I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War how many efficient Volunteers went to the front during the South African War.

The number of Volunteers that went out to South Africa in Volunteer Service Companies and the City of London Imperial Volunteers was 19,856 of all ranks. Besides these there were struck off the strength of Volunteer Corps as having joined the Imperial Yeomanry 6,209 of all ranks. Volunteers included in the first category were required to have been "efficient Volunteers"; of the others it cannot be said how many had been "efficient Volunteers," and how many had not.

I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office if dining tents are no longer to be supplied to Militia battalions going into camp for training, or if it is only a few battalions that are not to be given them.

Dining tents will be issued as far as they are available to all regiments of Militia asking for them. Owing to adverse reports on the tents, and the fact that many Militia units prefer not to draw them, only a limited number of tents have been provided.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that they have been already refused to some Militia battalions?

I am not; perhaps the hon. Gentle-man will inform me.

I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will state how many suits of civilian clothes have been contracted for, made at the clothing factory, or otherwise obtained or ordered by the War Office authorities since January, 1904; and at what dates the orders were given.

4,050 suits have been obtained by contract since January, 1904. None have been made up at the factory or otherwise obtained. The dates the orders were given are as follows:—February 27th, 1901, 50 suits; July 6th, 1904,100 suits; September 27th, 1904, 200 suits; October 1st, l904, 150 suits; October 22nd, 1904, 50 suits; October 25th, 1904, 1,500 suits; March 7th, 1905, 1,900 suits; March llth, 1905, 100 suits. The suits ordered were of sizes of which there were none in stock or of which the stock was low.

1 beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if definite instructions have been given, or are in contemplation, to the Master-General of Ordnance to proceed with the conversion of the service rifle to clip loading at a cost of 11s. per rifle.

Instructions have been given to the Master-General of Ordnance to this effect for a limited number of rifles.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information of a strike of 2,000 Chinese coolies on Saturday last, at the North Rand-fontein Mine, near Krugersdorp, the alleged grounds of revolt being dissatisfaction with wages; that, on the police being called in, the casualties among the Chinese were considerable, and that fifty-three coolies were eventually arrested; and whether, if he has no information, he will at once obtain it from South Africa.

I have not yet received a reply to the inquiry which I made by telegraph on Monday.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many of the indentured labourers on the North Randfontein Mine who have served for six months are receiving wages of less than Is. 6d. per day; and whether the Labour Ordinance imposes the condition of a minimum of 36 inches drilled before the Is. 6d. is given.

I have not the information for which the hon. Member asks. The Labour Ordinance does not impose this condition. The contract is printed at page 9 of Cd. 2183.

Are we correct in understanding that the Ordinance provides that after six months service the minimum pay shall be raised to Is. 6d. per day?

Certainly; provided that the average pay has not reached a certain height.

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Agreement entered into by the British Government and the Ameer of Afghanistan as the result of the recent British Mission to Cabul, together with other Papers connected with the Mission, will be laid before Parliament at an early date; whether he will give a general indication of the contents of the Agreement; and whether it differs in any material respect from the previous Agreement existing between the British Government and the late Ameer.

I propose shortly to lay on the Table a translation of the Agreement recently concluded with the Ameer of Afghanistan, together with such Papers as are necessary to elucidate it. The purport of the Agreement, as has already been stated in another place, is merely to continue and confirm Agreements which existed between the British Government and the late Ameer.

I beg to ask the Under- Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Convention entered into by His Majesty's Government with the French Republic, dated 8th April, 1904, was officially communicated to the German Government, and when; whether, if so, any reply to the communication was received by His Majesty's Government, and, if so received, will he lay it upon the Table of the House; whether any subsequent communications have passed between this Government and Germany in regard to the said Convention; and, if so, will he lay them upon the Table of the House; whether Germany has any Treaty with Morocco securing to it any special commercial rights and privileges; and, if so, whether they are analogous to the rights and privileges secured to this country by the Convention of Commerce and Navigation concluded between this country and Morocco in 1856, and confirmed by the Convention between this country and France, dated 8th April, 1904; and whether the Sultan of Morocco still retains the right to enter into Treaties or Conventions granting commercial rights and privileges with countries which were not parties to the Convention of 8th April, 1904.

The Declaration of April 8th, 1904, between the United Kingdom and France was not officially communicated So the German Government, and there were no communications between His Majesty's Government and that of Germany in regard to it so far as it had reference to Morocco. The Sultan of Morocco was not a party to the Declaration, which was an independent arrangement between the British and French Governments having reference to their respective interests in that country. The Treaty between Germany and Morocco of 1890 is analogous to that of 1856 between this country and Morocco.

The right hon. Gentleman says there were no communications between Germany and this country with reference to Morocco. Were there any with reference to other parts of the Empire?

Order, Order!

This Question has reference to the French Convention, and I think my Question is in order.

said the Question had reference to Morocco. No communication had been made to the German Government except in reference to the Khedival Decree.

; I beg to ask the Postmaster-General if he will state whether he proposes to get the sanction of the House of Commons before he introduces his new scheme on Post Office wages; and can he state what is the probable date of the debate on the Post Office Vote.

The new scales of wages have been introduced from the 1st instant. I am unable at present to state the probable date of the debate on the Post Office Vote. I will consult with my right hon. friend the Leader of the House and try and arrange a date to meet the convenience of hon. Members.

I beg to ask the Postmaster-General if it is the intention not to make the proposed increase of the minimum salary by 1s. applicable to those who are at present in the service, in view of the discontent that exists at present among the male and female officials under the age of twenty- five.

The increase of 1s. in the minimum salary of certain classes is not applicable to officers already in the service, unless they are at present receiving a salary lower than the new minimum. In that case their pay is at once raised to the new minimum.

I beg to ask the Postmaster-General is he aware that learners who have hitherto received 18s. per week while performing substitute duty will under his new scheme be reduced to 10s. per week; and whether, seeing that such negative concessions are not calculated to lesson the discontent in the service, will he take any further steps in the matter.

I gave an Answer to a similar Question yesterday†. I am aware that there are cases of the kind to which the hon. Member refers, and on the 4th inst. I issued general instructions that learners already employed as substitutes may be given the option of retaining their present varying rates of pay as learners and as substitutes, in lieu of the constant rates for learners with two years service and upwards, indicated in my announcement of the 28th ultimo.

I beg to ask the Postmaster - General whether the Return just issued, No. 88, "Statement showing the aggregate amount of the Liabilities of the Government to Depositors in Post Office Savings Banks on 31st December, 1903, etc.," is the form adopted for Returns to be made annually; if so, whether a Return in this form will be supplementary to a statement of the nature and amount of the securities standing in the names of the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, such as that contained in the Fiftieth Report of the Postmaster-General, or whether it will be substituted for such a Return.

Return 88 of this year shows the form proposed for the

† See page 442.

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether the attention of the Local Government Board has been drawn to the erosion by the action of the sea of the cliffs adjoining the high road leading from Brighton to Rottingdean, and thence to Newhaven, and which threatens to destroy the road in certain places; and whether, in view of the expense that would be incurred in procuring land up the Downs, and making a new road, he proposes to take any action in the matter.

I have received some representations with regard to this road. The matter is not one with respect to which I am empowered to take any compulsory action, but I am informed that the road is a main road vested in the East Sussex County Council, and I am communicating with the council on the subject.

Does the right hon. Gentleman apprchend danger of any further land slide in that district?

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, can he explain how it is that the Exchequer issues in respect of the National Debt for 1904–5, as shown in the published accounts, amount to £26,986,668 insted of £27,000,000, the permanent or fixed annual charge, and why the balance of £13,332 was not issued.

The hon. Member's Question is based on a misapprehension of the figures in the published accounts. The Exchequer issues in respect of the National Debt for 1904–5 were £27,000,000 as provided by law.

I have added up the figures. I want the hon. Gentleman to explain the misapprehension.

I can do it, but not in answer to a Question across the floor of the House.

I want a public explanation—not a private one.

I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can state the amount of the annual in talments now payable in respect of the British share of the Chinese war indemnity; and whether these instalments will be applied to the reduction of debt.

Negotiations are now in progress between the Chinese Government and the representatives of the Powers as to the basis of payment of the indemnity. Until these are concluded the amount of the annual instalments receivable by this country cannot be stated. Proposals will in due course be submitted to Parliament as to the application of the British share.

Then are we to understand that the British instalments are not fixed?

Yes, that is so.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education whether it is the duty of a teacher in an elementary school, if he finds a child destitute of necessary food, to apply to the relieving officer of the district; if not, what course is it the teacher's duty to take.

The duty of a teacher in an elementary school is defined by the terms of his agreement with his managers or local education authority. I am not prepared to say what duties such an agreement may impose, except that they must not involve an infringement of Article 15 of the Code.

; I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education whether a local education authority can refuse to admit to schools maintained by such authority children who are boarded in the union workhouse when such workhouse is situated within the area of that authority; and whether, if the workhouse in question be not the property of the council in whose area it is situated, the local authority may require the council maintaining the workhouse of make contribution on behalf of the expenses involved in educating these children.

It is the duty of the guardians to provide for the education of the children under their charge. By Section 2 of the Elementary Education Act, 1900, the guardians may arrange to perform their duty by contributing to the cost of their education at a public elementary school. The Board would, as a general rule, hold that the local authority would be justified in refusing to admit a child, even though there was room in the school, unless the guardians were prepared to make a contribution towards the cost of educating the child.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education whether, having regard to the terms of Circular 512, the teachers in voluntary schools can be required by the managers of such schools to take children to church on Saints' Days, notwithstanding the attendance by-laws and regulations of the local education authority to the contrary.

The teachers in voluntary schools are bound to carry out the instructions of the managers as to the religious teaching given in those schools except in so far as such instructions may conflict with by-laws as to school attendance or direction as to secular instruction properly made or given by the local education authority.

Yes, but the Answer applies to teaching in the schools. This is a case of taking the children to church. Has the right hon. Gentleman anything to say about that?

I have nothing to add to my Answer.

I beg to ask the hon. Member for Chorley, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that, in cases of sudden illness of Members of this House, there is no private room to which such Members can be brought, and that no provision of any kind is available in any part of the building for such emergencies; and whether steps will be taken to remedy this state of affairs.

The First Commissioner is not prepared with any proposal to meet this suggestion; but he thinks that the appropriation of a room for such a purpose is not a matter within his jurisdiction, but in that of the authorities of the House.

Will the First Commissioner of Works consider the advisability of providing, something like a medicine chest somewhere?

And in view of the fact that sometimes there are nearly a thousand persons in the building, and the sitting lasts nearly twenty-four hours, would it not be well to have a medical man always in attendance?

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if the conditions under which the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Dover appointed Sir Antony MacDonnell as Permanent Under-Secretary still exist, or has he now any special powers other than those of an ordinary civil servant.

Sir Antony MacDonnell holds office as Under-Secretary in the same way as other permanent heads of Departments hold their offices, with this exception, that before he accepted office he received an explicit assurance that he would be treated with complete confidence, be consulted on matters of policy and administration, and be allowed administrative freedom of action, subject, of course, to the approval and control of the Chief Secretary. This, so far as my experience goes, has always been the case between my chief permanent officials and myself, and I hope always will be so.

I desire an Answer to this definite Question—Whether the special conditions under which Sir Antony MacDonnell received his appointment have been withdrawn or do they still exist?

I have done my best to give a perfectly frank, and, I believe, explicit Answer to the Question. It is extremely difficult to answer a question of this kind across the floor of the House, when so much depends on the interpretation of the conditions between a permanent official and his chief. I have endeavoured to give what I believe to be an explicit and accurate description of the relations between Sir Antony MacDonnell and myself, and I have added that the relations are similar, in my opinion, to those that always exist between me and my permanent officials.

Have the conditions under which Sir Antony MacDonnell was appointed by the late Chief Secretary been withdrawn or do they still exist under the jurisdiction of the right hon. Gentleman? That is the Question to which I want an Answer.

There have been a good many attempts to describe the exact relations between the Undersecretary and his chief, and I think it has been in those descriptions, and in consequence of them, that misunderstandings have arisen. I believe the Answer I have given is an exact description of the relations between Sir Antony MacDonnell and myself, and I fail to see that there is anything further for me to examine into, or that there is any other Answer that could by any possibility be given to the House.

The right hon. Gentleman has stated that he has given the only Answer he can possibly give, and if hon. Members think there is any matter which has not already been answered, they can put down a further Question. The present time is not appropriated for argument, but for Questions and Answers. The Answer to the Question on the Paper has been given. It may or may not be satisfactory, but that is not the point, and it cannot be converted into an argument.

May I ask whether, as the right hon. Gentleman says it is a matter of personal interpretation, his interpretations of the late Chief Secretary's letters are binding on himself?

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether Mr. Rothwell, petty sessions clerk of Ballinasloe, is to get any portion of the untenanted land on the estate purchased by the Estates Commissioners from Mr. Mahon, Ballydonlon, county Galway, in view of the fact that he does not live within several miles of the estate, and that he has more than one farm elsewhere.

The Commissioners have no information beyond that which I have already given to the hon. Member. Mr. Rothwell may possibly be negotiating with the owner for the purchase of part of the demesne lands, but of this the Commissioners have no knowledge.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Irish Agricultural Department, when refusing to accept from Mr. Williamson one ton of the "Duchess of Cornwall" potato, free of cost, offered to purchase from that gentleman one ton at the rate of £10, being one-tenth of the market price at which selected seed could be bought; and whether the Department now intend to carry out trials of this variety of potato in nineteen counties and on their own farms as originally decided upon; and if he will state the source from which the supply has been obtained, the price paid, and the quantity required for these trials this year.

Seed of the variety mentioned was originally purchased from a Scotch grower. It has been tested for the past three years on the Department's experimental farms, and the supply to be utilised this year is the produce of the original supply. The Department did offer to purchase a ton at the cost stated. The trials which it was intended to carry out in nineteen counties will not now be made.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the amount expended during the I past financial year by Irish boards of guardians and district lunatic asylum committees on salaries of Stocktakers appointed to take stock of the provisions of these institutions; and whether, seeing that these officers were created by the Local Government Board under the Act of 1898, the amount expended on account of their salaries will be recouped to the local authorities by the Treasury or from some Government source.

The Local Government Board are not in possession of the information asked for. It is not intended to recoup the local authorities.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the question of the reinstatement of John Quinn, an evicted tenant on the Core Booth Estate, situate in Lavagh, Tubbercurry, county Sligo, and now about to be sold to the tenants under the Act of 1903, has been left for settlement to the Estates Commissioners and the agent of the estate by the present occupier and the evicted tenant with the concurrence of the landlord; and, if so, whether, under the circumstances, and in the interests of the peace of the locality, the Estates Commissioners will be instructed to bring about an immediate settlement of this case.

No, Sir, it is not the case that the settlement of this matter has been left to the Commissioners by all the persons concerned.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the inspector appointed by the Estates Commissioners to inquire into the cases of evicted tenants on the White Estate, near Bantry, made personal inquiry or through a member of the firm of solicitors who had the carriage of the sale of the estate.

The Commissioners have no information on the point but will make inquiry.

Who appointed this inspector and who is he?

Obviously if the Commissioners have no information I cannot have any.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the fact that Mr. Henry T. Wright, Crown Solicitor for the county of Cork, after agreeing to sell to his tenants under the Land Act of 1903, refused to do so through the Estates Commissioners or the Congested Districts Board on the grounds that he would not be entitled to the bonus, he will say whether, in the event of sales direct to the Congested Districts Board or the Estates Commissioners, Mr. Wright would be entitled to the bonus.

No proceedings for the sale of this estate have come before the Commissioners. If the estate were sold through the Commissioners a bonus would be payable, but until the facts are before them the Commissioners cannot say whether the bonus would be added to the purchase money or paid to the vendor.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners are aware that the tenants' interests in the holdings of Mr. Marshall (160 acres), Dr. Rhodden (142 acres), Mr. Jameson (120 acres), and Major Smith (80 acres), all non-residential grazing farms on the King-Harman Estate, county Roscommon, can be secured by them for the purpose of enlargement of holdings; whether these lands have been actually offered to the Commissioners for the purpose stated; and if not, or in any event, whether the Commissioners will now take any steps to purchase the tenants' interests in the lands mentioned.

The Commissioners are negotiating for the purchase of Mr. Jameson's farm, the only one of those mentioned which has been offered to them. They will consider the question of purchasing any grazing farms which may be offered to them.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the action of the Local Government Board in proceeding by sealed order to suppress the Drumconrath Medical Relief Dispensary; whether he is aware that under the new arrangement some of the sick poor will be at least ten or twelve miles from the nearest medical relief centre; and, if so, whether, in view of the opposition of the ratepayers to the change and the protest of the Ardee Board of Guardians, within whose district the division affected is situated, against the proposal, he will invite the Local Government Board to reconsider its decision.

The Drumconrath dispensary district was merged in the adjoining districts of Dunleer and Collon No. 2. In each of these districts the residence of the medical officer is now centrally situated and within a reasonable distance of all parts of the district, and the Board are satisfied that no revision of their decision is necessary.

Has not this change been made in direct opposition to the wishes of the whole of the people, as well as of the local authorities. What does the right hon. Gentleman consider "a reasonable distance?" Is it eleven or twelve miles?

Order, order!

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will explain what are the reasons for closing the Rathmolyn and Kildalkey police stations; to what barracks have the men been transferred; and if he can state the number of other stations closed, and in what counties, since 1903.

The information asked for cannot well be compressed within the limits of an oral Answer, and, with my hon, friend's permission, I will circulate my reply with to-night's Votes.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state if the Commissioners of Education in Ireland made any effort to ascertain the opinions of managers and others previous to making the new Rule 127 (b): how such effort was made by them; at how many meetings was the rule discussed; how many Commissioners were present at the discussion; on the motion of which Commissioner was the rule adopted; and whether it was adopted unanimously.

; For the reasons stated by me yesterday†, I would ask the hon. Member to defer this Question until after the Easter recess.

:I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, in consequence of the procedure followed by the Congested Districts Board, no contribution is made by them, or by the Agricultural Department, to technical and agricultural schemes for the benefit of congested districts in the county of Kerry, or elsewhere; and whether, in view of the injury resulting to the residents of such congested districts by the withholding of a contribution, he will take any steps to enable the Congested Districts Board to contribute to the carrying out of these schemes through the county committees.

I have already stated that the Department have assumed charge of agricultural schemes in the congested districts of Kerry. A sum of £1,772 was expended on such schemes in 1904, and of this the Department contributed £1,148, the balance being provided locally. The Congested Districts Board have no funds to contribute to the technical instruction schemes in congested districts.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state, what number of experiments under the Agricultural and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act have been carried out in county Cavan up to March 31st, 1905, specifying the valuation of the holdings on which same were tried; and further, if he will state the number of said experiments made upon the holdings of agricultural labourers in county Cavan.

In 1902, ten; in 1903, thirty; in 1904, twenty. The Department have not yet received a

‡ See page 465.

What is the nature of the experiments?

That I cannot say without notice.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the instructions for the guidance of inspectors, dated February, 1904, which have been cancelled by those dated February 9th, 1905, will also be presented to Parliament in accordance with the promise of the right hon. Member for Dover; and whether, seeing that the instructions dated February, 1905, only relate to sales to persons other than the Land Commission, any instructions have been issued to inspectors in cases of sales to the Land Commission direct; and, if so, when these instructions will be laid upon the Table.

No, Sir, I do not propose to lay the instructions of February, 1904, which were informal, on the Table of the House. The instructions of February, 1905, have regard to all sales, and are not limited to sales to persons other than the Land Commissioners. They include, in Part II., instructions under Sections 3, 6, and 8 of the Act of 1903.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether untenanted land on the Longfield Estate, at Callow, near Frenchpark, in the county of Roscommon, has been offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board; and, if so, what is the date of the offer; whether, and, if so, when the estate has been inspected on behalf of the Board; whether, in reply to the offer of the owner, any offer has been made by the owner; and whether steps will be taken to expedite the purchase of this land by the Board in view of the possibility of its being let for grazing for the coming summer.

The reply to the first inquiry is in the negative.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can say whether the Estates Commissioners have entered into any negotiations for the purchase of the untenated land on the Goold Estate, Athea, county Limerick, containing upwards of 200 acres, and which is let to graziers every year, in view of the sale of the tenanted portion of the estate to tenants; whether he is aware that there are about 100 tenants on the estate whose holdings are under £5 annual value; whether the Commissioners received the list of names of these tenants; and whether they will sanction the sale of the tenanted portion of the estate without seeing that the uneconomic holdings be enlarged.

No, Sir; and no proceedings for the sale of the estate have come before the Commissioners. The question of untenanted land will be considered if the estate comes before them.

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will state how is the Board of Commissioners of Irish Lights constituted; what is the qualification for membership; also, seeing the general dissatisfaction expressed by the various harbour authorities in Ireland, whether he will take some steps to have harbour boards get some representation on this body.

May I beg allowed to answer this Question? I beg to refer the hon. Member to the Return (No. 35) as to general Lighthouse Authorities which was presented to this House at the beginning of the session, and which sets out the constitution of the Board of Commissioners of Irish Lights. His Majesty's Government are not prepared to introduce a Bill to provide for the representation of harbour authorities on the Board.

Have the Board of Trade any control over the Irish Lights Commissioners?

I think they have some little control, but perhaps the hon. Member will put down the Question.

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury can he say whether any managers of national schools in East Limerick, within the past five years, have been in treaty with the Commissioners of National Education about obtaining grants for the building of schools, and so far have failed in their efforts; and, if so, will he say what has been the cause of the failure; and when be expects that the Commissioners will be in a position to issue their new code of rules as regards building.

I am informed that certain applications for building grants have been made, but that there are being held over pending the settlement of the general question of revised plans for national schools, which, as I have already stated,I am endeavouring to expedite. I understand, however, that in the case of one application special plans are under consideration which may enable the work to be proceeded with under the regulations now in force.

I beg to ask the Postmaster-General if he can say what action will be taken, and when, as a result of the revision at Ballina Post Office, county Mayo, held in February, 1904, in respect of the staff there.

A revision of the indoor staff at the Ballina Office has now been sanctioned, and will be carried out in due course. Provision is made for increasing the number of male sorting clerks and telegraphists from four to six.

I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the contract for the supplying of the 2,000 caps to the telegraph messengers in Ireland has been transferred to England; and whether, seeing that the contract for caps and boots for these messengers, which are now manufactured in this country, was previously executed in Ireland, and that this is purely Irish work for use in Ireland, he will have it executed in that country in future.

I invited separate tenders for the shakos and caps required in Ireland in the hope that I might be able to place the contract in that country. Unfortunately the only tender I received was at so high a rate that I could not accept it. For telegraph messengers' boots also I received only one tender from Ireland, and there again the rates quoted were too high for acceptance.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the Bill to provide, under proper safeguards, for the feeding of hungry children, brought in by the hon. Member for Hoxton, and supported, amongst others, by the hon. Members for Sheffield Brightside, South Islington, West Bradford, Stoke-upon-Trent, and South-West Bethnal Green; and whether, having regard to the fact that these hon. Members are all supporters of the Government, he will give facilities for the Second Reading of this Bill and for the reference of it to a Grand Committee if the same can be arranged by consent.

I think the hon. Gentleman is under some misapprehension when he supposes that the objection that I am sure every Leader of the House feels to giving facilities for private Members' Bills is at all modified by consideration of the quarter from which the support of the Bill comes. The objection is of quite a general character, and I do not think I can waive it in this instance, especially as there is a Committee appointed to inquire into this question.

May I ask whether, having regard to the nature of this Bill, the Prime Minister will inform his supporters behind him that it is not his desire that they should block it.

Is not the First Lord of the Treasury of opinion that part of the business of the Prime Minister of the country is to study the condition of the underfed children of the country.

It is with a I view of studying the condition of the underfed children of the country that we have appointed a Committee to give us the necessary knowledge of the facts. For my part I think we ought not to legislate on this subject without that knowledge.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is I aware of the fact that under existing legislation a soldier or sailor on joining the Civil Service is not allowed to count his military or naval service, as the case may be, towards the pension, if any, he receives at the close of his period of engagement in the Civil Service; and whether, having regard to the desirableness of providing suitable employment for time-expired soldiers and sailors, he will consider the question as to whether such men on the close of their Civil Service appointments should not have counted to their credit for pension their service with the Army or Navy.

Before the right hon. Gentleman answers, will he say if he is aware that candidates on the roll of the Royal Irish Constabulary are permitted to join the Irish Guards on a three years enlistment?

I have had no time to get at the facts, and could not therefore answer that now. As to the Question on the Paper, I would remind the hon. Gentleman and the House that the subject of pensions is regulated by statute, which cannot be changed either at the will of the Treasury or at my will. The House of Commons itself would have to initiate legislation on the subject, and without legislation nothing can be done. Whether the soldiers would desire to see the system the right hon. Gentleman recommends carried out I do not know. Of course, they would be prevented from receiving their pensions as soldiers while they were serving, say, as postmen. But, in any case, whether they wish it or not, the change cannot be carried out without legislation.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Royal Commission on questions of property arising between the United Free Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland has now reported; and, if so, when the Report will be in the hands of Members.

I cannot say when the Report will be in the hands of Members. Every expedition is being made in regard to it.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury when it is proposed to move Mr. Speaker out of the Chair on going into Committee of Supply on Civil Service Estimates.

I hope next Thursday.

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, as President of the Council of Defence, whether it is proposed to proceed with the formation of a home-service Army on a short-service basis, within the next few months, a commencement being made as soon as sufficient long-service enlistments for India have been secured, whether the Militia is to form part of this home-service Army; and, if so, whether all or what portions of the Militia are to be so transformed.

This Question has nothing to do with the Committee of Defence, and I have therefore asked my right hon. friend to answer it.

It will not be possible to commence short-service recruiting for several months. But when an adequate number of men enlisted for long service has been obtained, the enlistment of men for a shorter period of service must be commenced. No short-service battalions will be formed before October. No Militia units will be included in the short-service Army except with their consent.

I desire to ask the First Lord of the Treasury a Question of which I have given him private notice—namely, whether it is in accordance with precedent for the office of Junior Lord of the Treasury to be held by any other than a Member of this House, and, if not, what 'steps the right hon. Gentleman proposes to take with regard to this office in view of the fact that Mr. Gerald Loder has I not been elected to a seat in this House.

It certainly is usual that the Junior Lord of the Treasury should be a Member of this House, though I suppose there is no constitutional reason why it should be so. I do not remember in my own personal experience, but I have read that Mr. Gladstone was Secretary to the Colonies for six or seven months though he was out of the House and unable to obtain a seat in this House—having, in fact, been turned out of the House on accepting office.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Junior Lord of the Treasury has any duties whatever except those connected with the business of this House?

The duties of the Junior Lord of the Treasury under the Constitution are as well known to the right hon. Gentleman as to myself, and I do not think any detailed exposition of the character of those duties would add to the knowledge of either side.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether this is not the second member of his Administration who has been rejected at the polls quite recently, and whether he is still of opinion that his Ministry retains the confidence of the country?

The hon. Gentleman asks me a Question of fact and a Question of opinion. On the Question of fact, it is the case that the Solicitor-General for Scotland failed to obtain a seat in this House after he had taken office, and it is true that the Junior Lord of the Treasury has just failed to keep his seat. But when the hon. Gentleman asks me what I think the opinion of the country is, I imagine that that can only be judged by a general election.

I have to ask the First Lord of the Treasury as to the order of business for next week.

The Budget will be taken on Monday, and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will probably be occupied by the Budget Resolutions. I trust these will be concluded on Wednesday, and if that is so, we shall get the Speaker out of the Chair on the Civil Service Estimates on Thursday. The week following we propose to deal with stages of Government legislation.

What measures will be proceeded with?

We are going to introduce the Aliens Bill and the Unemployed Bill under the Ten Minutes Rule. I am anxious to proceed with the Second Reading of the Scotch Education Bill and the Agricultural Rates Bill; but I cannot at present give any date for those measures.