asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he has now received further representations relative to the desecration of the vault of the Combe family in Hemel Hempstead Church, to the effect that the coffins were removed and broken up, and the lead sent away by railway, the remains in such coffins being placed in a hole in the churchyard; whether an official inquiry into the facts of the case has been asked for by a descendant of the Combe family; and, if so, whether such inquiry will be instituted?

Yes, Sir. I have received the representations mentioned in this Question from a person claiming to descend from the Combe family. The circumstances referred to by the complainant are, however, disputed by the incumbent. If there has been, in fact, a removal of remains such as is complained of, I may point out that there is a legal remedy by summary proceedings prescribed by Statute. If an ecclesiastical offence has been committed, the matter is for the Ordinary, who, I learn, is making inquiry. Therefore, I do not propose to take any action.

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether any of the Australasian Governments have adopted the provisions of the Merchandise Marks Act; and whether the Colony of New South Wales has yet signified its intention of doing so?

In answer to the right hon. Gentleman, I have to state that all these Colonies have promised legislation, except New South Wales, from which no despatch has yet been received; but the Colonial Acts of the Session have not yet arrived.

asked, whether the hon. Gentleman would inquire the reason why New South Wales had sent no response to the Circular?

replied that he would do so.

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If he is now able to remove the uncertainty and embarrassment of the Provincial Colleges, by publishing his scheme for Grants in Aid; and, whether, in consideration of the delay which has already taken place, and the pecuniary position of several Colleges, he will provide that the grants shall take effect from the 1st of January next?

I am not yet able to make any statement as to the particulars of a scheme for Grants in Aid to University Colleges in the Provinces. In any case, it would not be possible for the grants to take effect from the 1st of January next, as they will be included in the Estimates for the financial year 1889–90, which does not commence till the 31st of March, nor can the grants be of such amounts as to retrieve the position of any College which is in serious financial embarrassment. Government grants, though they will be a valuable addition, can in no case be, and are not intended to be, an effective substitute for local contributions, which must always bear the greater share of the burden. With respect to the scheme in general, I am anxious to state that any delay which has arisen is due entirely to the number and importance of the subjects competing for the attention of the Government during the present Session. We regard grants to Local Colleges as a step of great importance, and possibly of far-reaching effects. It was absolutely impossible to propose a scheme without the most careful consideration of its bearings, more especially the proportions in which and the conditions on which any assistance from Imperial funds should be given to Local Institutions for higher class education. It is not from any neglect of the matter, but rather from our sense of its extreme importance, that we have not yet been able to formulate our proposal, although we hope to do so at a very early date.

asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whether the Order excluding boys over 10 years of age from the Board School, Quadring Fen, Lincolnshire, was made from any inability on the part of the mistress to keep boys over 10 years of age under control; whether he is aware that the schoolmistress has 50 pupils under her sole control without the help of an assistant or pupil teacher; whether the Order made, excluding boys over 10 years of age, is due to the large number of scholars in the care of the mistress; and, whether he will urge the School Board to provide such teaching assistance to the mistress that the School may be opened again to the excluded boys resident near the school?

said: My right hon. Friend the Vice President desires me to say that the hon. Member makes it necessary to repeat for the third time that the main reason for the exclusion of these boys was the difficulty the teacher had in keeping them under proper control; but there was an absolute necessity to reduce the number in any case, as the school only accommodates 42 children, and last year there were more than 41 in average attendance.

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether he can now state the terms that have been offered by the New York Syndicate for the purchase of the Jamaica Government Railways; whether it is open to the public to tender for the purchase of those railways; and, whether Her Majesty's Government, in the event of sale, will only accept payment either in cash or in bonds, or shares, enjoying absolute priority of lien on the railway property?

The proposals that have been made are being considered; and they cannot now be stated. This answer must be taken to cover the remaining parts of my hon. Friend's Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he can state for how long

"all proposals involving police expenditure, except as to repairs to stations, have been initiated by the Chief Commissioner of Police;"

The practice as to the police expenditure, which I described generally in answer to my hon. Friend on the 3rd instant, has been in existence for very many years. The late Commissioner made various recommendations from time to time, to the effect that economy would result from giving to the Commissioner the initiative as to the repair of stations, and greater control over the contracts and other financial arrangements made by the Receiver. All these recommendations, and the whole subject of the relations between the Commissioner and Receiver, were referred by the Secretary of State to examination by a Com mittee, of which my hon. Friend is aware, and, pending the inquiry, the old practice has been continued. The subject is too complex to be adequately explained by Questions and answers in this House.

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether any reason exists why claimants who have appeared before the Income Tax Commissioners, and have obtained, by the production of their accounts for the three years, a reduction in the assessment of the profits of their profession or trade for the current year, should not, in view of the fact that the decisions are absolutely final, and, also, that claimants in such cases must necessarily have been put to great inconvenience, trouble, and loss of time, be entitled, ipso facto, to relief and repayment of overpaid tax for the previous year, in accordance with the provisions of sec. 133 of 5 & 6 Vict. c. 35, as amended by sec. 6 of 28 & 29 Vict. c. 30; whether, in many such cases, the General Commissioners express the opinion that such claimants ought not to be compelled to come before them a second time, nor be called upon to prove the same thing twice over; but that it is in the discretion of the Surveyor of Taxes to refuse to give effect to such recommendations, on the ground of the claimants having appealed under one section of the Act and not another; and, whether he would consider whether it would be in the public interest that the Board of Inland Revenue should instruct Surveyors of Taxes not to resist the refunding of overpaid tax for the previous year in any case where a claimant has proved to the satisfaction of the Commissioners for Special Purposes, or the Commissioners for General Purposes, that he is entitled to a decreased assessment, and has obtained such decreased assessment for the current year?

In reply to the first part of the hon. Member's Question, I have to inform him that it need not follow that a parson is entitled to a reduction in the assessment for the past year because he is allowed a reduction for the current year. To establish a claim for reduction for the present year, he must first give notice of appeal and then produce his accounts, and prove to the Commissioners, during the autumn of this year, that the sum assessed exceeds his average annual profits for the last three years; his assessment would then be reduced to the amount of that average. But to establish a similar claim for last year he must first give his notice of appeal as soon after the 5th of April this year as can reasonably be expected, and then prove that the assessment exceeded his actual profits during last year; and he would then be entitled to have it reduced either to the amount of those profits, or to the amount of his average annual profits for the last three years, including the year of assessment, whichever amount is the greater. But if last year's profits were not less than the sum assessed he has no right of appeal, even though the average profits may have been less. With regard to the last two paragraphs of the hon. Member's Question, I would state that no such expression of opinion on the part of the General Commissioners as that quoted has been brought to the notice of the Board of Inland Revenue; but, should a case occur, the Surveyor would be instructed to raise no objection on the grounds stated, provided that the accounts produced by the claimant were satisfactory.

asked Mr. Solicitor General for Ireland, Whether he is aware that, although a large number of tenants on the estate of Lord Castletown in Upper Ossory served originating notices with a view to having fair rents fixed two years ago last November, the cases are still unheard; can he state when it is likely that the Court will be able to adjudicate upon them; and, what is the cause of the delay?

The Land Commissioners report that the number of cases remaining unheard is 42. It is intended that a Sub-Commission shall sit in the Union of Urlingford about the month of March, when such of the cases referred to as are situated in that union will appear in the list. The delay arose through the necessity of taking the unions in rotation.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he is aware that in connection with the imprisonment of Father Kennedy, Meelin, last August, the police, previous to the arrest, served the reverend gentleman with a notification from the Exchequer Court, signed by an official of that Court, to the effect that the Court, having heard the arguments in his case, gave judgment that the sentence of the Lower Court should stand confirmed; can he state why a similar notification from the Court was not served upon Father Kennedy by the police authorities in connection with the second case previous to his recent arrest; and, if it is necessary that such official notification should be served, why did the police authorities depart from the procedure observed upon the previous occasion?

said: The Constabulary authorities report that it is the case that a notification from the Exchequer Court was served previous to the first arrest; also that no similar notice was served on the second occasion, inasmuch as none was received by them for service. I may add that in neither case was there any legal necessity for such a notice.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether a Memorial has been lodged with the Local Government Board, protesting against the appointment of James Adams as rate collector for the Electoral Division of Tullyhogue, in the Poor Law Union of Cookstown; whether James Adams has acted as official objector at the Revision Courts in East Tyrone, on behalf of the Unionist Party, for several years past; if it is the fact that ex officio Guardians, who had not attended the meetings of the Board for three years previously, were present at this election of rate collector and voted for Mr. Adams, and that the elected Guardians, with the exception of three, voted for William Parks, the other candidate, who is a Presbyterian and a ratepayer, residing in the Division; whether James Adams resides in the Division, or is a ratepayer; and, whether, under the circumstances, the Local Government Board will refuse to sanction his appointment?

said, The reply to the inquiry in the first paragraph is in the affirmative. Mr. Adams has not acted in the capacity mentioned in the second paragraph for the last three or four years; but he did act in the capacity formerly. It is not the fact that the ex officio Guardians, who had not attended for the three years previously, attended on this occasion and voted for Mr. Adams; nor does the statement in the Question correctly represent the Guardians as voting for the other candidate. Mr. Adams resides about three miles outside the district, and he is not a ratepayer; but there is no Regulation requiring the person appointed to be a ratepayer; and the Local Government Board see no reason to refuse to sanction the appointment made by the Board of Guardians.

asked the Postmaster General, If he would consider the practicability of extending the advantages of the Parcel Post to the Postal Service between this country and the United States of America?

With the exception of the United States, there is now no civilized and scarcely any uncivilized country which has not the advantage of the Parcel Post. I can assure the hon. Member that I am fully alive to the importance of extending the Parcel Post to the United States, and I have lost no opportunity of pressing the question upon the attention of the United States Post Office. The difficulty hitherto has been that American law stood in the way; and in the hope of being able to make some temporary arrangement, short of an actual Convention, an officer of my Department was some time ago sent specially to New York and Washington to collect information. Recent circumstances have led me to believe that the difficulty in American law which barred the way to a Convention may have been overcome; and the hon. Member may rest satisfied that I will avail myself of the first occasion which presents itself of again pressing my proposals for the extension of the Parcel Post to the United States.

asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whether he is aware that in the elementary public school at Sheepwash, North Devon, the vicar, when giving religious instruction to the children, is in the habit of teaching them that it is a sin to attend public worship elsewhere than in the Established Church, that Nonconformist ministers have no right to preach, and that baptisms by such ministers are invalid; whether, owing to there being no other school within reach of the village, the vicar has been requested by the parents of some of the children to discontinue such teaching, but has declined to do so; whether such teaching is permitted by the Education Department in a village school which the children of Nonconformists are compelled by law to attend; and, whether the Education Department will inquire into the circumstances of this case?

said: My right hon. Friend the Vice President desires me to say that it is expressly laid down in the Statute that it is no part of the duty of the Department to inquire into any instruction in religious subjects; but every parent has the right of withdrawing a child from such instruction, and if any infringement of that right is reported to the Department it will be dealt with at once.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House the correspondence between Mr. J. A. O'Sullivan, Solicitor for the Trustees of the Verner Estate and the Land Commission, relative to the Circular issued to the tenants by Mr. O'Sullivan; whether it is a fact that the Greville Estate has been sold to the tenants, Mr. O'Sullivan acting for the landlord; and, whether Mr. O'Sullivan accepted promissory notes from the tenants on this estate in payment of rent due, so as to enable them to show a clear receipt to the Land Commissioners?

said: There is no objection to lay upon the Table a copy of the Correspondence referred to, beyond the inconvenience of multiplying Parliamentary Returns; but I shall be happy to let the hon. Member see it if he so desires. The Land Commissioners are not aware whether Mr. O'Sullivan has been concerned in the negotiation for the sale to the tenants on the Greville Estate, nor that he accepted promissory notes from the tenants in payment of rent due; but the deeds of conveyance released all such rents, pursuant to rule.

asked if the hon. and learned Gentleman thought it was the duty of the Commissioners to inquire whether the promissory notes had been given?

said, it was not for him to advise the Commissioners, particularly as there was a case affecting promissory notes now pending.

asked the hon. and learned Gentleman to lay the Correspondence on the Table, so that hon. Members could form their own judgment on the matter.

promised to consider that.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether sales of cattle by live weight, and sales after cattle have been weighed, have considerably increased in number during the past two months in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dublin, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Islington; and, whether he can now say when he will issue to Members the first Return of such sales?

I have caused inquiries to be made of the clerks of the different markets. The result is that the practice of sales by weight or sales after weighing has been introduced; but at most of the markets named there are still few such sales, and in one or two none are reported. The practice cannot be said to have increased to a considerable extent generally in the last two months, though it appears to be making progress. At Liverpool the number of cattle weighed has increased considerably, and the sales of cattle by live weight have also increased. At Islington a commencement was made two months ago, and altogether about 400 beasts have been weighed there, the weekly numbers being, on an average, about 90 in the last three weeks. At Dublin the number of beasts weighed has increased from 715 to 748, comparing the eight weeks ending the 18th of October with the eight weeks ending the 13th of December. The Board of Trade hope to publish some information of the description referred to in the latter part of the hon. Member's Question in the Return which has been agreed to on the Motion of the hon. Member for Shropshire.

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether his attention has been drawn to a Draft Ordinance brought in in the Legislative Council of Ceylon by the Government of Ceylon, dealing with Buddhist temporalities, as stated in The Daily News of December 18; whether this provides, among other objects, for the maintenance of Buddhist services, rites, processions, and buildings; whether the said temporalities are to be vested in certain Trust Bodies, who will be compelled to keep their accounts subject to the direction and under the control of Commissioners appointed by and responsible to Her Majesty's District Judges; whether it is true, as reported in The Ceylon Observer, that the Governor has publicly intimated that the Draft Ordinance has been already approved by the Secretary of State; and, whether there is any special reason for this course being taken?

A Draft Ordinance has been brought in by the Government of Ceylon in the Legislative Council dealing with Buddhist temporalities, which provides, among other objects, for the maintenance out of the property belonging to the Buddhist temples of Buddhist services, rites, processions, and buildings. The Draft Ordinance proposes to vest the temporalities in Trustees, whose accounts will be audited by persons appointed by the District Courts; and the District Courts will be empowered to prescribe the form in which such accounts are to be kept. The policy of this Ordinance was referred to at great length by Sir Arthur Gordon in his speech opening the Legislative Council on the 31st of October. He explained that the measure is an attempt to carry out the principles laid down by his predecessor, Sir J. Longden, and by Lords Kimberley and Derby; and stated that the draft had received the approval of Her Majesty's Government. It is not unusual for the Governor of a Crown Colony to obtain the approval of the Secretary of State before introducing an important Draft Ordinance, and to inform the Legislative Council of the fact.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the report that, at the eviction of William O'Connell, at Clondulane, on the 18th instant, a Mrs. Ryan, who was present, on laughing at a jesting remark made on the police, was caught by the hair by one of the constables and dragged about; and, if this report is true, whether steps will be immediately taken to punish the policeman in question?

said: The Consta bulary authorities reported that the allegations contained in this Question had no foundation whatever in fact.

Is it not a fact that this poor, unfortunate woman had a handful of hair pulled out of her head by a brutal constable?

Order, order!

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he will, during the Recess, consider the desirability of introducing a clause in the Employers' Liability for Injuries to Workmen Bill, to be introduced next Session, requiring the Government to institute an Insurance Fund for all Government employés, whether attached or otherwise (to which fund the Government should contribute), so as to secure provision in case of continued illness, and provision for the family in case of death?

The subject mentioned by my hon. Friend is one of much interest, and I shall have much pleasure in considering it; but I do not think it will be desirable to make any exceptional provisions for Government employés in the Employers' Liability for Injuries to Workmen Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for War, If he can inform the House the reasons which led to the disarmament of the Honourable Artillery Company?

I gave a full explanation and answer to this Question yesterday. No inquiry was necessary into the reasons which led to the disarmament of the Honourable Artillery Company. The War Office is fully aware of the cause; and I explained yesterday the reason which led to that disarmament.

asked the right hon. Gentleman, whether he had had an interview that day with members of the Honourable Artillery Company; and whether he was in a position to give the House any information on the subject?

It is true I did receive a deputation to-day of members of the Honourable Artillery Company; but I do not think that the interests of the Service would be promoted by my giving the House any details of what took place.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will arrange for a Land Sub-Commission to sit at Edenderry to hear the large number of cases listed in that and the surrounding districts?

said: The Land Commissioners report that a Sub-Commission will commence its sittings at Navan on the 9th of January, for the County Meath, and will probably reach the union of Edenderry about Easter.

asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether a Registrar and High Bailiff of a County Court is eligible as a candidate for the County Council?

, in reply, said, it would be inadvisable for him to advise as to the qualifications of candidates for the County Council. The disqualifications were set forth in Section 12 of the Municipal Corporations Act. His private opinion was that the Registrar of a County Court was not legally ineligible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he can give any information as to the continued delay in the hearing of the Hargreaves Executors' Burnley Weighing Case (Appeal); whe ther he is aware that during this delay the miners of Burnley are deprived of the right enjoyed by other miners in Lancashire of having their coal weighed; and, whether he can give any definite information as to when the case will be heard?

I am informed by the Treasury Solicitor that, the parties having been unable to agree, instructions were given on November 23 to have the draft case settled by the Justices. I certainly hope that these initial proceedings will not be farther protracted, and that the case may be heard during the next sittings. It cannot be heard before.

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether Her Majesty's Government will consider the advisability of proposing early next Session some method of reducing the number of Questions to be asked and answered vivâ voce in the House, either by having all Questions and their answers printed and allowing no individual Member more than a fixed number of vivâ voce Questions during each Session, or by some other method?

In reply to the hon. Member I beg to say that I can give him no opinion on behalf of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the course which he proposes in his Question; but I am quite sure that the object of reducing the enormous number of Questions which are now asked, and which absorb so large a portion of the time of the House, will have the sympathy, not only of the Members of the Government, but of a very largo proportion of the Members of the House itself.

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he could state, for the information of the districts concerned, on what principle and basis is it proposed to allocate the special Grant in Aid of £30,000 to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland?

said: In the event of the Probate Duties (Scotland and Ireland) Bill becoming law, the principle on which it is proposed to allocate the special grant of £30,000 is to divide the parishes in the counties specified in the Bill into four classes, according to the proportion between the rateable value and the population of each. In this way the poorer parishes will receive the larger share of the grant. In certain cases, where the Parochial Boards are in default of payment to the School Boards, it may be necessary to devote the money to aid in meeting their obligations in that respect; and, in addition, a small proportion of the £30,000 maybe excluded from the division, and assigned directly to meet exceptional cases of educational difficulty.

Are we to understand that the money is to go to education?

Not entirely.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether, in the Army Preliminary Examination, on 13th December, Question 5 was set in the Algebra Paper, which is incapable of solution—

"Write down all the seven factors common to xy (x⁴−16) (y²−9) and x4 (x+4) (y−3);"

"If 1 cubic foot=·028 cubic metre, and if 1 kilogram=2·2 lbs., find the number of ounces in 1 cubic foot of water"—

In the earlier part of Question 5 candidates were asked to define a factor; and I am informed that, according to the correct definition of a factor, there are seven factors common to the two expressions. As regards Question 12 of the Arithmetical Paper, I am informed that there is no such syllabus as is implied in the hon. Member's Question, and that the metrical system is included in the well-known text-book, Colenso's Arithmetic. A general statement is made as to the knowledge of arithmetic required from candidates; but the strict interpretation of it desired by the hon. Member would exclude a knowledge of the English as well as of the metrical system of weights and measures. The hon. Member has kindly forwarded me the letters from The Standard to which he refers; but I do not think I need comment on them, as, so far as I can see, they answer each other.

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, When the Treasury Minute respecting the candidature of Civil servants for County Councils will be issued; and, whether similar Minutes will be issued as regards officers of the Army and Navy?

The Minute in question was issued two days ago. It is not for me to decide whether similar Minutes should be issued as regards officers of the Army and Navy?

asked the Secretary of State for War, whether he proposed to issue a similar Circular affecting officers in the Army?

said, it was exceedingly desirable that any step taken in this matter with regard to officers in the Army should be similar to that taken with regard to officers in the Navy. He had not had an opportunity of consulting his noble Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty; but, so far as he was concerned, he would be very glad if it were possible to agree with him to issue an Order prohibiting officers on full pay from serving as members of County Councils.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, If it will be practicable to include in the certificate of service granted to men of the Royal Naval Reserve who have served their full time, an endorsement of character as reported from time to time by the Drill Instructors, and similar to that given to seamen leaving the Royal Navy, in order to assist men of good character in obtaining employment ashore when no longer able on account of age to follow their calling at sea?

I will at once direct communications to be made to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty on the subject, with a view to considering whether the suggestion made by the hon. Member can be carried into effect.

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether the Government of the Gold Coast has given bounties to the owners of Grushi slaves on condition that the said slaves would enlist as soldiers in the service of the Colony; whether the Governor of the Gold Coast, in reply to a question by one of his officers, said—"Bring me the men, that is all you have to understand;" whether a British officer in March last forcibly seized a number of Grushis outside the British frontier, and without attesting them brought them down to the Gold Coast Protectorate to serve for a term of years in the Constabulary Force; whether 100 lashes were inflicted upon certain constabulary men by a junior officer, without making the required entries in the regimental defaulters' sheet, and without reporting to the officer in command?

(1.) The Governor has reported that some Grushis, who were fugitives from Ashantee, have been enlisted to serve in the Gold Coast Constabulary; and that the usual bounties were paid to the chiefs of the country in which they were living. (2.) The remark attributed to the Governor is absolutely inconsistent with the orders given by him to the recruiting officer; and it is impossible to believe that he made it. (3.) This Question must refer to the same Grushis as the first Question. They were not seized forcibly; but the conditions of their proposed employment were carefully explained to them before they left Kratchie, and again on their arriving at Accra; and they all agreed to serve in the constabulary, except two men as to whose wishes there was some doubt. (4.) No information has been received with regard to this last question; but inquiry will be made.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the Resolution which was passed at a meeting of the inhabitants of Naas on the 12th instant, demanding a sworn inquiry into the conduct of the officers responsible for the attack by the police on the people on the evening of the 3rd instant; and, if so, what steps he intends to take in the matter?

said, the Resolution had been referred to the authorities in Ireland for a Report, which had not yet been received.

asked the Lord Advocate, Whether it is the case that the rateable value of the parish of Barvas, in the Highlands of Scotland, amounts to only £2,908, whilst the population numbers 5,325; whether the school rate is 5s. 4d. per £1 of the rateable value; as much as 4s. 3d. per £1 being required to meet the charges of the building account; whether he is aware that the Parochial Board has declined to assess for a higher school rate than 1s. per £1 of rental, which brings in only £145, as against £1,100, the estimated expenditure for the current year, and that a young lady teacher has been put out of her lodgings owing to her inability to pay them, the inability being caused by her not having received a single penny of salary since the 15th of May last; how long these facts have been known to the Scotch Education Department; whether the members of the School Board have all resigned; and, what steps the Scotch Education Department propose to take to carry on the work of education in Barvas Parish?

said: The facts stated by the hon. Member with regard to the rateable value, population, and amount of school-rate are, so far as the Scottish Education Department are aware, generally correct, although they are not prepared to pledge themselves as to the amount of the rate required for the special expenses referred to. The position of matters has been known to them, and has been under their careful consideration for some time. They have received no information with regard to the alleged resignation of the School Board of Barvas, or the facts stated with respect to the teacher referred to. The Scotch Education Department are in communication with the School Board in question and others similarly situated, and have completed proposals for dealing with the difficulties, which are now being submitted to these School Boards.

asked the Solicitor General, if he was also aware that the neighbouring parishes of Lochs and Uig were in the same position? He would further like to know by what means the Education Commissioners would know that these School Boards resigned?

said, with regard to the latter part of the Question, it was obvious that the School Boards might intimate their resignation to the Scotch Education Department; and that they had not yet done so. With regard to the former part of the Question, undoubtedly the position of these other School Boards which the hon. Member referred to was known to be serious, and was in the full view of the Education Department.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether on the recent trial of the man Lucy and four others, at the Cork Winter Assizes, on a charge of riot at Macroom, on the 18th of October last, the jury acquitted Lucy, and found his original arrest, out of which the riot arose, to have been unjustifiable; whether his attention has been called to the fact that in convicting the other prisoners the jury unanimously recommended them to mercy, expressly on the ground of the illegality of Lucy's arrest, and that the Lord Chief Baron promised to give effect to the recommendation of the jury; and, whether any steps will be taken against the policeman whose unjustifiable action in arresting Lucy led to the disturbance?

said: I am informed that the jury, in acquitting Lucy, expressed no ground, so far as can be ascertained, for their action. It is not the fact that the jury based their recommendation to mercy in the case of the other prisoners on the ground alleged in the Question. On the contrary, they stated that they did so on the ground that the attack on the police was unpremeditated. It is the case that the Lord Chief Baron said that the recommendation would have due weight with him. That the attack on the police was a serious one is evident from the fact that, notwithstanding this recommendation, the sentence inflicted was in the case of one of the prisoners six months' imprisonment with hard labour, and in the case of each of the three others, three months' imprisonment with hard labour.

asked Mr. Attorney General, Whether candidates for the County Council may appoint and remunerate election agents?

said, the Question was not altogether free from difficulty; but the better opinion was that candidates for the County Council might appoint election agents, but were not allowed to pay them anything whatever.

asked the Government whether, in some parts of the Metropolis, the Register of County Council electors was being issued separately from the Parliamentary list, causing double expense to those who wished to possess both; and whether this was not contrary to the arrangement which had been come to on the subject?

asked for Notice of the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it was true, as reported, that in the charge of the Hussars against the rebels at Suakin on Thursday three of the Hussars' swords broke short; and whether, if so, he would cause inquiry to be made into the matter?

Certainly, Sir; inquiry will be made into that statement, which has reached me through the kindness of my hon. and gallant Friend, who handed me the extract from the newspapers.

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he was aware that serious inconvenience had arisen, and was likely to arise, in consequence of the new Rule of the Savings Bank, which required the whole of the Trustees to sign the form of withdrawal of money, whereas hitherto it had been sufficient if two or three signed; and whether action would be taken, in conjunction with the Post Office authorities, so as to prevent such inconvenience in the future?

, in reply, said, he had no knowledge of the Rule to which the hon. Member referred; but he would not fail to make inquiries at once.

I wish to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs a Question which I think he can answer without notice. It is, whether it is true that the Sultan of Zanzibar has gone off his head?

I have already stated that the Sultan of Zanzibar had entered on a course of conduct of which Her Majesty's Government disapproved. From what cause that course of conduct originates is a matter of conjecture.

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he could confirm the news which came from Egypt this morning that the British troops return to Suakin forthwith, and that nothing more was to be done?

I confess I have not seen that statement in the papers this morning.

It is in The Times.

I wish to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether he has any further information to impart to the House with reference to the operations before Suakin; and, I also desire to ask the total number of British and Egyptian troops either killed and wounded, and the number of troops—rebels as they are called—that have been killed and wounded; and, whether there are any more "glad tidings of great joy" to impart to the House this Session?

Before the right hon. Gentleman answers the Question, I wish to ask, Whether there is any truth in the statement that appears in the Papers that the troops are about to proceed to Handoub?

I have not seen any such report in the newspapers. And with regard to the Question of the hon. Member, I can only say I have not received any further news what ever from Suakin this day; and all the news as to the losses of our own troops as well as of our foes was contained in the telegram which we took care to have published yesterday.

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he could indicate the probable time of the meeting of Parliament next Session?

I am afraid it would be contrary to precedent to do so, and, of course, it is impossible to foresee what contingencies may arise. As regards the re-assembling of Parliament, I am sure the great majority of Members on both sides will desire that we should have a good holiday.

No.