asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can give any information as to when the Palestine Government loan will be floated; when he expects to receive back the £1,365,000 which has been loaned to the Palestine Government by the Crown Agents; and, as Palestine is not a colony but a mandatory country, why was such a payment ever made?

The Palestine loan will be floated when the Secretary of State is advised that a favourable opportunity has arisen, and repayment will be made to the Crown Agents of the sums advanced by them as soon as loan funds are available. These advances were made because the financial circumstances of Palestine appeared to require and to justify them. I do not see how the mandatory status of Palestine affects the question.

When this loan is floated some little time hence, will the British Government have to guarantee the principal and interest?

No, Sir; it will be treated like most Colonial loans, in the case of which the British Government does not guarantee the principal and interest.

Has the Palestine Government power to issue a loan simply on the request of the League of Nations?

No, Sir, certainly not. The League of Nations does not come in. The Secretary of State authorises the issue of loans for territories for which we are responsible and which we govern.

Will the Jewish issuing houses be given the first chance in regard to this loan?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Palestine Mandate will not be ratified by the British Parliament; and whether, seeing that the League of Nations' action of July last in approving the Mandate should not be sufficient to bind this country to indefinite expense, this House will in future be informed of any action that the League of Nations is taking that will lead to more expenditure for this country, so that a strong protest may be sent from the British Parliament?

The first part of the question raises a constitutional issue of some importance. A Mandate is not in the nature of a Treaty between Governments which requires ratification by the respective heads of the States concerned. No question arises of ratification in a technical sense. I would remind the hon. Member that the House was given definite opportunity in the Debate of the 4th July last, of discussing the question in its widest aspects. The result was a clear pronouncement in favour of the policy of the Government. With regard to the last part of the question, the hon. Member may rest assured that the British representative on the Council of the League of Nations will receive no instructions which the Government are not prepared to defend in this House.

As we now have a new House of Commons, can a fresh opportunity be given of discussing this question?

An opportunity will arise when the Middle Eastern Estimates for the new year come on, and the House can decide whether there is to be a change of policy on that or on the salary of the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

On what authority is the hon. Gentleman speaking when he says that it is not necessary that the Mandate should be ratified by the House of Commons?

I have consulted the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the authorities of the Foreign Office, and they framed the answer to this part of the question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the opposition of the majority of the electors of Palestine to the undemocratic character of the present constitution of that country, His Majesty's Government will consider the advisability of bringing the said constitution more into conformity with the wishes of the people?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Baronet the Member for Darwen (Sir F. Sanderson) on the 15th March. I have nothing to add to the statement that I then made.

Is an Assembly of 11 members nominated by His Majesty's Government and 12 elected members in accordance with the self-government that was promised to Palestine in 1915 and 1918?

I am not aware of the promises to which the hon. and gallant Member alludes.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether delegations from the Palestinian Arabs have been in official communication with the Colonial Office during the last 18 months; if so, whether they have expressed strong dissatisfaction as existing among the Arab population of Palestine with the policy of establishing in their country a Jewish national home; and what steps the Government proposes to take in consequence?

With regard to the first and second parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the White Paper published in June, 1922, as Command Paper No. 1700. The third part of the question raises matters of policy that cannot conveniently be dealt with by question and answer.

Seeing that it is only since June of last year that the wishes and desires of the vast majority of the people of Palestine—the Arab population—have become known to Members of this House, how can a White Paper published in June last have any bearing on this question?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the practice in the Sierra Leone Protectorate regulating the prosecution and defence of native prisoners tried before the Circuit Court on capital charges; is the practice uniformly adhered to; whether there are any rules of court or written regulations on the subject; and, if so, what are their terms?

The practice followed in the Circuit Court in the connection mentioned is, so far as the circumstances of the Protectorate allow, identical with the practice of the Supreme Court of the Colony, and is adhered to as uniformly as the varying circumstances of different cases permit. Rules of Court on the subject were made by the Judge of the Circuit Court in 1915, the terms of which are to be found in the Sierra Leone Royal Gazette of 20th February, 1915.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Foreign Office have received reports upon widespread and growing slave-trading in Abyssinia; whether the Colonial Office has also received from Colonial officials reports of a similar nature; and whether these have been, or will be, passed to the Foreign Office for transmission to the Council of the League of Nations?

Various kinds of domestic and agricultural serfdom exist in a legalised form through Abyssinia, but no reports have been received at the Foreign Office as to growing slave-trading. The internal affairs of Abyssinia cannot normally form the subject of reports from British Colonial officials, but the hon. Member possibly has in mind the slave raising in British territory which formerly occurred near the Abyssinian frontier. The Secretary of State for the Colonies asked for a report on this practice last year, and was informed in reply that Abyssinian raids into British territory were undertaken primarily for the capture of stock and game. In a few instances women and children had been carried off. A garrison having, however, been established on the part of the frontier affected, such raids must by now have ceased. According to reports from His Majesty's Representative at Adis Ababa, the delimitation of the frontiers has necessarily led for many years past to a decline in the slave trade. It is not considered that any useful purpose would be served by the communication of these reports to the Council of the League of Nations.

Is there any slave trading going on between Abyssinia and the Arabian coast?

There was a capture by one of His Majesty's ships in the Red Sea not very long ago. Of course any trade of that sort is subject to the very closest supervision we can give to it. That is a different matter from the one that appears in the question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the great impetus given to British Empire trade and settlement as a result of the first and second Imperial Press Conferences, he can inform the House when and where another conference of this kind will take place?

I have been asked to reply to this question. These conferences are arranged periodically by the Empire Press Union, and, though I have no official information on the subject, I understand that it is contemplated to hold the next conference in Australia in 1925 if the necessary arrangements can be made.

In view of the good work done by my hon. Friend the Member for Acton (Sir Harry Brittain) as the originator and organiser of these most useful conferences, will my hon. Friend endeavour to take advantage of his valuable experience or advice in any action the Government may take to further the interests of this third conference?

I will most certainly bear that suggestion in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a police officer who is instructed to parade at a certain time is regarded as on duty when complying with such instruction?

This is a general question to which it is not possible for me to give a reply without some indication of the particular circumstances in which the officer is instructed to parade. If the hon. Member cares to write to me and let me know the circumstances he has in his mind, I will endeavour to give him a reply.

In view of the varying practices which obtain in the various police forces, would it not be advisable to send out some definite instructions on the matter in order that the pin pricks that occur may not recur?

I will certainly consider that. I was not aware that the instructions were not definite, but I will look into the question.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the Governor of Holloway Prison informed J. E. Stutton, late of that prison staff, that. he could not place him on lighter employment until he had heard from the Prison Commissioners; whether the medical recommendation for lighter employment was ever carried out; and, if so, what was the difference between Stutton's duties before and after 10th March?

The Governor informed Stutton that he would have to report the matter to the Commissioners, as it was impossible for him to find entirely light work. The medical recommendation was carried out thus: Before the 10th March Stutton had been employed on general store porter's work and evening patrol duty. After that date, he was employed as messenger on evening patrol duty, occasionally as gatekeeper and on such of the porter's work as did not. involve the heavy lifting there is in the other parts of the stores. He also had assistance. For part of the time before he was placed again on the sick list, he was employed in connection with the stocktaking.

If I forward the right hon. Gentleman particulars and explain that he has been misinformed, will he reconsider the question?

I shall be very glad to reconsider any further particulars which are not in my possession now.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the inadequacy of the sentences inflicted on persons convicted of cruelty to animals; and what steps does he propose to take in the matter?

I have no doubt that in some cases the sentences passed on offenders of this class are more lenient than many of us would think right. The remedy, however, seems to me to lie in the development of a proper interest and a healthy public opinion on the subject: and to that end the various unofficial agencies interested, whose activities I welcome, can, I am sure, do much more than any Department of State.

Will the right hon. Gentleman send a circular round to magistrates to let them know, if they do not know it already, that public opinion is very strong.?

In inflicting punishment. in this way shall we not be reducing ourselves to the level of the man who gives a clue] stroke to an animal?

I have considered the question of a circular, but I think on the whole I prefer to leave it to public opinion. Every case differs in its conditions and circumstances, and I do not think it will be possible to draw up any circular which would be of any definite guidance to magistrates. I am sure the Debates we have had and the questions which have been asked and answered will have done a great deal towards stimulating public opinion.

asked the Home Secretary if he will form a committee of inquiry to inquire into the case of Doris Hawker, the seven-year-old child sent to Madras, the committee also to make general inquiries as to how girls are disposed of by charitable institutions formed to take care of young girls?

I have in the, first instance asked the Chief Inspector of Reformatory and Industrial Schools to investigate by personal visit the question of the disposal of girls from the Princess Louise Home and other representative voluntary institutions.

asked the Prime Minister 'whether he has any additional information respecting the sentence to death of the Archbishop of Moscow by the Bolshevist Government of Russia; and whether it is possible for the British Government to make representations on behalf of the condemned Archbishop?

A telegram has just been received from the British agent in Moscow confirming the report that the Archibshop and one of his priests have been sentenced to death, and stating that it is feared the sentence will be carried out within 48 hours. Mr. Hodgson has done all in his power, under repealed instructions from His Majesty's Government, to save these ecclesiastics, and I cannot see what more can he done, if the Soviet Government is determined to carry out barbarities of this nature.

Does the hon. Gentleman think it possible that something might be done if he would cable to our representative and the representatives of the foreign Powers telling them the opinion of this country?

I made that inquiry myself immediately we received the telegram. I can assure the hon. Member and the House that every possible instruction and persuasion has been addressed to Moscow, not merely from our representative, but from the heads of all the religious organisations of this country and elsewhere.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that to-day's papers state that the executions are to take place to-morrow?

That is in accordance with what I have said already, that the executions are to take place within 48 hours.

Could not the hon. Member for Motherwell (Mr. Newbold) be sent as a hostage?

Is it not a fact that no cleric condemned at any time to death has ever been put to death?

Are we any longer going to tolerate in our midst a trade delegation from this barbarous Power?

In order to emphasise the opinion of this country, will the hon. Gentleman make representations to the so-called Soviet trade representatives in this country that they will have to leave within 24 hours, if these executions take place?