asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies if he is aware that the persecution of Protestants still continues in Malta by the Roman Catholic hierarchy; that the Roman Catholic bishop of the island, in his pastoral letter recently issued, threatened with excommunication anyone who participates in designing or building any Protestant church or edifice, and ordered that all Roman Catholic children in Protestant schools should be removed; and what steps, if any, does he propose to take in the matter?

The Secretary of State has no information on the subject to which the hon. Gentleman refers, but he will ask the Governor for a report on the matter.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will say what is the total amount of guarantee he requires as a condition precedent to extending the telephone from Dublin to Mullingar, Athlone, and Galway; which of the local bodies to be served have consented to give their fair proportion of the guarantee; which of them have refused to do this; and will he inform the latter that a share in a joint guarantee is all that is required of them?

The total annual expenses of a trunk line from Dublin to Galway via Mullingar, Moate, and Athlone would be £465, and the maximum amount which the guarantors could be called upon to pay in any year would be one-third of this sum—namely, £155. The local authorities of Mullingar, Moate, Athlone, and Galway have been informed of the share of the-guarantee which would be proper to each of those towns. The Athlone Urban District Council have notified their willingness to bear their share, but no definite reply has been received from the other public bodies concerned.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that applications were recently invited through the Post Office Circular for a male assistant at Tilbury sorting office, competent to perform full postal and telegraph duties, at a rate of wages from 4½d. to 6d. an hour; and whether such remuneration is sanctioned as a living wage and an adequate return for such duties?

For male assistants over 19 years of age the rate of 5d. to 6d. per hour was recommended by the Parliamentary Committee on Post Office Servants as suitable remuneration for the duties to be performed. The lower rates are paid only to younger male assistants. They are graduated according to age and qualification, as is usual in such cases.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland can he state whether the recent contract for the heating and ventilation of the Four Courts in Dublin was advertised; whether he is aware that a special ventilating fan of English manufacture was specified, which precluded Irish manufacturers from competing; whether he is aware that a patented fan is manufactured in Belfast, which is used in the ventilation of battleships and of public buildings throughout the United Kingdom and in the underground railway of New York; and can he state why Irish manufacturers were precluded from competing for this contract?

The contract was not advertised, as the work is difficult and of a special nature. The Board invited competitive tenders from three firms with whose work they are acquainted. Two of these firms are Irish and one Scotch. The Board did not specify any make of fan, but left each firm tendering to specify the fan it thought most, suitable, subject to consideration and approval by the Board. No tender has yet been accepted. Two types of patent fan manufactured in Belfast are known to the Board, and their merits, with those of other types, are under consideration.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury when he proposes to bring in the Superannuation (Civil Servants) Bill; and if he is aware of the anxiety on the part of civil servants for the early introduction of this Bill?

I propose to introduce this Bill as soon as possible after Easter. I am aware that a very considerable body of the civil servants are very desirous of the passage into law of the Bill at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state what steps have now been taken to carry out the instructions which were understood to have been sent in May, 1908, to His Majesty's Agent and Consul-General with a view to introducing into the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba the system in regard to the legal status of slavery in force on the mainland of the East Africa Protectorate?

A decree for carrying out the object in view has been drafted, and is now under final consideration. It is hoped that it will shortly be issued.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will ask the plenipotentiaries who attended the recent Naval Conference to agree to an additional Protocol supplementing Article 34, by adding the word government after the word enemy at the end of line 3 of Article 34, inasmuch as the words used in the explanatory memorandum are enemy government, but owing to the fact that the explanatory memorandum forms no part of the final Protocol an argument contrary to the sense of the explanatory memorandum is possible, owing to the difference of language between the explanatory memorandum and the final Protocol?

For the reasons already given, I cannot admit that there is any ambiguity as to the meaning of Article 34. It is made clear, both by Article 33, on which Article 34 is dependent, and by the general official report of the Conference, that the word "ennemi" in Article 34 can only mean the enemy government. It is evident, however, that if the point had been raised at the time it would have been made perfectly clear in the drafting, and we therefore propose to make a declaration, at the time of the ratification, that the word "ennemi" in Article 34 means the Government of the enemy.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he can issue an order upon all poor law authorities to remove or isolate when possible all feeble-minded epileptics, inebriates, imbeciles, and lunatics from other inmates of the workhouses, as recommended in the recent reports of the Royal Commission on Poor Law, and also in the Reports of the Royal Commission on Aged Poor in 1895?

To the extent to which existing accommodation or additions to existing accommodation in poor law institutions may suffice for the modification of present arrangements affecting the classes to which the question refers, the powers of the Local Government Board and of the poor law authorities could, no doubt, be exercised in the direction indicated in the question. But for any such comprehensive treatment of the matter as appears to be contemplated in the reports of the Royal Commissions to which my hon. Friend alludes, legislation would almost certainly be needed.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the case of a widow named Sarah Heiss, residing in Northampton, who is disquaified from receiving a pension by virtue of her marriage with a German subject in 1863; whether he is aware that Sarah Heiss was born in England of English parents, and has resided here all her life, and that, but for her late husband omitting to take out letters of naturalisation, so preventing her from complying with the provisions of clause 2 (2) of the Old Age Pension Act, she would be entitled to a pension; and whether he will introduce a clause in the Bill to amend the Old Age Pension Act, which it is understood will be shortly introduced, to enable a claimant in the circumstances described to receive a pension?

My attention has been called to this case, and I understand that the facts are substantially as stated. The point involved in such cases will no doubt receive the consideration of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in connection with any Amendment of the Act.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether, with the view of the equitable relief of the burden of local rates, he will consider the advisability of taking such legislative or other measures as may be necessary to increase the number of years required for the redemption of debts on new school buildings, and to increase the number of the remaining years for such redemption on schools already built, where, on investigation, such increase is found to be fair and reasonable?

This matter has from time to time received very careful consideration by myself and my predecessors. I can only say that if any local authority are of opinion that the circumstances of their case are so exceptional as to require special consideration, I am ready to consider any representations they may make to me.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what has been the average number of British military officers serving in India and Burmah during the five years ending 31st December, 1908; and how many of such officers have retired from the service through ill-health during each of those five years?

The average number of British military officers serving in India (including Burmah) during the five years ending 31st December, 1908. is 4,763. It is impossible to state how many officers have retired through ill-health in any of those years, inasmuch as retirements due to ill-health are not recorded as such in the large proportion of cases in which officers voluntarily retire on the pensions which they are entitled to claim after certain periods of service.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he will state how many officials are employed at the head offices, Merrion-street, Dublin; what is the aggregate amount paid in salaries and expenses annually; what are the salaries and expenses each of the assistant secretary in respect of agriculture, and of the assistant secretary in respect of technical education; how many of the chief officials are Catholics; how have all these officials been appointed; and what are the conditions of their appointment?

A list of the officials of the Department is given in Thorn's Directory, pages 870-1. The amounts provided for salaries and expenses of the Department's staff are shown in the Estimates. These officials have either been appointed by the Department, with the assent of the Treasury, assigned for duty in the Department's offices by the Civil Service Commissioners, or transferred to the Department under the Agricultural and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act of 1889. Their appointments are held on the usual conditions which apply to the Civil Service. I decline to make inquiries or give returns respecting the religion of members of the Department's staff.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why the tenants on three town lands in the parish of Ardagh, county Longford, Ireland, named Rabbit Park, Loughill, and Grilliagh, have still to pay tithe out of their holdings to the Irish Land Commission, and when will this penalty be abolished?

Tithe rent charges are payable in respect of the lands mentioned in the question by the persons having the first estate of inheritance in such lands, as defined by the Tithe Rent Acts. No legislation is contemplated removing this charge from such estates.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in view of the public interest taken in the national universities in Ireland, he will without further delay cause the statutes and regulations to be published; and whether it has yet been decided that Irish will be an essential subject for matriculation?

Statutes for the government of the new Universities are in the first instance to be made by the Commissioners appointed under the Irish Universities Act. Regulations are to be made at the discretion of the Senates of the Universities as provided by their charters. The making and publication of the Statutes and regulations is not, therefore, within my control. The subjects of study are to be prescribed by regulations of the Universities.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will state what sums of money have been spent by the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland on their science scheme; how many organisers were employed, and at what cost; what number of teachers received instructions, and at what cost; how many of those teachers are now teaching science in their schools; and how it is proposed to utilise the knowledge imparted at public cost to those teachers who are not actually so employed?

The Commissioners of National Education initiated their present scheme of object-lessons and elementary science instruction in 1900. They inform me that a return of the total amount spent in connection with the scheme since the beginning would take a long time to prepare, and that its value would not be commensurate with the labour and cost involved. An organising inspector and two assistants have been employed in developing the scheme. The organising inspector is paid a salary of £500, rising by annual increments of £20 to £700 per annum. One assistant is paid a salary of £300 per annum, and the other assistant is paid a salary of £150 per annum. The inspector and assistants also receive the usual travelling and personal expenses. According to the reports of the organising inspector for 1905-6 and 1907-8, the number of teachers qualified to teach elementary science was 4,419. According to the last report of the Commissioners the number of schools in which pupils were under instruction in object-lessons and elementary science was 8,472. The total number of schools in operation is 8,538.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what has become of the scheme of commercial educa- tion formulated some time ago by the Commissioners of National Education with a view to meeting Irish educational needs; whether that scheme has been definitely and finally abandoned owing to the obstructions to its adoption by the Treasury; and, if so, whether any steps will be taken to compel the Treasury to provide the necessary funds for the carrying out of a scheme which, if properly carried out, would be of benefit to the commercial community in Ireland, and thereby enable the Commissioners to revive one of the most useful schemes ever started by them?

I have referred this question to the Commissioners of National Education, who inform me that they do not know to what scheme the hon. Member refers.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that lands acquired by the Congested Districts Board in the vicinity of Newport, county Mayo, have for several years past and since coming into the hands of the Board been let on the 11 months' system as grazing land; will he say what steps the Board intend taking with a view to have this land, now used as grazing ranches, split up amongst the tenants in its neighbourhood; and when will that present policy be discontinued?

The Congested Districts Board are owners of the tenancy interest only of the lands referred to, which are on the O'Donel estate. This property is offered for sale in the Land Judge's Court, and the Board intend to purchase it when funds are available. In the case of this and several other estates the Board have had, owing to the want of funds for improvement works, to postpone making offers pending some addition to their income, and in the meantime the lands must be let in grazing, the Board having no power to stripe or otherwise interfere with them.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether any steps will be taken by the Estates Commissioners to provide Catherine Casey and Thady Flaherty, evicted tenants, who held holdings of land on the Brabazon estate, at Cahir, Aughamore, in the Swinford union, county Mayo, with holdings of land elsewhere than from where they were evicted, seeing that their farms are in the hands of others at present; failing that, whether they would arrange with the persons now in possession of these lands, by giving them reasonable compensation, as in their dealings with other tenants under similar circumstances; and, if not, will he say why?

The Estates Commissioners, in the exercise of their discretion, decided to take no action in either of these cases. It would be contrary to the established practice to state the grounds of their decision.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners can see their way to accelerate the reinstatement of William Bullman in his former holding on the estate of Mrs. Sarah Hyde, Ballindangan, county Cork, by completing the purchase of the farm in question, seeing that the landlord has agreed to accept the price offered by the Commissioners?

The Estates Commissioners will be prepared to expedite the reinstatement of William Bullman in his former holding when the owner institutes formal proceedings for sale.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the Estates Commissioners started building a road in the townland of Cloonball, Mayo Abbey electoral division of the Claremorris Union, and on the Claremorris estate; that that work has been unnecessarily delayed; that the tenants are paying interest on a sum of £100 allowed for making this road, although a sum of £50 has not yet been expended; and, if so, whether he will bring the necessary pressure to bear in this public body with a view to having this work completed and the inconvenience from which the tenants suffer removed?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the entire advance sanctioned for the road in question, together with a sum by way of free grant, has been expended, and that the road has been completed. The. tenants were not required to pay any interest on the amount advanced for improvements and included in the purchase price of their holdings until the work had been completed and the holdings were vested in them.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state under what statute a man named James Mullooly, of Corskagh, near Strokestown, county Eoscommon, was granted an allotment, had a house built on it for him, and was supplied with money to purchase stock by the Estates Commissioners, on the townland of Doonard, purchased from the trustees of Plunkett Taafe; whether he is aware that James Mullooly in 1885 owed about £40 to Messrs. McHugh and Company, of Strokestown, for shop goods supplied, and was decreed for the amount due, and there being nothing moveable to seize upon the decree was converted into a judgment, and under this judgment Mullooly's interest in his farm was put up for sale to satisfy the debt, and was bought in by Messrs. McHugh and Company; whether it is the custom of the Estates Commissioners to grant allotments to persons who have been evicted at the suit of creditors other than landlords; and, if so, can he state how many have been so granted allotments during 1906, 1907. and 1908?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that James Mullooly was provided with a holding on the Taaffe estate by them under section 2 (1) (d) of the Act of 1903, which does not lay down any restrictions as to the causes or circumstances under which a person became dispossessed of a holding. It is not the practice of the Commissioners to allot holdings to persons evicted by creditors other than landlords for debt, but they have done so in cases in which in the exercise of their discretion they thought it proper to do so. They cannot give the number of such cases. The estate on which Mullooly was provided with a holding was not acquired under the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, but under section 6 of the Irish Land Act, 1903.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners propose acquiring the untenanted farms of Park and Lyrogue, on the Hopkins estate, near Errill, Ballybrophy. Queen's county; and, in view of the fact that there are evicted tenants and small occupiers in the locality requiring land, and that the 11 months' grazier named Mole is endeavouring to create a tenancy to purchase, will he see that the Commissioners intervene at once?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that this estate, which is being sold direct to the tenants, has been inspected and that the inspector's report is at present under their consideration.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that the Local Government Board have, on appeal, refused an old age pension, already granted by the local committee, to John William Boyle, Dungloe, county Donegal, on the ground of the claimant's absence from the United Kingdom; whether he is aware that the man returned permanently to Ireland in 1892, and that during the entire period of his absence his family occupied his holding, and that rent was paid in his name, and whether the Board will now reconsider their decision in this case?

It is the fact that this man's claim was disallowed by the Board on appeal. He admitted he returned to this country in 1892 after an absence of 13½ years in Australia. As this period of absence occurred partly within the last 20 years, and exceeded eight years in duration, the question whether he had a home in this country during his absence did not arise, having regard to Article 29 (a) (iii.) of the Treasury Regulations of 15th October last, which have been presented to Parliament. The arrangements stated to have been made during his absence do not affect the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War, if he will state to what extent inoculations against typhoid fever are now being carried out in the Regular Army and in the Territorial Force in this country, in the Colonies and Dependencies, and in India; by what officers the inoculation is performed, and if they receive any special payment for performing the operation; from whom the serum for these inoculations is obtained; what amount of money has been spent on this serum; and under which Vote is it included?

In the last year arrangements have been made for the voluntary inoculation against enteric fever of officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Regular Army at all stations at home, prior to their departure for foreign service. Similar arrangements have also been made for voluntary inoculation against typhoid fever being carried out on board all troop ships and in all commands, including India, where enteric fever is prevalent. Statistics on the subject are not yet available. No arrangements have been made for the voluntary inoculation of the Territorial Force in this country. These inoculations are performed by officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps. No payment is made for the operation. The anti-typhoid vaccine is prepared at the Royal Army Medical College, Mill-bank. The sum of £63 was spent on the preparation of the vaccine last year, the amount being charged against Vote 2, subhead D.

asked the Secretary of State for War if clause 4, sub-section (b) and proviso (b) of the same clause of the Army (Annual) Bill is intended to have a retrospective effect in defending the Army Council against actions already brought against them; and, if so, will he introduce an Amendment to confine its effect to future actions?

The reply is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the value of the granite imported in Scotland during each of the past ten years?

I am unable to give the information required, as the imports of granite were not recorded separately from those of other descriptions of stone during the period in question. The total value of "Stones, slabs, and marble rough hewn or manufactured (other than works of art)" imported into Scottish ports during each of the last ten years was as follows:—

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the percentage of unemployed masons, granite cutters, and polishers in Scotland during each of the past 10 years?

I regret that there are no returns giving the information desired by my hon. Friend.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death on 9th November, 1908, from beri-beri of an Asiatic seaman named Essack Mahomed-jee, one of the crew of the ss. "Avala," of Liverpool; whether he is aware that this disease is attributed to insufficient and improper food; whether any inquiry has been held; whether the seaman was medically examined prior to joining the ship; whether he had any previous sea service; and whether any previous cases of beriberi have occurred on this ship?

Yes, Sir. The man referred to by my hon. Friend died of beriberi at Bangkok where the vessel was at anchor. The cause of beri-beri has not yet been definitely ascertained, but it is probable that bad and insufficient food may predispose to the disease. The master states that the Indian scale of diet was given in full, and that fresh provisions are supplied in addition. Inquiry was made by the principal collector at Colombo and the superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office at Barry. The man was medically examined at Bombay, but I am not aware whether he had had previous sea service. Six previous deaths from beri-beri on board this vessel have been reported during the last three years, and care will be taken to ascertain on the return of the vessel to this country whether there is anything in the ventilation, food, or conditions of employment which may have conduced to such a serious loss of life.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death at sea from heart disease of an Asiatic fireman named Nossimalli Boolie on 11th August, 1908, on the steamer "Clan Matheson," of Glasgow; whether any inquiry was held; whether the seaman was medically examined before going on the ship; whether he had any previous sea service; whether the Board of Trade surveyors have satisfactorily reported on the ventilation of the stokehold; if he can state the amount of coal the firemen and trimmers were required to work each 24 hours; and whether any previous cases of heart failure, heart disease, or heat stroke have occurred on this ship?

Yes, Sir; the man referred to by my hon. Friend died of heart disease on a voyage from New York to Australia. He had been laid up for five days before his death. Inquiry was held by the superintendent of the Mercantile Marine at Melbourne and the superintendent of the Mercantile Marine Office at Glasgow. The man had been medically examined before joining the ship, and had had several years' sea service. The vessel is now on a voyage to Port Natal, and on her return the ventilation will be examined by the Board of Trade surveyors. The owners state that the coal consumption was 28 tons per day, and the number of firemen and trimmers was 21. No previous case of death from heart failure, heart disease, or heat stroke on board this vessel has been reported.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to some extracts from a letter alleged to have been written three years ago by a captain of six years' seniority to Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fisher; whether he is aware that a charge has been publicly made that this letter revealed a system of espionage, and that the captain who wrote it criticised his superior officers wholesale; and whether he proposes to take any steps in the matter?

The letter in question was written by Captain R. H. Bacon, now Director of Naval Ordnance, an officer who has the full confidence of the Board of Admiralty. I have read the letter; it is a perfectly proper letter to have been written by Captain Bacon, and I cannot find in it the smallest ground for any of the calumnious charges which have been based upon it. It contains no opinion of Captain Bacon concerning his commanding officers or criticism of any officers in the fleet.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can state how many secondary schools for boys and for girls respectively have qualified for the higher grant by conforming to the regulation as to 25 per cent. of free places; of such boys' schools, in how many Latin is an obligatory subject of instruction; and in how many handicraft teaching and laboratory work are essential parts of the curriculum?

If the hon. Member will allow me, I will circulate the answer, which is in a tabular form, with the Votes to-night.

asked the President of the Board of Education, with regard to the 45 new schools and 21 enlargements of schools proposed in London, in how many cases have plans been submitted to the Board of Education and approved by them; in how many cases have contracts been signed; and whether he is satisfied that all this additional school accommodation is being provided with due despatch?

Plans have been approved for 10 new schools and eight enlargements, providing accommodation for 9,130 children. I have no information as to the number of cases in which contracts have been signed, but I will make inquiries of the London County Council.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has any information tending to show that council schools are increasing and voluntary schools decreasing in number; if so, whether he will lay such information upon the Table; and what steps he is prepared to take to ensure equal treatment to both classes of elementary schools.

I attach a table giving statistics as to the number, accommodation, and average attendance of schools of various classes for the last five years. With regard to the last paragraph of the question, I propose to give such treatment as the law requires to all schools whether council or voluntary.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he will give the reasons why the staff at the Education Office are not allowed to become candidates for borough councils; and why it should be considered necessary in his Department alone to have such a prohibition?

Borough councils are in varying degrees charged with duties and functions under the Education Acts, and are consequently brought into close contact with the administration of the Board of Education. It was, therefore, considered advisable by the Board to extend service on a borough council the rule which was applied throughout the Civil Service to service on a county council by the Treasury Minute of 18th December, 1888, and a Departmental Regulation to that effect was issued in August, 1905. I see no reason to depart from the practice then established. With regard to the last part of the question, I cannot undertake to give the reasons which have actuated my colleagues in not making particular regulations or decisions. But in the absence of a general rule applicable throughout the service matters of this kind would seem to fall within the discretion of the Minister of each Department, having regard to the particular interests and requirements of his own Department.

asked the Lord-Advocate the number of scholars on the registers at the end of the school year 1907–8, and the number in actual average attendance during the same period, in the annual-grant schools in Scotland?

The numbers were 812,348 and 712,076 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has power to take action in a case of indecent performance in a London music-hall, apart from and independent of action by the London County Council?

Yes, Sir, if the indecent performance were such as to be a misdemeanour at common law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, having regard to the number of escapes from convict prisons and lunatic asylums, and the difficulty and expense of tracing and recapturing persona who have so escaped, he will cause experiments to be made with bloodhounds in cases of future escapes.

I see grave objections to adopting this suggestion, especially in the case of lunatics. I am, however, obtaining some further information on the subject.