bottles, and other missiles thrown by the rioters. One man had his ankle sprained.

To ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether those civilian employees under the War Office at Shoeburyness who are technically classified as casually employed, were deprived of pay on 28th and 29th June, by reason of these days being holidays, whereas the office staff and other employees classified as established or regularly employed received full pay for these days; and whether he can see his way to place all civilian subordinates in Army Departments whose services are in fact regularly used on the same footing as regards payment during public official holidays.

It is in accordance with the regulations at present in force that casual employees do not get paid for public holidays. The whole matter is, however, under review.

To ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, under Regulation 23 of 1904 for civilian subordinates in Army Departments, artificers who are worked overtime are only paid for the excess of hours at their hourly rating; whether he is aware that under trade union rates for overtime it is usual to have time and a quarter for the first two hours and time and a half afterwards; whether he is aware that these trade union rates were in force at Shoeburyness prior to the regulations of 1904; and whether he can see his way to adopt again the trade union scale.

It has been found necessary to refer the question to the local military authorities for report. As soon as the information is received it will be sent to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the average price paid by the War Office for khaki tunics and hand-made soldiers' gloves during the South African war, also the price being paid for the same articles at the present time.

It is not clear from the hon. Member's question what particular information he desires, as the tunics issued during the war varied considerably in material and in prices. If the hon. Member would kindly call at the War Office, I will see that he obtains all the information that can legitimately be given, in view of the fact that prices are confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether, when the War Office is informed, in accordance with Paragraph 273 of the Army Regulations, that troops have been called out in aid of the civil powers, the Secretary for War has the authority to withdraw the troops from assisting the civil power.

The broad principle of the law of England is that the military authority is bound to come to the aid of the civil authority with armed force, if such force be necessary, to put down violent opposition to the civil power of such a character that the civil power cannot cope with it unaided. In giving effect to the obligation which this principle imposes it is obvious that discretion must be exercised, for the general law does not tolerate the exercise of more force than is necessary. What force is necessary is a matter for the authorities civil and military to judge of. The primary responsibility andprima facie to judge is with the civil authority which calls for aid, but the military authority cannot divest itself of responsibility by merely complying without forming a judgment as to the proportion between end and means. It is this secondary responsibility with which the paragraphs in the King's Regulations to which the hon. Member refers deal, and it follows from the law, as I have stated it, that these regulations which only apply to the mode of executing the principle, and do not touch the principle itself, do not and cannot cut down the obligation which the general law imposes on the military authority to respond in a proper case to the appeal of the civil authority, and of the. propriety of the case the civil authority is, as I have already pointed out,prima facie the judge.

To ask the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that Major A. W. Taylor, 2nd Battalion Queen's Regiment, Colchester, is sending out circular letters to the traders in Essex offering the services free of charges and without wages, as unskilled labourers, of men serving with the colours who are nearing time expiration; if such circulars are sanctioned by the Army Council; and whether he will take steps to stop officers in the Army issuing offers of free or cheaper labour whereby employers are tempted to discharge their ordinary workmen.

My attention has been called to the letter in question. This letter specifies that the soldiers should be employed as extra hands, and that any work they perform should be given free of charge in return for instruction given to them by their employer. This proposal, however, not being in accord with instructions issued from time to time by the War Office on the subject of the technical training of soldiers, which do not propose that instruction should be given in exchange for free labour, the attention of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, the Eastern Command, has been drawn to this letter, with a view to prevent offers of free or cheaper labour being made to employers.

To ask the Secretary of State for War if he can now state the approximate date when the Territorial Forces Bill will come into actual operation.

The work of drafting the regulations necessary for the detailed application of the Act requires time, but it is being rapidly pressed forward. I am already in communication with the lieutenants of counties, and a Special Committee has been appointed to assist them in the formation of their county associations. Matters should be sufficiently far advanced in the course of next spring for the system to be put into general operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for War, whether the recruiting office for the Royal Horse Artillery is open; and, if not, since what date it has been closed.

Recruiting for the Royal Horse Artillery is open at Woolwich for gunners, and at certain regimental depots for drivers. The Royal Horse Artillery has been up to its establishment for some time, and recruiting for this arm, as for other branches of the service, is regulated by requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for War, whether he will consider the advisability of informing all contractors to his department that the nation has already provided at an enormous expense workshops and have trained a number of men to provide them with munitions of war, and that they cannot see their way clear to in any way increase the amount of orders hitherto given to private firms.

No, Sir.

To ask the Secretary of State for War, will he say the number of soldiers injured during the Belfast riots, and the particulars of the injuries they received.

The casualties have not been reported to the War Office, but have been called for. The information is not yet to hand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether, with a view to the better protection of the interests of British subjects, English and African, resident in Fernando Po, he will give instructions to the resident at Calabar to act as British consul and visit the island periodically.

Mr. Cottrell, a local resident, was appointed consular agent at Fernando Po last year.

To ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any law or regulation exists in the Transvaal whereby Kaffir labour is prevented from competing with European skilled labour.

The Secretary of State is not aware of such law or regulation.

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, why, if the new Australian tariff has been received at the Colonial Office, it has not been laid on the Table and circulated among the commercial classes in order that full advantage may be at once taken of the provisions by Sir William Lyne, the Minister of Commerce and Labour in the Commonwealth Administration, for the development of trade with the Mother Country upon mutually advantageous terms and a preferential basis.

The hon. and gallant Member is under a misapprehension to which I fear I may have unintentionally contributed. The new Australian traiff has not been received at the Colonial Office. A telegram has been received from the Governor General stating that the Reuter telegrams from Melbourne of the 8th and 9th instant, which appeared in the daily papers of the 9th and 12th instant, on the subject of the new tariff are correct. The substance of this telegram was published in the Board of Trade Journal on the 15th instant, together with other details received by the Board from the officer representing the Commonwealth in London. The information in the possession of His Majesty's Government has therefore already been fully notified to the public.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes to take with regard to the recommendations of the Select Committee of 1897 concerning the Merchandise Marks Act, 1877, and. the advertisement to Foreign trade rivals of the mark Made in Germany required under certain circumstances by the 17th section, having regard to the failure to secure enactment for the Bill upon the subject, notwithstanding its passage through the Standing Committee and the assistance of the Board of Trade.

I am afraid I cannot at present give any promise to introduce a Bill to amend the Merchandise Marks Act, but I am fully aware of the importance of the subject.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury, whether Excise bonded warehouses are allowed to remain open without an officer being present therein if not, what is the reason why a different practice is followed by the Customs authorities whose warehouses are left open without protection for revenue, except the warehouse keepers' Bond; and whether the Treasury Bonded Warehouse Committee, 1881–3, approved one practice for Excise and a different one for Customs warehouses.

I find that there is diversity in the practice of

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether he is yet in a position to give information with regard to German railway rates on sugar.

The following statement gives the information desired by the hon. Member:— the two departments, though both are administering the same Regulations. The Board of Customs are satisfied that their system, which has been in force for many years, secures administrative convenience without any danger of loss of revenue. I think, however, that the matter requires further consideration with reference to the wording of the Regulations, and I am causing inquiry to be made into it.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury, if he will state, for the years ending 31st March, 1901, 1904, 1905, 1906, and 1907 the total number of Excise licences for the sale of intoxicating liquors by retail in Scotland, distinguishing separately for each year retailers of spirits, licensed grocers, and retailers of wine not to be

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury, whether he will state the probable date at which the Treasury intend to promulgate the new Second Division scheme, and also the probable date from which it is intended this scheme should take effect.

A new Order in Council dealing with the Second Division will shortly be passed, but I am unable at present to fix any date for it.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury, whether, seeing that the private secretary to the Comptroller and consumed on the premises, in that country.

The Board of Inland Revenue have furnished me with the statistics given below in reply to my hon. friend's Question:— Auditor-General until lately received £150 special allowance, that such special allowance is not pensionable, that it has now been reduced to £100 and the other £50 merged for pensionable purposes in the ordinary salary of the holder of the position, and that this gentleman only serves seven hours per day as formerly, he will explain whether an evasion of the Superannuation Acts has taken place in this case; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take.

I have nothing to add to my previous Answers on this subject except, that the grant of a pensionable allowance for the additional duties which this officer now performs involves no evasion of the Superannuation Acts.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that thirty to thirty-five large duplicate books (the originals being kept in Dublin), containing the grades, salaries, and other particulars of 16,000 to 18,000 Irish teachers, are biennially forwarded to the Audit Office, London, by the Education Office, Dublin; that average attendances of schools and quarterly payments to these teachers are entered in the books of the Irish Education Office and again in London in these duplicate books by Audit Office officials; that amending lists prepared in Dublin, necessitating much time and labour, are sent quarterly from the Irish Education Office to the Audit Office, London, and the amending particulars thus furnished entered by Audi Office officials in these duplicate books; that on ever Irish account audited in London duplicate establishment books, and in many cases various duplicate records of other kinds, are necessarily kept under the present system of audit; and that the time and labour involved in duplication alone could be avoided if the work were done in Dublin by a permanent local staff such as obtains in the case of numerous English accounts, he will explain how the absence of a permanent local staff to conduct the audit of the Irish accounts in Ireland does not result in duplication of work, inefficiency of audit, and waste of public money.

I beg to refer the hon. Member to my reply of the 30th ultimo. For the reason there given these records would be required if the audit of these accounts were conducted in Ireland.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that the Comptroller and Auditor-General is particularly the servant of the House of Commons and audits the public accounts under its direct supervision, and that some time ago a subordinate in the Audit Office raised a point with reference to the Crown Colonies and Protectorates having free housing accommodation, free light, and stationary from the Imperial Government for the Colonial Audit Branch in London for about fifteen years, he will explain why the Comp troller and Auditor-General wrote off this point; and, if not, will he say how the House of Commons can adequately criticise and supervise the work of its officer, the Comptroller and Auditor-General.

I have nothing to add to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member on this subject on the 26th June last.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the captain and crew of a Dutch ship, seized on the 30th of May last for offences under the Customs Consolidation Act of 1876, were placed under arrest by the captain of the " Skipjack," and subsequently prosecuted; that the charge preferred was dismissed, and the captain and crew acquitted on the ground that their ship was outside territorial waters at the time of seizure; that, upon the decision being given, counsel for His Majesty's Commissioners of Customs obtained a certificate of indemnity on behalf of the officers who executed the seizure, which could only have been granted where a claimant to the proceeds of the seizure was in existence and before the court has successfully sustained such claim, and that the defendants' solicitor consented to the certificate being granted and to the proceedings being for that purpose treated as a claim for the return of the ship and cargo; and whether, seeing that the Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs, having thus obtained the certificate of indemnity which they could not otherwise have obtained, have since refused to return the ship and cargo to its owner, and have not commenced any other proceedings whatever, and that the defendants have now been kept for three months without knowledge of what is to be done or intended to he done, he will say what steps will be taken towards these subjects of a friendly Power.

As regards the first part of this Question I beg to refer the hon. Member to the Question of the hon. and gallant Member for East Down of the 4th ultimo, and to my reply thereto. I am informed that the certificate of indemnity was granted in the absence of any objection by the defendant's solicitor, but that its grant could not prejudice the owner of the vessel in any action which he may be advised to bring for recovery of damages either for the seizure of the vessel or for her continued detention since the above-mentioned proceedings were dismissed. With regard to the last part of the Question I understand that on the 24th June last the defendant's solicitor was informed, by direction of the Board of Customs, of the course to be pursued if it was desired to contest the forfeiture of the ship. A notice of claim on behalf of the owners has since been received from him; and the ordinary proceedings for condemnation of the ship are in progress. He was informed on the 2nd instant that proper notice would be given to him when these proceedings are in such a state as to render it necessary for him to take any steps to defend them.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will explain the circumstances under which the supervisor of Inland Revenue, who was promoted over more than 100 of his seniors last year, was declared not successful at the examination for inspectorship; whether any correspondence passed between the Inland Revenue Board and the Civil Service Commissioners; if so, did it result in the cancellation of this officer's examination; whether, in view of all the circumstances, the officer has been or will be informed that he will be allowed to compete at the next examination for inspectorship of excise; and whether all the Papers connected with the case will be submitted to the proper authority when the administration of Somerset House is next subjected to investigation.

The Board of Inland Revenue inform me that the supervisor in question committed a breach of the conditions of the examination by revealing to one of the examiners the examination number assigned to him, and that by their order, after consultation with the Civil Service Commissioners, his name was removed from the list of candidates. The Board were satisfied that his action was due to an error of judgment and not to any wilful or corrupt motive, but they removed his name as they considered that nothing should be condoned that might endanger the impartiality with which these examinations should be conducted. No application has been received from the supervisor to compete at the next examination for inspector of excise.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the Secretary to the Board of Inland Revenue has yet departed upon his customary tour of inspection from the centre selected by him for a holiday resort; whether the subsistence allowance and first-class travelling expenses will be paid as in previous years in connection with this holiday inspection; whether he will state what is the object of this inspection, in view of the fact that the present Secretary to the Board of Inland Revenue (contrary to the practice in previous years and to the recommendation of a Commission of Inquiry) has no practical knowledge of outside excise duties; whether the inspection is ordered by the Board of Inland Revenue as a condition to the granting of a holiday to their Secretary; and whether the audit office distinguishes between the expenses proper to the official visits and those incurred in connection with the Secretary's holiday.

I must refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my predecessor to the hon. Member for South Down on 4th August, 1906. I need only add to that reply that only expenses incurred strictly on official business are charged to the Vote, and these are, of course, subject to the usual scrutiny by the Audit Office. The Board of Inland Revenue inform me, however, that they have not this year directed their, secretary to visit any place.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether a new scheme governing the pay of Second Division clerks is about to come into force; whether those Second Division clerks now serving have been offered by his Department the opportunity of being placed in receipt of that salary to which they would have been entitled had this new scheme been in existence at the dates of their appointments; and, if so, whether he will state what reasons there are why a similar concession was not extended to the new class of assistant clerks when the scale of pay of that body of Civil Servants was altered in 1905.

Certain changes in the scale of salary fixed for the Second Division clerks are being contemplated, but I am unable at this stage to give my hon. friend any detailed information. There is, however, no analogy between the cases of the assistant clerks referred to and the clerks of the Second Division.

To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether a memorial from the assistant clerks, new class, in the Statistical Office, Customs, was forwarded to the principal of that office on the 9th of last month for transmission to the Treasury; whether attached to the memorial were certain official documents substantiating the statements made by the clerks that the conditions under which they were induced to enter the Civil Service were not being observed; and, if so, whether this memorial and the accompanying papers have been now received at the Treasury.

In view of the fact that the memorial in question did not explicitly withdraw the charge that there had been a breach of faith by His Majesty's Government, the Board of Customs declined to forward it. But in these circumstances it is open to the memorialists to address the Treasury direct.

To ask the Postmaster-General whether he will now arrange to have cloth and other materials for making up boots, waterproofs, etc., required for the Irish Post Office service, delivered free in Dublin, and there subjected to expert examination, in order to give the same facilities to Irish. manufacturers in Ireland as are now enjoyed by English manufacturers in England, and also to save the cost of carriage from London to Ireland which, under the present arrangement, the Post Office Vote has to bear.

The only materials now sent from Ireland to London and then returned to Ireland are certain linings of an average annual value of about £90.

To ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the case of the late Miss Pledge, of the Central Telegraph Office, who expired on 18th June, death having been certified to be due to cerebral paralysis and coma; whether he is aware that this officer had been for many months prior to her demise subjected to constant invigilation and espionage on the part of a certain supervisor; whether he will cause inquiry to be made into this system of unduly harassing the staff with a view to securing more humane treatment to State servants whose ill health, as in this case, has been caused by long service on telegraphic duties of a very exacting nature.

Miss Pledge's death was due to cerebral paralysis, resulting, in the opinion of the medical adviser to the Post Office, from organic disease of the brain or its blood-vessels. In December last Miss Pledge's duties were rearranged with a view to giving her an opportunity of proving her capabilities in sound-reading, a branch of work in which she had previously shown herself weak. Her work was occasionally observed in order that her progress might be reported on; there was nothing whatever in the nature of "invigilation and espionage." Miss Pledge made no complaint to her supervising officers of the strain of the new work, and I have no reason to think that she did not receive every consideration from them. I am advised that there is no reason to suppose that the change in Miss Pledge's duties was the cause of her breakdown.

To ask the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the advisability of establishing a telephone station at Kilkerrin, Connemara, which would be of considerable advantage to the people of that district engaged in the kelp industry.

I will have inquiry made and will communicate with the hon. Member. I am afraid, however, that it would be necessary to ask for a heavy guarantee.

To ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will state the names of the contractors who originally tendered for the buildings originally intended to he erected at Shotley to provide accommodation on shore for a boys' training establishment, and the amount of each tender; whether Colonel Raban is allowed a free hand by the Admiralty in giving work to the contractors without offering it for competitive tender; and whether Colonel Raban, a public servant, resents Parliamentary criticism of any course he chooses to adopt.

It is not the practice of the Admiralty to disclose the names of the contractors who tender for any particular work, or to make public the amounts of their tenders. The director of works and civil engineer-in-chief acts under the directions of the Board of Admiralty, who are responsible for Admiralty contracts.

To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the town council of Southend have agreed to pay the owner of the Hadleigh Ray oyster beds £500 per annum for four years or so long as the corporation (Southend) are permitted to discharge crude sewage into the estuary, the owner meanwhile working his beds; whether the Local Government Board can permit a continuance of this practice fraught with so much danger to the public health; whether he is aware that some £20,000 sterling have been spent by the town council of Southend in recent years in defending their practice of discharging crude sewage into the estuary; and whether, in both the interests of the public health and of the ratepayers, he can see his way to order a public inquiry.

I have no information as to the agreement referred to, or as to the precise amount spent by the town council in defending the existing arrangements for the disposal of the sewage of the borough. It does not at present appear to me that there would be any advantage in my directing a public inquiry of the kind suggested.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the disturbances arising from a lock-out of cap-makers in Manchester, and to serious acts of violence committed by non-union men; whether he is aware that policemen are alleged to have unduly interfered with pickets when conducting themselves peacefully in connection with the dispute; and whether he will ask for an early report on the question, with a view to some action being taken.

My attention has not previously been drawn to this matter, and I do not know what foundation in fact there may be for the allegations to which the hon. Member refers. I will make inquiry without delay. But I may remind the hon. Member that it is the local authority which is responsible for the maintenance of order and for the conduct of the police.

To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that Mr. D. P. Williams, collector, His Majesty's Customs, Port of Liverpool, will reach in November next the age limit of sixty-five fixed by the Order in Council of the 29th November, 1892, for the retirement of all civil servants; and whether it is proposed to extend his period of service, and, if so, upon what grounds.

The officer referred to will attain the age of sixty-five on the 28th November next, and he will then retire from the service in accordance with the provisions of the Order in Council.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will ascertain on what grounds the Commissioners of National Education refuse increments of continued good service to Mr. John Quinn, principal teacher, Cooltober national school, Arva, county Cavan, and Mr. James O'Reilly, assistant teacher, New Ross, county Wexford.

The Commissioners of National Education have refused to award increment of continuous good service salary to Mr. John Quinn for reasons which appear to them to be sufficient. Mr. James O'Reilly was awarded an increment of such salary as from 1st November, 1906.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that some years since a circular was issued by the Commissioners of National Education instructing their inspectors when in Dublin to call, if convenient, on the present resident commissioner at his office; and that several inspectors have since, in conformity with this circular, called to see the resident commissioner, and have been, without any reason assigned, refused an interview; and whether he will ascertain if the circular in question is still binding, so that inspectors may be spared the indignity of being told by the hall porters of Tyrone House that the resident commissioner declined to see them.

The circular to which the Question refers is still in force. I am informed that the resident commissioner receives inspectors who may call upon him in conformity with his wishes as communicated in the circular, unless he happens to be engaged on important business, at the time of the inspector's visit. The resident commissioner is not aware that any inspector has been refused an interview without reason assigned.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners have considered the application of Mrs. Donnelly, who claims reinstatement to a holding on the Drogheda estate, near Mountmellick, Queen's County, as representative of her father, Cornelius Bacon, the evicted tenant; and if so, with what result.

The Estates Commissioners to not appear to have received an application for reinstatement from Mrs. Donnelly.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state what decision the Estates Commissioners have arrived at in the case of Peter Lawrence, who was evicted from a holding on the estate of Lord Drogheda, near Mountmellick, Queen's County, about twenty-two years ago.

The Estates Commissioners have decided that they cannot interfere in this case. The holding in which the applicant seeks reinstatement has been purchased under the Land Acts by the occupying tenant, who appears to be applicant's sister.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that inspectors of national schools are prohibited, under pain of punishment, from going any distance outside their districts even between Saturday evening and Monday morning unless they have previously obtained special permission; what is the object of such a regulation in the case of men whose work is purely educational; and whether this restrictive enactment was copied from the code of the Royal Irish Constabulary.

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that, in the interests of the public service, they do not consider it desirable to make any statement as to the nature of, or the reasons for, any disciplinary regulations which they may have framed for the proper discharge of the duties of their inspectors or other officers.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can give a Return showing the ages and occupations of the Commissioners of National Education, and the ages and length of service of the higher officials acting under them.

The Government have no record of the ages and occupations of the Commissioners of National Education. The ages and length of service of the higher officials of the Board of National Education are stated in a Return presented in pursuance of an Order of this House, namely, Return No. 8 of the present Session.

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the grounds on which the Treasury refused to provide the funds which the Commissioners of National Education state they asked for in their Report for the year 1906–7 in order to enable them to provide for the cleansing, heating, and repairing of schools, and the increase of initial salaries and the payment of increments; and if he can supply the exact terms of the proposals made by the Commissioners to the Treasury in respect to these matters.

I am afraid that I cannot conveniently add anything to the Answer which I gave to the hon. Member for East Down on 14th February last. It would be contary to practice to state the terms of communications between the Treasury and other Departments, and moreover 1 do not see that any possible advantage could be gained by doing so in the present case.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether he has issued instructions to Lords-Lieutenant and others with reference to the formation of county associations; and whether he will lay these instructions upon the Table of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether county associations will be formed, and will undertake the duties imposed upon them by the Territorial Forces Act, simultaneously in all counties; and, if not, in what counties will the provisions of the said Act be first applied.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether he has appointed, or intends to appoint, a special committee at the War Office to advise and assist the county associations; and what is, or will be, the composition of such committee.

The Lords-Lieutenant have already been invited to accept the presidencies of the associations. No instructions have been issued to them or others with reference to the formation of county associations, but it is hoped that it will shortly be possible to issue a draft model scheme for the formation of the associations for their consideration. As I have already stated, associations will, as far as possible, be formed simultaneously. A special committee, under the presidency of Lord Esher, is at present dealing with the formation of the associations, and will be in a position to give any necessary advice on the subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for War whether any instructions have been issued to officers of His Majesty's Forces relative to claims for abatement of income-tax on their pay or pensions under the provisions of the Finance Act, 1907; and, if so, whether the proper forms of claim have been supplied to, or are available for, such officers.

A special Army Order has been promulgated on this subject, and copies are in course of distribution to the Army. The provisional forms of claims have also been issued.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the resolution as to the desirability of resuming the consideration of the question of the growing expenditure on armaments carried at The Hague Conference, and in view of his announcement as to the additional battleship as part of this year's shipbuilding programme, he now proposes to proceed with the construction of such ship.

I am afraid I can add nothing to the full statements which have already been made.

May I ask the hon. Gentleman if he considers it due to the House to answer this Question before Parliament rises?

If the hon. Gentleman has studied the speeches of the Secretary to the Admiralty in introducing the Navy Estimates and on Vote 8 he would have found there a clear answer.

If the Question is not answered before Parliament rises will some notification be made in the Press?

I shall repeat the Question on Monday.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Admiralty was at any time consulted with regard to the route to be followed by the Pacific cable; and, if so, whether he will lay upon the Table of the House the correspondence exchanged on the subject.

The Admiralty were consulted as to the route. The correspondence is voluminous and deals with subjects that it would be unwise to divulge.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the changes which are being made in thepersonnel of the coastguard service, he will be prepared to grant a Return giving the names of the stations from which coastguardsmen have been withdrawn.

I will gladly give this information, but I think an unstarred Question would be more convenient than a Return.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is now in a position to give the terms of reference to the Royal Commission on Decentralisation and to circulate the correspondence with the Viceroy in Council as to the government of the provinces and as to the proposed formation of a Council of Notables.

Papers relating to the formation of Advisory Councils and kindred matters will, I hope, be in the bands of hon. Members by Monday evening. The King has been pleased to approve the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the relations now existing, for financial and administrative purposes, between the supreme Government and the various Provincial Governments in India, and between the Provincial Governments and the authorities subordinate to them; and to report whether by measures of decentralisation or otherwise those relations can he simplified and improved, and the system of government better adapted to meet the requirements and promote the welfare of the different provinces, and, without impairing its strength and unity, to bring the executive power into closer touch with local conditions.

Can we have the names of the Royal Commissioners?

I hope to give them on Monday.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether any arrangement has been come to for the inquiry as to the allocation of military charges between the India Office and the War Office.

It has been arranged to refer this question to a Committee, constituted as follows:—Chairman, The right hon. Sir R. Romer, G.C.B.; Members, Lord Welby, G.C.B.; The right hon. Gerald Balfour; and, representing the War Office, General Sir W. G. Nicholson, K.C.B., and Sir G. Fleetwood Wilson, K.C.B.; and representing the India Office, Sir John Edge K.C., and Lieutenant-General Sir Beauchamp Duff, K.C.B., K.C.V.O. It is expected that the Committee will commence its sittings this autumn.

asked whether another Office much concerned in this matter—the Treasury—might not have a representative on the Committee.

I have always found that the Treasury is extremely capable of taking care of itself.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the dissatisfaction expressed in Calcutta at the action of the Lieutenant-Governor in secretly maintaining with public funds a private action for libel instituted by certain police officers against the IndianDaily News; and whether, for the future guidance of Governors and Lieutenant-Governors in India, he will issue general instructions that where accusations are made against the police or other Government servants the Government shall itself proceed against the accusers, or shall itself take other public measures to investigate the accusation, but that in no case shall the money of the Indian taxpayer be employed for the secret maintenance of private libel actions.

My attention has been drawn to the published reports of the case referred to. As I have already explained in previous Answers, the Government of Bengal acted in accordance with the ordinary rules, and I am not aware that there was any special secrecy in the matter. The question whether Government should allow its officers to take action in vindication of their official conduct, or should adopt the much more formidable course of taking action itself, must be decided on a consideration of all the circumstances of each case as it arises, and I do not propose to lay down any general rule. I may remind my hon. friend that the cost falls on the taxpayer whichever course is adopted.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information with regard to the reports from Georgetown, on the Venezuelan frontier, in regard to the alleged taking of rubber in British territory by Venezuelans: and whether a British force entered. Venezuelan territory and demanded the surrender of 40,000 lbs. of rubber.

My right hon. friend has requested me to answer this Question. I can only refer to the reply which I made yesterday to the hon. Members for Mid. Armagh and West Lanarkshire, to the effect that the Governor is making inquiries and will send home a full report.

Has the report been asked for by cable or post?

By cable. I do not think there is any reason to assign undue importance to the incident.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that General Botha has not seen his way to the carrying out of his promise to modify the regulations and soften the rigour of the Asiatic Registration Act, the Secretary of State will suggest that compensation be paid, out of the proceeds of the guaranteed loan, to those Indian merchants who may be willing to retire from the Transvaal rather than undergo the humiliations imposed by the Act.

The hon. Member will see by reference to page 9 of Paper 65 printed by order of the House of Lords that he does not quite correctly describe the attitude of General Botha. The Secretary of State has no official intimation that any Indian merchants propose to retire from the Transvaal, and in any case does not see his way to make the desired suggestion in view of the fact that he has already stated that he does not regard the matter of identification by finger prints as objectionable in itself and has not felt able to press the Transvaal Ministers further to reconsider their decision.

asked whether the Government had washed their hands of all responsibility in this matter and considered the effect which these regulations were likely to have on the loyal feeling of our subjects in India.

said that the Government were far from washing their hands of this question. The Government would do what they could from time to time with the resources at their disposal.

Would whites submit to the finger test?

Perhaps not.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the rate of mortality among the Kaffirs and among the Chinese, respectively, for the first six months of this year.

For the first three months of the year the average rate of mortality per 1,000 per annum was—Kaffirs, 31·661; Chinese, 16·375. The figure for whites was 20·051. Official figures for a later period are not available for Kaffirs; the average mortality for Chinese for the first six months of this year is 15·657. But in comparing the Mortality Returns of Chinese with Kaffirs some regard must be paid to the fact that a certain number of Chinese are repatriated as physically incapable. I notice that in the Report of the Superintendent of Foreign Labour for 1905–6 (page 32 of Cd. 3,338) it is stated that for that year those repatriated as physically incapable were 1,840 as compared with a total number of deaths, 935.

Is any record kept in the Kaffir Return of the number of natives from British Central Africa?

They do not care about Kaffirs.

A careful record is kept of natives from British Central Africa. Whether a record is kept of Kaffirs who return to private life in their kraals, I do not think that is done, because naturally a Kaffir having taken his discharge goes back to his home. In regard to a remark I overheard to the effect that we do not care what happens to the Kaffirs, that is a gross and unfounded accusation.

Are any pains take to prevent Kaffirs who are unfit to work in the mines?

Yes, there are all sorts of precautions taken for the protection of the Kaffirs in the mines, and they have been steadily elaborated from month to month as experience has shown to be necessary.

And yet the death rate among them is higher than among the Chinese.

For this reason numbers of Chinese who would have died had they served their full indentures go home before the time expires and die on board ship. Often they only serve six or twelve months.

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will state how many of the total number of crimes committed in South Africa by Chinese coolies up to 31st July, 1907, were technical crimes and actually breaches of the Labour Ordinance, and how many were crimes in the usual acceptation of the term; how the record of Chinese coolies in this behalf, and subject to this explanation, compares with the record of other than Chinese inhabitants of South Africa for the same period; and what is the figure per mille of crime to population in either case.

Information as to the crimes committed by Chinese coolies in the Transvaal is only available up to 31st January, 1907. The crimes are classified in the monthly Returns which have been presented to Parliament, and to which I would refer the hon. Member. No classification of crimes is kept by the Transvaal Prisons Department, but a classification of sentences has been received, showing the number of Europeans, natives, Indians, and Chinese confined in Transvaal prisons on 30th June, 1906, and their sentences. Taking all sentences, the proportion to population per 1,000 shows the Chinese proportion to be about six times that of other races; but taking serious crimes—i.e., sentences of six months and over—the proportion is for European males, 3·35 per 1,000; for Chinese males, 4·36 per 1,000.

Do these figures include technical offences against the British Labour Ordinance?

Of course they include offences against the Labour Ordinance if they are punished by imprisonment.

Do I understand that the Return does not give the offences for which Chinamen are sentenced? In view of the fact that the records presented to this House contained an exact statement of the offences, misdemeanours or crimes committed, will the right hon. Gentleman see if he can get further Returns from the Transvaal to coincide with them?

said the Returns published by the Government in the Transvaal might possibly not be so full and elaborate as the Returns prepared by the Crown Colony officials under home instructions and in response to pressing inquiries in the House of Commons. He would he glad to suggest to the Secretary of State the propriety of making a request to the Transvaal Government with regard to continuing the records in question, but such requests ought to be limited. They ought not to send requests for information day by day.

The right hon. Gentleman has given no information as to crime among the British Indian subjects.

My Answer contains none.