I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the Government will bring home in troopships free of cost such British or Irish Volunteers as have served in colonial regiments during the war, and who have obtained their discharge in South Africa, such Volunteers having gone out from England at their own expense in order to join some colonial regiment.

Yes, Sir. Instructions have been given to this effect.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Mr. John Barclay Lloyd, late of the City Imperial Volunteers, has been recently appointed Crown Prosecutor, or to some other, and what, legal office at Bloemfontein; and whether he can state what the legal qualifications of this gentleman are to the post to which he has been appointed.

The War Office has received no official information of such an appointment.

Will the right hon. Gentleman endeavour to obtain it?

No, Sir.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, in view of the sickness and loss of life suffered by the 17th and 18th Battalions of Imperial Yeomanry in May last, owing to their prolonged detention in a fever district through the breakdown of the Beira Railway Transport, whether he can now state the results of the inquiry that has been made into the said breakdown and consequent delay; and whether he can give the number of men from the two battalions who have died or have been invalided home in consequence of malarial fever and sickness contracted during such delay; also if he will state whether the Beira Railway was under the control of the military authorities during the time of the breakdown and delay; how such control was exercised; and to what extent and to whom he attributes the responsibility for the said breakdown.

I am afraid that I cannot, in a reply to a question, explain in full detail the causes of the delay which undoubtedly caused much sickness and a certain loss of life, which I need not tell my hon. friend is deeply deplored, and which can only be justified by the urgent military necessity of the expedition. I have already written my hon. friend in considerable detail on this question and will lay Sir Frederick Carrington's despatch regarding it among, the other despatches, so that the House may have the fullest information.

I shall take the earliest opportunity of laying a statement before the House on this subject.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he has yet got any information from Lord Kitchener as to the burning of farmhouses in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony by our Armies; and whether he will undertake to publish as soon as possible, whether Parliament is still sitting or not, a Return stating as far as available the number of farms so burnt and the character of the instructions or rules under which it was done.

No reply can be expected from Lord Kitchener for some little time. I will give the House whatever information I can when it arrives.

If the House is not sitting will the right hon. Gentleman publish the information?

I will give whatever I can in the way of information.

Did the right hon. Gentleman ask for the information by cable?

Yes, but it has to be collected from all parts of South Africa.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can inform the House as to the number of horses efficient for service that have been landed in South Africa, the number that have been captured from the enemy, and the number that are now in sound condition for active service.

I beg also to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can state how many horses and mules have been sent to South Africa in connection with the military operations, and how many have perished during the war.

The numbers of horses landed in South Africa amounted, according to last returns, to 117,730, and of mules 64,730; 5,689 horses were lost on the voyage, and 1,997 mules. No reports have been received showing the numbers captured from the enemy or lost in the war, or the numbers now in sound condition for active service.

Will the right hon. Gentleman state how many asses were sent to South Africa?

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether seats will be reserved and admission tickets issued for Members of Parliament who desire to attend the Thanksgiving Service in St. Paul's Cathedral on 3rd January.

I have asked the Dean of St. Paul's to provide us with sufficient accommodation to enable us to offer a seat to each Member of the two Houses of Parliament, and I will ask Mr. Speaker's secretary to receive applications†

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War

† The Service referred to in this question and answer was not held.

whether as the Commander-in-Chief is returning home and is reported to have said that the war is now practically over, he can state to the House what arrangements the Government are making to enable those of the Yeomanry and Volunteers who wish to do so to obtain their discharge, as promised in the terms of enlistment published on 26th December last.

I regret that I cannot add anything to the statement I made in the House on Tuesday last†

Is it not correctly stated in the question that these men were promised in their terms of enlistment that they should have option of discharge when the war was over?

Yes, the time was a year, or until the conclusion of the war. The war cannot be said to be over in the sense of allowing the troops to be sent home. We have acted on the advice of Lord Roberts in withdrawing troops.

Were they not given the option of return if the war concluded before the end of the year?

I cannot hold out any hope that the war will be over before the end of the year. The conditions were perfectly clear—the engagements were for a year or until the conclusion of the war. Had the war lasted less than a year then the men would have had option of return, but to many the engagements will prove to be for more than a year.

What will the right hon. Gentleman consider the end of the war?

Did not Lord Roberts state that the war was practically over?

Was the war only "over" for the purposes of the election?

Order, order!

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War will he explain why the troopers

† See page 492.

of the 7th Company Imperial Yeomanry (Leicestershire) receive 1s. 5d. per day, and those of the 65th Company Imperial Yeomanry (Leicestershire) 5s. per day; and is this difference wholly paid out of Imperial funds.

The 7th Company Imperial Yeomanry draw pay as Cavalry like the Imperial Yeomanry generally. The 65th Company formed part of the Rhodesian Field Force which was raised under special conditions and for an exceptional service, and was paid at the higher rate which obtained in Rhodesia. The whole charge falls on Imperial Funds.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can say how many men of the Regular Army in South Africa are under twenty-one years of age, and whether drafts have been sent there containing men under twenty years of age, and men who have not been through a musketry course.

I am afraid that I cannot undertake to supply my hon. and gallant friend with the figures, as their compilation would entail considerable labour and time. Until August the age qualification for cavalry and infantry drafts was maintained, except in one or two cases, at twenty years. About the middle of that month, when it was considered that the hardest part of the campaign was over, it was reduced to nineteen and a half years. The orders given were that every one of the men sent out should have gone through the necessary instruction. Some men, however, who had not completed the course were sent out to be attached to Militia battalions on the lines of communication, with distinct instructions that they were not to be sent to the front until they had completed the course. I have given instructions that no further drafts shall be sent under these conditions.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can state when further despatches of Sir George White and others relative to the siege and relief of Ladysmith will be issued.

I am well aware of the anxiety to see these despatches, and I will lay them with as little delay as possible.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can give the numbers of Germans, Hollanders, Frenchmen, Danes, and Italians respectively removed from the Transvaal by order of the British authorities; whether complaints and claims for compensation have been made either by the individuals so removed, or by their respective Governments; and, if so, what reply has been made; and, whether, on the settlement of the country, permission will be given to those who have been thus compelled to abandon business connections or property to resume their rights and avocations.

The total numbers of aliens deported from South Africa amount to 4,386; it is not possible at so short notice to give the nationalities in detail. A Commission formed of British military officers and civilians will be appointed to consider and report on claims for compensation. The question of allowing the return of any individual who has been expelled will be considered on its merits when the refugees who were compelled to leave the Transvaal on the outbreak of the war have been able to return.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether Dr. H. P. Veale, M.B. Cambridge, and the Rev. J. Godfrey, stated to be a clergyman of the Church of England at Pretoria, whose conduct in regard to the treatment of the British prisoners at Pretoria is reported on by Field Marshal Lord Roberts in his despatch of 27th June last, are respectively British subjects; and, if so, whether their position in the Transvaal was consistent with their nationality; and if any notice can be taken of their behaviour.

We are not aware whether Dr. Veale and the Rev. J. Godfrey were British subjects at the time when they were concerned with the treatment of the British prisoners at Pretoria. I am advised that Mr. Godfrey is in colonial orders, and that we can take no notice of his behaviour. The question of Dr. Veale's position as a member of the Red Cross Society is under consideration.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, with regard to the treatment of Mr. Merriman by the Colonial Secretary and Sir Alfred Milner, in withholding from him any opportunity of passing observations on his letter published in August by Her Majesty's Government, it is now proposed to make any reparation to Mr. Merriman in the way of expression of regret, or otherwise, for such want of consideration towards one of the Ministers of the Cape Colony, and against which a protest has been made in the Cape House of Assembly.

No, Sir.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will state the number of (1) officers, (2) men enlisted at home and in South Africa for the new police for service in South Africa.

I am not aware how many officers have been appointed. Their appointment is in the hands of Sir A. Milner and General Baden-Powell. The number of officers proposed for a force of 6,000 men was 200. It has subsequently been decided to recruit up to 10,000. I am informed that the number of recruits actually passed in South Africa is 589, but I do not know how many applications have been sent in, and it is quite premature to form any idea of the number ultimately available. In this country there have already been over 10,000 applications, but not more than 300 are likely to be ready to leave this month.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in constituting the proposed Crown colony government of the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony, the legislative council will contain, as in other Crown colonies, persons representing different races (whether white or coloured) and classes in the community.

The draft documents in which the constitutions are embodied have been forwarded to Sir A. Milner, whose observations I am awaiting. Meanwhile, I am not in a position to give a definite answer to the hon. Member's question.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government that, during the time before the granting of self-government to the Orange River and Transvaal Colonies, the sale of intoxicating liquors shall be prohibited to coloured South African natives.

The sale of liquor is already restrained by legislation in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, which was, I believe, properly enforced in the latter, but not in the former colony. It is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to see that it is effectively administered in both.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the powers of the Transvaal Concessions Commission, now sitting, are limited to the consideration of concessions already granted by the late Transvaal Government; and, in the event of their being so limited, will he consider the propriety of extending their powers so as to include the consideration of such industrial concessions as were on the point of being granted by the Volksraad at the time of the outbreak of the war.

The answer to the first part of this question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part I do not consider that it is desirable to extend the scope of the Commission's inquiry beyond those concessions in respect of which the late Republic had incurred definite legal obligations.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the gratuity of £100 given to all officers of the Militia on their ceasing to draw full pay on the disembodiment of their regiments has been refused to certain officers who responded to the call for volunteers for active service abroad, on the ground that they have not ceased to draw full pay in consequence of their so volunteering, notwithstanding that the expenses originally incurred by both classes of officers on joining the Militia were the same, and require equally to be defrayed within the same period of time.

The gratuity was not intended to cover equipment, but to provide an officer with a sum on going back in civil life on cessation of duty, and was therefore to be paid when he ceased to perform duty. Any officers who have volunteered for service abroad, and who thus serve beyond a year will receive a larger gratuity. If my hon. friend has any case in which this has caused hardship, perhaps he will communicate with me privately.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can say what was the reserve of ammunition for rifle and field gun in September, 1899; what is now laid down as the necessary reserve; and what steps have been taken to secure that this reserve shall not be reduced.

It is not desirable to state definitely the number of rounds of ammunition which are held in reserve in this country, but I will take care that an ample reserve is maintained.

Is the statement correct that in January or February last the reserve was practically exhausted?

No, Sir. If it had been I should not have answered this question.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state, without detriment to the public interest, what progress is being made with the better arming of our Volunteers.

Large orders have been placed with various firms with a view to the prompt re-armament of the Volunteer Artillery. I will ask the hon. Gentleman to excuse my giving details till I can explain the general situation in February next.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether in the case of a youth under eighteen years of age who, having enlisted, immediately seeks his discharge, and whose enlistment is unknown to and contrary to the wishes of his parents, he can offer any hope that the discharge will be allowed, notwithstanding the refusal of the general officer commanding the district in which the recruit is stationed.

These questions have hitherto been left to the discretion of the general officer commanding the district, and there is no intention of interfering with him.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called by the Belfast Trades Council to a violation of the Fair Wages Resolution by Messrs. Musgrave and Co., Limited, St. Ann's Ironworks, Belfast, in connection with a War Office contract; whether parts of the contract were given to the Cleonard Foundry, the Union Foundry, and to Messrs. Ritchie, Hart, and Co., all of them sweating firms, paying less than trade union wages; and, what steps he proposes taking to prevent a recurrence of such sub-letting to firms which do not comply with the regulations under which contracts are granted.

A communication has been received from the Belfast Trades Council. Messrs. Musgrave sublet the preparation of some materials for a War Office contract to the three firms named, but on the distinct condition that the current rate of wages should be paid. The three firms on enquiry all assert that they are paying the current rate. The sub-letting in question was not contrary to the terms of the contract. Any complaints relative to reported infringements of the conditions of contract are carefully investigated.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called by the Belfast Trade Council to a violation of the Fair Wages Clause by Messrs. Wilson, of Belfast, in connection with a contract for the manufacture of tents for the War Office; whether workmen were dismissed for refusing to accept less than the trade union rates of pay whilst engaged on the contract; what is the penalty incurred for such violation, and whether he proposes to enforce it; and, as a warning to others, will he cause the name of Messrs. Wilson to be removed from the list of contractors to the War Office.

A communication from the Belfast Trades Council has been received. It is considered that the Council have not made out their case that tent-making is exclusively sail-makers' work. So long as the persons employed by Messrs. Wilson are not receiving less than the current rate of wages there is no ground for the interference of the War Department.

Was not the complaint made that the rate of wages paid was not the rate current in the district?

The result of inquiries was that the current rate of wages in the district for this class of work was being paid.

If I can prove that the information supplied to the Governmena is incorrect will the right hon. Gentleman impose the usual penalty in these cases?

Order, order!

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the sons of officers of the Regular Army are admitted to the Royal Military Academy as gentlemen cadets at a reduced rate; and whether similar privileges are conceded to Volunteer officers with regard to their sons; and, if not, whether, in view of the valuable services given by the Volunteers in the war and the expenses entailed upon Volunteer officers in keeping up their corps, they will be put on the same footing as officers of the Line with respect to the admission of their sons to the Royal Military Academy.

The House has been informed on previous occasions that this cannot be done. The State, by diminution of fees, contributes towards the education of the sons of officers, and more especially of those in the lower ranks who have made the Army their profession. There, are not the same grounds for making the concession in the case of Volunteer officers.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state what number of recruits have been obtained since 1st April for the Army and Militia respectively, and what proportion of them are special enlistments; and whether the standard of height and chest measurement has been modified.

The number of recruits raised for the Army since 1st April is 26,979, and for the Militia 23,701. The number of men specially enlisted for the Regular forces in that period is 8,003. The special enlistments for the Militia are left entirely to the local authorities. The standards in force on the 1st April have not been altered, except that the minimum height of artillery drivers was raised from 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 4 inches.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the Cabinet Committee of Defence decides upon the measures necessary for a campaign; whether it has direct access to naval or military opinion; and whether it keeps records or minutes.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply of the First Lord of the Treasury to a similar question in February last, which for the convenience of the House I will read—

"The Committee of Defence is a Committee of the Cabinet and does not differ essentially from other Committees of the Cabinet. It neither removes responsibility from the Cabinet as a whole, nor from any of the Ministers responsible for the Departments either of the Army or of the Navy. Of course the Committee obtains the best information it can from experts and from others. Like other Cabinet Committees it keeps no records."

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether any steps have been taken to carry out the recommendations of the Departmental Decentralisation Committee.

The recommendations of the Decentralisation Committee, which reported in 1898, were with few exceptions accepted by the Secretary of State, and have been included in regulations. I hope, however, to be able to carry the principle in question considerably further, and am taking steps to this end.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state when the next examination for Militia candidates for commissions in the Army will take place; and whether, in the next examination, they will be credited with marks for their embodied service; and, if so, to what extent.

The next examination will probably be about March 20th. I cannot at present make any statement on the second paragraph of the question.

When will the right hon. Gentleman be prepared to make a statement?

Not this session, but within a reasonable time of the next examination.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that there are at present in the Royal Artillery only 130 first lieutenants serving as against 435 second lieutenants; whether the second lieutenants in question often have to perform the duty of first lieutenants, but only receive second lieutenant's pay; and whether the military authorities will now be willing to alter the rule which precludes second lieutenants in the Royal Artillery and Engineers from receiving promotion till they have served for three years in the Army, whereas no such rule is in force as regards cavalry and infantry.

In the horse, field, and garrison artillery, there are 221 first lieutenants and 808 second lieutenants. The first and second lieutenants perform the same duties. It is, however, manifestly of importance that the senior subalterns, who frequently perform captain's duties, should have higher rank. The question of the promotion of second lieutenants referred to in the third paragraph is under consideration.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if married men in the Royal Reserves and Militia who are on furlough get separation allowance except when they are on furlough on account of sickness or convalescence through no fault of their own, and generally contracted while doing their duty.

Separation allowance is not granted ordinarily on furlough, nor are sick men allowed as a rule to go on furlough. Men, however, invalided home from South Africa have been allowed to go on sick furlough and their wives have been granted separation allowance. In the event of Militiamen or Royal Reservists falling sick on furlough the allowance will be granted in special cases of proved hardship.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if old soldiers who had bought their discharge and have joined the Royal Reserves are to be given back two-thirds of the money they paid for their discharge besides the £22 bounty, whereas old soldiers who after leaving the Army joined the Militia are only to get £5 bounty altogether.

The old soldiers who purchased their discharge and joined the Royal Reserve will have the usual proportion of their purchase money refunded to them, as in the case of ordinary re-enlistments. Old soldiers who have purchased their discharge and have joined the Militia are similarly entitled to a refund of purchase-money if their corps is embodied. On disembodiment they will receive a gratuity varying according to the period of embodiment, but amounting in no case to less than £5 3s. 6d.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if, having regard to the difficulty officers of Metropolitan Volunteer Corps have in obtaining admission to the Home District School of Instruction owing to the number of applications to join it from provincial districts, he will arrange for the formation of similar schools, both day and night, in the principal garrison towns and camps, so that all Volunteer officers throughout Great Britain may have opportunity of attending.

I cannot give my hon. friend an answer to this question, but it is being carefully considered.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, as representing the First Lord of the Admiralty, whether, during the current financial year, the output of armour, hulls, and machinery has been entirely satisfactory as regards quantity, quality, and delivery; and whether it may be anticipated that the ship-building programme for the year will be accomplished in its entirety within the specified time.

It is believed that the money voted for armour, hulls, and machinery for the current financial year will be wholly or almost wholly earned by 31st March. The character of the work finally received has been uniformly satisfactory. It is expected that the aggregate of work accomplished in the shipbuilding of the year will not be less than was expected when the Estimates were laid before the House at the commencement of last session, although in some directions less and in others more progress will have been made than was then anticipated.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, as representing the First Lord of the Admiralty, whether arrangements have been made so to develop our means of output of armour, hulls, and machinery, as to enable shipbuilding programmes of the immediate future to be determined by reference to our national requirements unrestricted by insufficiency of our power of production.

Ever since the engineers' strike of 1897 the arrears in shipbuilding have been a constant source of anxiety to the Board, and they have regarded the position as most unsatisfactory. How to prevent a recurrence of these delays and how to secure that the national resources of production can be most fully utilised and developed to meet Imperial requirements is occupying the serious attention of the Admiralty.

Have inquiries been made as to the willingness of contractors already contracting with the Admiralty to increase their means of production?

That is part of the question under consideration.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the English naval contractors have produced two battleships for the Japanese Government?

Order, order!

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if he will state when H.M.S. "Highflyer" left Portsmouth for the East Indies; how long she took over the run to Malta, and from Malta to Bombay; and whether she is now having her machinery and boilers overhauled and repaired there.

The "Highflyer" left Devonport on 28th June, and arrived at Malta on 5th July. She left Malta on 9th July, and arrived at Mauri- tius on 1st August. She has not been to Bombay since her arrival on the station.

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether in consequence of Canada's admission of British goods into the markets of the Dominion at a reduction of one-third the duty charged upon foreign goods, under the powers accorded by the denunciation in 1897 of the treaties with Germany and Belgium, Canada is excluded from most-favoured-nation treatment in German markets, notwithstanding that the Dominion treats Germany upon the same footing as all foreign nations; and, if so, will he explain why Her Majesty's Government has acquiesced in such treatment of a portion of the British Empire, while goods passing between the several States of Germany are as in the United States of America treated preferentially compared to foreign nations.

It is the case that Canada is at present excluded from most-favoured-nation treatment in German markets. We regret that this should be so, but in the absence of a Commercial Treaty between this country and Germany that Power is, of course, able to regulate her tariffs in accordance with her own views. The matter is one to which we attach much importance, and we shall constantly bear it in mind.

When the commercial treaty with Germany is negotiated will the matter be borne in mind, so that Canada may have fair consideration?

Yes, Sir.

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can state what steps have been taken in British East and Central Africa, in Uganda, and other game districts in Africa, for the preservation of big game on the lines recommended and agreed to by the recent International Conference held in London on this sub- ject, and, in particular, what game reserves now exist in British South Africa, and what steps are being taken to guard and enforce the sanctity of these reserves, and also to maintain and enforce the other regulations for game preservation; whether he has any information showing that public officers such as railway officials and others are allowed to kill game in the Kenia Reserve in British East Africa, and have in fact killed game there in considerable quantity; whether the Kenia Reserve contains sufficient grazing lands and area for the purpose of an adequate game reserve; and, whether he is aware that an Englishman recently sold in Mombasa as the produce of his hunting trip ivory to the amount of £8,000; and whether an inquiry can be made into the circumstances of the sale of this ivory, and how and where it was obtained.

Carefully drawn regulations for the preservation of wild animals have been in force for some time in the several African Protectorates administered by the Foreign Office as well as in the Soudan. The obligations imposed by the recent London Convention upon the signatory Powers will not become operative until after the exchange of ratifications, which has not yet taken place. In anticipation, however, steps have been taken to revise the existing regulations in the British Protectorates so as to bring them into strict harmony with the terms of the Convention. The game reserves now existing in the several Protectorates are—In (a) British Central Africa—the elephant marsh reserve and the Shirwa reserve; in (b) the East Africa Protectorate—the Kenia district; in (c) Uganda—the Sugota game reserve in the north-east of the Protectorate; in (d) Somaliland—a large district defined by an elaborate boundary line described in the regulations. The regulations have the force of law in the Protectorates. Protectorates and offenders are dealt with in the Protectorate courts. It is in contemplation to charge special officers of the Administrations with the duty of watching over the proper observance of the regulations. Under the East African Game Regulations only the officers permanently stationed at or near the Kenia Reserve may be specially authorised to kill game in the reserve. There is no reason to believe that this privilege has been abused. The question of extending the Kenia Reserve will be considered. The circumstances connected with the alleged sale at Mombasa have not been reported to the Foreign Office.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state the names of the British and American firms who tendered for the erection of bridges for the Uganda; Railway; the amounts of the various tenders; and if the British firms, whose quotations were higher than the American, were invited to or afforded an opportunity of revising their tenders.

I shall be glad to give the information to the hon. Gentleman privately, or to grant it as an unopposed Return if he will move for it, but it would hardly be comprehensible in an answer to a question. It has not been considered fair to the party making the lowest tender to invite other tenderers to revise their offers.

May I ask the noble Lord whether there is any rule in his Department which precludes the possibility of inviting contractors to revise their tenders?

The hon. Gentleman will perhaps give notice.

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether an American company has contracted with the Foreign Office to erect thirty-four bridges on the Uganda Railway, requiring something like 8,000 tons of structural steel, and if so, whether he will state the amount of the contract, and whether any tenders for those bridges were invited from well-known British firms.

Yes. The American Bridge Company have contracted for the erection in situ of thirty bridges on the Uganda Railway containing approximately 7,000 tons of structural steel. The amount of the contract is for £135,000. As the hon. Member will have learnt from an answer given on the subject on the 11th inst. to the hon. Member for West Wolverhampton, tenders were invited for the contract in the United Kingdom. They were invited by means of advertisement.

Were the British tenderers given an opportunity of revising their tenders so as to tender at the lowest price?

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any protest has been addressed by Her Majesty's Government or by other European Governments to the Government of Russia regarding the massacre of many thousands of the Chinese non-combatant inhabitants of towns and villages along the river Amur.

No, Sir.

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that claims to land in the occupation of natives and of British subjects are being made by French subjects in the islands of Epi and Efate, in the New Hebrides, and that disturbance has resulted; and, in particular, that the Rev. R. M. Fraser, a British subject, has been dispossessed from land bought by him in the Island of Epi, and his schoolhouse burned by M. Beaulieu, a French subject; whether the dispute was investigated by a French warship without the presence of an English officer; whether the proper tribunal for investigating such a question is the Joint Naval Commission; and whether he will take steps to secure the impartial investigation of the matter.

Complaints of the nature indicated in the first and second paragraphs of the hon. Member's question have been brought to the notice of Her Majesty's Government, and steps have already been taken for their due investigation by one of Her Majesty's ships on the Australian station. I should, however, state in reply to Paragraph 3 that the Joint Naval Commission has no power to interfere in disputes concerning the title to land.

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will say when the Report of the Anglo-German Boundary Commission, appointed for the purpose of defining the International boundary in the districts lying between Lakes Tanganyika and Nyassa, will be issued.

The terms of the Convention confirming the work of the Commission are now under discussion between the British and the German Governments. The Report cannot be issued until the Convention has been concluded.

Can the noble Lord say precisely when the Report will be issued? I got the same answer a year ago.

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the reports of the British Consuls or Vice-Consuls, or other agents in the districts of Turkish Armenia during the past year, or such portions of them as relate to massacres, expropriations, or other outrages upon the Armenian population, can be presented to Parliament.

With the exception of the reports of a massacre at Spaghank, which were, on inquiry, found to be exaggerated, there have been no reports lately of serious outrages upon the Armenians. The more recent despatches from Consular officers indicate some improvement in the administration of the country, at any rate in the Vilayets of Trebizond and Van. It is not considered desirable in the interests of the Armenians themselves to publish the reports.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India if his attention has been called to the conduct of the Deputy Commissioner of Dharmsala, who, with his revenue officer, interviewed the head men of Spiti and Bara Bangahal districts, and urged them to loyally support and increase the revenue in every possible way, but particularly in the excise department; and whether, seeing that this action on the part of a revenue officer is in distinct contradiction of the declared policy of the Government of India as formulated in their despatch to the Secretary of State, No. 29, 4th February, 1890, the Government of India propose to take any action in the matter.

I have received no report concerning the circumstances described in the hon. Member's question. But I can quite conceive that the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra may have urged the headmen of those remote Himalayan, tracts to support the Government in putting down illicit stills and illicit drinking. If he did this the Deputy Commissioner would not, in my judgment, be contravening the principles and policy of the Government of India, as declared in the despatch quoted in the question.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he can say when the Conference on Agricultural Banks, promised by Sir Edward Law, will meet in Calcutta; whether independent Indian gentlemen will be invited to join the conference; and whether the views in favour of an experimental bank set forth in the Government of India despatch of May, 1884, will be taken into careful consideration.

I cannot state the time when the Committee which the Government of India have appointed to consider the question of agricultural banks will meet; but I know that the Government are most desirous to bring the question to a practical issue; and I am satisfied that, in the matter of selecting members and advisers of the Committee, and in the matter of furnishing the Committee with all available information, the Government will take all; possible means to secure the end in view.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India if he can state what number of Indian troops are to be employed on the Somali Expedition; and if their expenses will be borne by the British Exchequer?

The Foreign Office has asked for the services of half a battalion native infantry, fifty camel sowars, two mountain guns, and four maxims, with the necessary equipment, transport, and supplies. The expenses will be borne by the British Exchequer.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will agree to a Return showing the cost of each one of the different wars undertaken in India or on behalf of our Indian possessions from the year 1800 to the date of the abolition of the East India Company, and showing also the proportion of expenditure borne respectively by the United Kingdom and the East India Company in each case.

An ancient Return, No. 261 of 1808, shows that it was impossible even then to give the information now asked for as to the earlier years of the century. And it will be seen from Return 13 of 1900, which shows the wars on or beyond the borders of British India since 1849, that it is not till the last thirty years that the cost of the several military operations has been shown separately in the accounts of the Government of India. This latter Return took more than two years to compile, and caused great pressure on the departments concerned in India. I do not think I would be justified in ordering further investigations to be made in the accounts of the years from 1808 to 1849 for the purposes of the Return now asked for.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether there has been any cause for the recent rising in Ashanti except the attempt of the Governor to seize the golden stool, and why it was necessary to take that step; and whether he can state what has been the total loss of life to our forces in and the cost of the expedition up to the present, and whether any estimate has been formed of the numbers of natives killed.

(1) It is impossible to ascribe the war with certainty to any definite act, but I am convinced that the cause lay far deeper than, the trivial incident to which the hon. Member refers. (2) The total loss of life in our forces is nine Europeans and 103 natives killed, and five Europeans and thirty-one natives died of disease. The cost of the operations has not yet been ascertained, but, so far, £132,300 has been expended out of the £200,000 voted by Parliament as a loan to the Gold Coast. It has not been possible to form an estimate of the number of Ashantis killed.

Has the golden stool been obtained, and is there any reason to insist on the natives giving it up?

It has not been obtained, and I am not aware of any insistence of the kind.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether gratuities granted to the Army, Navy, and Marines for war service in South Africa will also be granted to the officers and men of the Army who served in West Africa, and who took part in the defence of Coomassie, and in the operations for its relief.

I cannot at present answer this question. The conditions of the two campaigns are not identical, and the majority of the soldiers concerned in the defence and relief of Coomassie were natives, who would not in any case be remunerated on the same scale as British soldiers.

My question related to the officers and men of British regiments.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the Report on Sierra Leone for the year 1899, which shows a reduction in the exports of palm oil, rice, and rubber, and to the fact that Sir Frederick Cardew sums up the position of the country by stating that since 1895 a gradual decrease in the export trade is apparent; and whether, seeing that the cost of the frontier police for 1899 amounted to £25,672, whereas the total revenue obtained from the hut tax was only £19,364, and that an additional expenditure was required to recoup the Imperial Government for the cost of military expeditions, he would consider the desirability of abolishing the hut tax and adopting a more conciliatory attitude towards the native population.

(1) I have examined the Report in question. It shows a reduction in the exports mentioned, but in the total of exports it shows a marked increase in 1899 over 1898, and if the words cited by the hon. Member be read with the rest of the paragraph in which they stand it will be seen that they are not intended to summarise the result of the tables as a gradual decrease since 1895. (2) The figures given as to the cost of frontier police and the revenue from the house tax for 1899 are correct; but the Governor has recently reported that the tax for 1900 has already realised more than the estimate of £25,000, and that it has been collected without trouble or any feeling of soreness. I have no reason to think that anything but a conciliatory attitude has been adopted towards the native population.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Metropolitan Police Force is at present considerably under strength; whether the standard height and chest measurement for admission to the force have been reduced; and whether the present rates of pay and terms of service are such as to attract the best men in sufficient numbers.

The force is at present below its establishment, chiefly owing to the Reservists being called out for service with the colours. A sufficient number of properly qualified recruits is forthcoming to rather more than meet the normal needs of the force, but not sufficient to replace the absent Reservists or to make good augmentations. The answer to the second paragraph is in the negative. I must refer the hon. and gallant Member to an answer which I gave on Friday to the effect that the subject of the emoluments of the police has been and is under consideration.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to establish any State inebriate reformatories, as contemplated by Section 3 of the Inebriates Act, 1898.

The question is now under my consideration.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to a letter addressed by the head constable of Liverpool to the licensees of the Albert Hall to the effect that if they allowed their hall to be used for a meeting under the auspices of the Celtic Literary Society on Monday last, they would incur serious responsibility, and advising them to cancel the letting, of the hall for that purpose; and whether there was any illegality in the proposed meeting.

I beg also to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state on what grounds and under what authority the police broke up the Irish meeting at Liverpool held in reference to the Boer war.

The answer is that the police took action in order to prevent serious disturbance, and that the steps, which were taken appear to have been absolutely necessary and entirely justifiable.

Why was a portion of the meeting allowed to proceed? Why was a reverend clergyman allowed to speak, whereas, when a lady rose to do so, the police interfered?

I am not aware of that. The police considered that if the meeting were allowed to go on there might be serious disturbances, and I think they acted quite properly.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can state when the Home Office proposals with regard to lead poisoning in the manufacture of china and earthenware, which were contained in a circular to manufacturers issued on 14th December, 1899, and again submitted to them as proposed special rules in August, 1900, are to be formally issued as special rules.

Much progress has been made towards a settlement of the special rules for the china and earthenware trade, but there are certain points still outstanding, and one of them involves a chemical question on which I am now waiting for a report from Dr. Thorpe, principal chemist to the Government. I hope to be able formally to issue the new rules early next year.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the excise officer at Criccieth attends once a year at Garn Dolbenmaen for the purpose of issuing dog licences, and uses a public-house in the village for the purpose, although there are plenty of rooms available unconnected with public-houses; and whether he will give instructions to the officer in question to use a room in a private house, so as to obviate the necessity of requiring the public to attend at a public-house.

For the convenience of the farmers and shepherds in the neighbourhood, the officer at Criccieth attends at Garn on an appointed day in January to receive and examine into declarations of exemption from dog licence duty. For this purpose he engages a room at the "Cross Pipes Inn," which is the most convenient place in the village, both for him and for the public. I am not prepared to prohibit the use of the local hotel or inn for such purposes.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Inspector of Weights and Measures attends at a private house, and no inconvenience is experienced?

I am not aware of it.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he is now in a position to say when the scheme of revision for the sorting branch of the Edinburgh Post Office, which has been under consideration for more than, two years, is likely to be sanctioned.

A portion of the scheme for the revision of the Edinburgh Sorting Office was sanctioned by the Treasury and carried into effect in August last. The remainder is held in suspense pending the settlement of certain questions of principle, with regard to higher appointments, which affect the service generally, but which it is hoped will be disposed of before long.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he will state when the result of the inquiry conducted by the late Secretary to the Treasury into the grievances of the Second Class Examining Officers of Customs will be made known to the officers concerned.

My predecessor did not recommend any alteration regarding these men as a result of the inquiry held last summer. Certain proposals affecting them are now before the Treasury, but I have not yet had time to examine them.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that letters can now be sent to all parts of Canada, via New York, at the rate of 1d. per half-ounce, whereas letters addressed to New York or other parts of the United States are charged at the rate of 2½d. per half-ounce; and whether, in the interests of-closer relations between England and the United States and for the convenience of the general public, negotiations might be entered into with the Government of the United States for the mutual establishment of a rate of 1d. per half-ounce for all letters passing between the two countries.

The Postmaster General is aware that the rates of postage are as stated by the hon. Member. The question of establishing a lower rate than 2½d. per half-ounce for letters exchanged between this country and the United States has already formed the subject of proposals on the part of Her Majesty's Government. The Government of the United States, however, was not prepared to entertain the suggestion.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, would he direct that the reports and evidence of the Commission on Local Taxation should be forwarded to the county councils of Ireland.

The course proposed by the hon. Member would be unusual, and I am not aware of any special reasons for it in this case. The volumes in question (which are not principally concerned with Ireland) can be purchased at a low price through any bookseller.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can inform the House when the Report of the Royal Commission on Local Taxation will be presented.

I cannot state any date on which the Report will be published. It is being considered.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that it is stated in the Report of the Committee on Beer Materials, 1899, that the Treasury is empowered to prohibit the use in the manufacture of beer of any substance or liquor of a noxious or detrimental nature, he will state upon how many occasions within the last five years has the Treasury exercised such power, and how many specimens of cheap sulphuric acid such as is apparently used in the manufacture of sugar for brewing purposes have been examined during the current year.

The power referred to was conferred on the Treasury by Section 5 of the Customs and Inland Revenue Act, 1888, but the duty of providing proper securities for the wholesomeness of beer like other articles of food is placed by law on the local authorities subject, if necessary, to the Local Government Board or Board of Agriculture. The Treasury, therefore, has not exercised this power. Sulphuric acid would only come under the cognisance of the Government Laboratory in the event of samples being submitted for analysis under a magistrate's order, and no instances of such submission have occurred. It ought not to exist in any sugar found in a brewery.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Official Analysts to the Department, Doctors Stevenson and Luff, who are members of the Expert Committee appointed by the Manchester Brewers' Association, are acting on behalf of the Department, or are being remunerated by the Brewers' Association; and if the latter is the case whether, in view of the great public interests involved, he would consider the advisability of causing a Report to be made by some expert analysts entirely unconnected with the trades concerned.

Doctors Stevenson and Luff are not acting on behalf of the Home Department. I think that the suggestion in the last paragraph of the question is scarcely within my jurisdiction, but I have consulted my right hon. friend the President of the Local Government Board, and understand that that Department has the whole matter under their active consideration.

I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether it has been brought to his notice that the ratepayers of Wimbledon, at a statutory meeting on 9th July last, passed a resolution that a School Board should be formed; and why no action has been taken by the Board of Education.

The Board of Education was not satisfied of the result the validity of the alleged resolution, and has therefore refrained from using it.

What does the right hon. Gentleman mean by validity?

It was contended by some of the ratepayers that proper notice was not given of the resolution, and the Board concur in that view.

I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether the Inter-Departmental Committee, consisting of representatives of the Home Office and of the Education Department, the calling together of which was suggested by the late Home Secretary and supported by the Vice-President of the Council in the Standing Committee on Law on 20th July, 1900, has been convened to consider the question of the out of school labour of school children; and, if so, when that Committee is likely to be in a position to report.

The appointment of the Committee was delayed by changes in the Government, but the Home Secretary is now making arrangements with the Board of Education for its immediate appointment, and it is hoped that its Report will be made before next session.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether copies of despatches relating to foreign and colonial affairs were sent to the county councils in England and Wales on the eve of the last General Election; and, if so, whether there is any precedent for sending such papers to county councils.

I have made inquiries, and can learn nothing about this from either the Foreign Office or the Local Government Board. The hon. Member must, I think, be labouring under a misapprehension.

Will the right hon. Gentleman further inquire?

I have inquired, and have given the hon. Member the result.

I shall put a further question.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if his attention has been called to the fact that admission to Irish lunatic asylums is regulated wholly by magistrates; also, seeing that regulations for the administration of those asylums are framed by the Local Government Board to such an extent as to transfer the real control of administration and expenses to the Irish Government, would the Irish Government simplify the existing rules as to the care of lunatics by taking over in name as well as in fact the whole administration and undertaking to maintain the asylums from the Exchequer.

It is true that the majority of committals to Irish District lunatic asylums are made by magistrates, but provision is also made in the statutory rules for admission under other forms, and in some districts these forms are largely used. The regulations for the administration of the asylums are not framed by the Local Government Board, but by the local committees of management, subject to the approval of the Lord Lieutenant. Where such regulations have not been framed by local committees the older regulations issued by the Lord Lieutenant in Council continue in force. The suggestion as to State control of the asylums raises an issue of such magnitude as to require more time for its consideration than I have been able to give to it in the brief interval of a few hours since this question was placed on the Paper.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the duty paid upon Irish and Scotch spirits, and the duty upon the same amount of alcohol in English beer contributed to the revenue; and whether, seeing that it has lately been proved that some of the compounds sold under the name of beer are of a poisonous character, would he therefore allow the consumers of intoxicants to have some choice in the nature of their beverages by somewhat reducing the duty now levied on an article of Irish and Scotch manufacture.

The rate of duty on spirits, whether English, Scotch, or Irish, is 11s. per proof gallon. The duty on beer, whether English, Scotch or Irish, depends, not upon the spirit that it contains, but upon the specific gravity of the works. As a matter of fact the present tax on beer works out to a rate of duty per proof gallon of the alcohol contained in beer of from 2s. to 2s. 3d. The duty on beer has been raised in recent years considerably more than the duty on spirits.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that in England the licence and other local Excise duties are paid over directly by the Excise authorities to the local bodies who raise or administer the English local rates,1¼ per cent, being charged for collection, he would consider the advisability of extending this advantage to Ireland.

No charge for collection is made in either country, and Ireland would gain nothing by the suggested change. Under present arrangements the local bodies receive the full equivalent of the proceeds of the licence duties in Ireland corresponding to those licences which are handed over to the local authorities in Great Britain.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer in what manner are the moneys collected in Ireland for excise, customs, taxes, and other imposts remitted to London; whether a portion of such moneys is retained in Ireland to meet Irish expenditure, and, if so, in what manner is the balance remitted to London; and, when a portion of the money payable for customs, excise, taxes, and other imposts, from Irish sources is discharged by cheques on British banks, how are these cheques credited so as to show the total sum collected for excise, customs, taxes, and other imposts collected or collectable in Ireland.

The revenue collected in Ireland is paid in by the various collectors to the account of the Exchequer at the Bank of Ireland. Most, of the money is retained to meet Irish expenditure other than that on account of the Army and Navy incurred in Ireland, which for reasons of convenience is paid by the Paymaster General in London. The balance is remitted by the Bank of Ireland to the Bank of England on the requisitions of the Treasury. People paying in revenue to the collectors sometimes do so by cheques payable in, England, but all cheques, etc., are collected by the Bank of Ireland and credited to the various revenue accounts kept by that bank.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will inquire whether at the Irish county council elections of 1899 more than twice the number of polling places were provided for the convenience of voters than at the late Parliamentary elections; is he aware that in constituencies like North Louth voters have had to walk in many cases five or six miles to the poll, contrary to law; and if the Government will do anything to ensure that no voter in Ireland will have to proceed a greater distance than three miles to the poll.

There has not been sufficient time to collect the information needed in order to verify the suggestion, made in the first paragraph, but I have no reason to doubt its accuracy. I understand there are places in North Louth distant some five or six miles from a polling place. This is not necessarily contrary to the law, which admits of some latitude. The fixing of polling places does not rest with the Government. In the case of Local Government elections it rests with the Returning Officer, while in the case of Parliamentary elections it is primarily determined by the Chairman and Justices at Quarter Sessions subject to confirmation by the Privy Council. If representations are made to the Government from electors in any locality I will see that they are brought to the notice of the Chairman of Quarter Sessions.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state whether the Education Board supply the materials (or their cost) for carrying on the manual education programme, and whether the teachers must provide them.

This matter is now under consideration in connection with next year's Estimate. I am unable to make any definite promise at present.

If the teachers in the meantime provide the materials out of their own pockets, will the money be refunded to them?

I am considering the question.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether 119 constables presented themselves for examination under the P. and other systems last month; and is he aware that although candidates are entirely satisfied with the fairness of the Civil Service portion of the examination, there is an apprehension that the examination in professional subjects by a board of selected officers leaves room for personal bias; could the methods of the Civil Service Commissioners be introduced to govern the entire examination; how long do the board of officers take to make up their judgments; and is each district inspector allowed 15s. extra per night while the work goes on, and how often is the county inspector, who presides, changed; and would the Government consider the desirability of having an entirely fresh board for each examina- tion, so that candidates might feel confident that the individual view of any officer should not be a permanent bar to his promotion, or that the board would not reflect the views of those who selected them as to any particular candidate.

The number of constables who underwent examination last month was 114. No representations have been made to me of the nature mentioned in the second part of the first paragraph. In reply to the second paragraph, the examination of candidates in professional subjects must necessarily be conducted by police experts, and could not be entrusted to the Civil Service Commissioners. The last Promotion Board met on the 9th ult., and made its Report on the 26th ult. District inspectors appointed to this Board receive an allowance at the rate stated. The Board, consisting of five officers, is differently constituted, so far as possible, from year to year. On the occasion of the last two examinations the same county inspector presided, and one other member served twice in succession.

Will the right hon. Gentleman guarantee that the same officers shall not be appointed to the Board year after year?

I think my answers show that the Board is freshly constituted yearly as far as reasonably can be done.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether a circular or instruction has been issued by the Local Government Board to the guardians of the poor in Ireland, urging the adoption of regulations affecting the classification of inmates in workhouses, with a view of securing separate accommodation for the aged and deserving poor; and, if so, whether such classification and separation is being carried out.

The Board issued a circular relating to the better classification of workhouse inmates in November, 1893, especially with regard to deserving aged married couples. They have also frequently brought the whole question under the notice of guardians through the medium of their inspectors. The structural arrangements of Irish workhouses present great difficulties, and a thorough sub-classification of workhouse inmates throughout the country would involve an expenditure which the guardians would be reluctant to incur. Special inquiries were made by the Board in 1896, the outcome of which is the Poor Relief (Ireland) Act of last session, and the question of the amalgamation of workhouses, from which further desirable results in this connection may follow, is now under consideration.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether any circular or instruction has been issued by the Local Government Board in Ireland to the guardians of the poor urging that provision should be made for entirely removing all pauper children who are above the age of nurture from workhouses; and, if not, whether he will consider the desirability of issuing such an order, seeing that this change was unanimously recommended by a Committee of the House of Commons.

The Local Government Board issued a circular relating to the relief of pauper children out of the workhouse in May last. I have forwarded a copy of this circular to my hon. friend. The Board have not urged the guardians to send all pauper children out of the workhouse, as until the passing of the Poor Relief Act of last session this would not have been a practicable suggestion. The matter is now under consideration in connection with the amalgamation of unions, and the Board hope to be able to indicate to boards of guardians shortly a manner in which a considerable advance can be made in this direction.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the propriety of reducing the age? My question aims at the case of children of the age of five years.

I am looking into the whole question, which I think demands attention.

I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland if, when property in Ireland is sold to tenants under the Purchase Acts, the Crown institutes inquiries to find if it can revive old claims for quit rents, tithes, or rent charges against such properties; if the sums so recovered are small and productive of expense and delay; and if he could, by expediting or dispensing with such inquiries, facilitate purchases and tempt more landowners to sell.

As the sale to tenants frees the land sold from liability to quit rent, it is necessary that inquiries should be made and claims put forward for the redemption of the quit rent out of the purchase money. The certificates for the amount of the redemption money are generally lodged in ample time. In a small number of cases old claims for small sums have been made, but in very few of these has complaint of delay been received. All departments are only too anxious to facilitate the purchase by tenants of their holdings now proceeding at a very rapid rate, and if my attention be drawn to any specific instance of delay I shall have the matter inquired into.

I beg to ask the Lord Advocate if he will state when the Report of the Committee appointed to consider the question of increasing the salaries of sheriffs in Scotland will be laid upon the Table of the House.

The Committee in question was a departmental one, which reported only for the information of the Scottish Office and the Treasury, and it is not proposed to lay the Report upon the Table of the House.

Does the Report recommend an increase of these miserably small salaries?

The hon. Member must give notice of that question.

I beg to ask the Lord Advocate, in view of the fact that the rates payable by Mr. Cameron, schoolmaster, of Ullapool, Ross-shire, were paid on the 13th May, 1899, will he explain why Mr. Cameron was returned as a defaulter and his name removed by Mr. Morrin, the County Assessor, from the Register of Electors for the recent Parliamentary election.

Mr. Cameron's name was contained in the statutory list of defaulters furnished by the collector of poor rates to the assessor. By that list the assessor is guided in virtue of the statutory enactment to that effect. The usual opportunities of inspecting and appealing against the list of voters drawn up by the assessor were given, but presumably Mr. Cameron failed to observe the omission of his name from the list.