asked the Lord-Advocate if he will state the estimated cost for extending the Stornoway burgh water supply to the infectious diseases hospital?

I am informed that the estimated cost of extending the Stornoway burgh water supply to the infectious diseases hospital is £150.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received a resolution from the Merthyr Board of Guardians praying for the division into two of the Merthyr upper registration district; whether he is aware that the local labour organisations and public opinion generally is practically unanimous in favour of the change being made: whether the Registrar-General has refused to accede to the request; and, if so, what are the reasons for his refusal?

I would draw my hon. Friend's attention to the reply which I gave yesterday to a similar question put to me by my hon. Friend the Member for Brecknockshire. As I then stated, I have been in communication with the Begistrar-General on the subject of the Hon. Member's question, and am informed that he. gave the guardians' proposed scheme for the sub-division of Upper Merthyr Tydvil Sub-District, and all the representations made to him in regard to it, his careful consideration, but was unable to discover any sufficient reason for interfering with the existing arrangement, which was adopted so recently as 1905, and which has worked successfully and without complaint up to the present date. The Registrar-General further states that it has been found from long experience that an urban sub-district of about the same number of inhabitants and similar area is usually better served by one registrar giving the whole, or the greater portion, of his time to the work than by the same area divided into two sub-districts having smaller populations, the registrars of which would, as a rule, give less facilities for registration. The Registrar-General is unable, for these and other reasons, to alter his decision in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War under what authority the civilian workmen at Island Bridge are searched by soldiers; and if there are any exceptions to the searching orders?

These workmen are searched under the authority of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief the Forces in Ireland. The principal foreman, foremen and workman writers, who are not employed in storehouses, are exempt from search.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what was our expenditure on repairs in 1903–4, 1904–5, and the estimated expenditure on repairs for 1908–9 and 1909–10?

The actual expenditure upon repairs, etc., in 1903–4 and 1904–5 was as follows:—

The amounts voted for repairs, etc., in 1908–9, as shown on page 180 of the current Navy Estimates, were:—

The figures for 1909–10, however, include amounts for other naval services provided for in previous years under sub-head F (See page 182 of Navy Estimates, 1909–10.)

asked the Secretary of State for War what percentage of the establishment of the Territorial Army was enlisted in each county in Great Britain on 1st March, 1909?

It would entail very considerable labour to calculate the figures giving percentage of strength to establishment for each county, as in many cases the units are split up into companies, etc., belonging to different counties. The follow- ing tabular statement which gives the percentage of strength to establishment for each district on 25th February is available, and will give the hon. Member considerable information in regard to the Territorial Force.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he would ascertain and state separately the area and estimated value in 1891–2 of the land occupied by the Mullingar District Lunatic Asylum and of the buildings thereon; their present estimated value respectively, after the expenditure in the interval of £100,078 9s. 9d. on new buildings and £11,479 16s. 3d. in repairing and maintaining the old buildings; and the gross amount for which the institution is now insured?

The area of the land in connection with Mullingar Asylum on 31st December, 1891, was 45 acres, valued at £900, the estimated value of the asylum buildings being £48,310. There are now 423 acres of land, valued at £8,460, in connection with the asylum, while the estimated value of the buildings is £68,255. The asylum is insured for £97,720. The sum of £100,078 mentioned in the question includes loans for the purchase of land and for lighting, heating, and furniture, as well as for buildings.

asked the average number of patients, paying, non-paying, and total, maintained in Mullingar District Lunatic Asylum each year during the last 25 years, with the gross cost of upkeep of each class each year; what test determines whether a patient should be paid for or not; and by whom is the test applied?

I have obtained and forwarded to the hon. Member a tabular statement giving, as far as possible, the information he requires. The length of the statement renders it undesirable to publish it in the Votes.

The same hon. Member further asked the Chief Secretary if he will have the law costs incurred by the Mullingar District Lunatic Asylum each year during the last 25 years segregated from the cost of upkeep proper and stated; and whether the legal work has been paid for by an annual payment in the nature of salary or by the piece; and whether tenders have been invited each year, or at all, for its performance?

The Inspectors of Lunatics inform me that the payments made in respect of law costs by the board of governors and the committee of the Mullingar District Lunatic Asylum between the years 1884 and 1908 were as folows: 1893, £21 8s. 5d.; 1897, £103 15s. 10d.; 1898, £281 6s. 11d.; 1900, £10; 1903, £168 10s. 4d.; 1905, £18; 1908, £20. The work has been paid for according to the amount executed, and tenders have not been invited.

asked whether the auditor of the accounts of the Mullingar District Lunatic Asylum reported to the Local Government Board the recent case in which one of its governors was the real contractor for supplying goods of foreign production and manufacture, while the nominal contractor was a pauper in Mullingar workhouse; whether the same person is still contractor to that and other rate-supported institutions having relatives in control of each of them; and whether, with a view to checking these, a different auditor or inspector will be sent to investigate them, and the result made public for the information of the ratepayers of the three contributory counties?

No such case has been reported to the Local Government Board by their auditor. The matters referred to in the question have not been brought under his notice at any audit of the accounts of the joint Committee of the Asylum or of any other public body in the county, and he has no information as to whether the facts are accurately stated.

asked the number of evicted tenants, including representatives of evicted tenants, noted by the Estates Commissioners as suitable for holdings; and the number of these already provided for, and the number remaining to be provided for, in each of the counties of Westmeath, Meath, Wicklow, King's County, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, and Kerry?

The number of evicted tenants or their representatives reinstated in their former holdings or provided with other holdings, and the number provisionally noted as suitable, in each of the undermentioned counties are as follows:—

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners have given further consideration to the application of Hugh Cunningham for reinstatement in the holding on the Bruce Nason estate, county Cork, from which his mother was evicted, seeing that the owner has refused the amount which the Commissioners were prepared to advance for the purchase of the farm for the purpose of reinstating Cunningham, and that the matter of the sale of the estate as a whole will soon come before the Commissioners?

I have nothing to add to my reply to a question on the same subject asked by the hon. Member on 15th May last.

asked the Attorney-General whether the Law Officers of the Crown, acting on the instructions of the Solicitor to the Treasury and at the public cost, are to show cause, on behalf of the judge of the Arches Court of Canterbury, against the suit of prohibition in Rev v. Dibdin (ex parte Thompson), now awaiting argument in the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice; and, if so, on what grounds, and following what, if any, precedent?

One of the Law Officers of the Crown, acting on the instructions of the Solicitor to the Treasury, will appear to show cause, on behalf of the Judge of the Arches Court of Canterbury against the suit of prohibition mentioned in the question. This course is in accordance with the principles and practice authoritatively laid down in many precedents. In the case of Martin v. Mackonochie (1878), where the Queen's Bench Division had held that the then Judge of the Arches Court had exceeded his jurisdiction in suspending the defendant from his benefice, a Memorandum was made by Lord Chancellor Cairns as follows:—"Treasury instructed counsel to appear in the Queen's Bench on behalf of Lord Penzance, and not on behalf of Mr. Martin. This was, in my opinion, right, because otherwise Lord Penzance would have been unrepresented, which would not have been decorous, and yet it would have been unfair to throw the expense of appearing on Lord Penzance."

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can state the number: of planters whose adult male immigrants have failed to earn, an average of sixpence for every day during the year 1908; whether any planters will be penalised during the present year, as per section 70 of the Trinidad Ordinance, owing to such failure; and, if not, whether he is prepared to ask for such Return?

I am not in a position to make any statement in respect of 1908, but the information which my hon. friend requires will be called for from the Colony.

asked whether a railway from San Fernando to Siparia has been authorised; and whether the general manager of the Trinidad Government Railway has taken upon himself without authorisation a further survey of a line from Siparia to Erin?

The Legislative Council of Trinidad passed a resolution on 2nd March, 1908, approving of the extension of the railway system from San Fernando to Siparia, .and authorising an advance of the funds necessary to meet the cost of the preliminary survey of this line. The survey has since been proceeding. The Secretary of State has no information as to any further survey of the line from Siparia to Erin.

asked if the Secretary of State for the Colonies has received from the Couva branch of the Trinidad Working Men's Association a communication protesting against the action of the Colonial Government in imposing water rates, and enforcing the payment of the same, upon a section of the taxpayers of the town of Couva and the village of California, in the ward of Savonetta, without giving them, as an equivalent for such payment, a supply of water; and, if so, can he state whether any action has been taken to have such charge removed?

Yes, the communication referred to has been received, and the Secretary of State will request the Governor to look into the matter, with a view either to increasing the storage of water, so that all who pay rates may be supplied, or to removing the rate in eases where supply is not possible.

asked what is the amount received on duties and spirits and wine imported into the Malay Federated States during each of the last seven years?

I regret that I am unable to furnish the desired figures, owing to the fact that the spirit import duties farms have in many cases been leased in conjunction with other farms. If my hon. Friend wishes, the High Commissioner will be asked if he can supply approximate figures.

asked whether a licensing system exists in the Malay Federated States; and, if so, what is its nature; and whether it is farmed?

A new Enactment has just been passed, dealing with excise and the retail sale of liquors. Copies are not yet available, but they will be placed in the Library of this House as soon as they are available. The right to issue licences will be vested in licensing boards appointed by the residents.

asked at what places it is proposed that the Committee on the Liquor Trade in West Africa should sit?

The Committee will have their headquarters in Lagos, but they will also sit at such other places in Southern Nigeria as they may think desirable.

asked the Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether recently at Ashbourne, in the county Meath, a soldier of the Royal Engineers, employed in the Ordnance Survey, was declared a prisoner and was placed in charge of a civil employé and, if so, will he state if this course is regular, and why soldiers were not placed in charge of the soldier who was being detained?

We are not aware of any recent case of the nature of that to which my hon. friend refers. On 11th August last a soldier was in close arrest at Ashbourne, but he was under the charge of another soldier and not of a civilian.

asked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if he can state the numbers employed in each of the survey divisions in Ireland, at the present time, of civil and temporary civil assistants and labourers respectively; and can he say what the normal numbers of each shall be when the establishment will be definitely fixed?

It is not possible at present to say what number of persons will be required to be employed in Ireland when the present 1/2500 scale resurvey of Ireland is completed. The numbers employed at the end of last month are as follows:—