asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether subaltern officers of the Royal Engineers serving in India and Burma get less pay than those officers of the Indian Army who are not considered fit to serve with the corps of Sappers and Miners; and, if so, will he consider the advisability of remedying this inequality?

The Indian Sappers and Miners are officered solely by officers of the Royal Engineers, who do not necessarily serve permanently in India. The pay of subalterns serving with sappers and miners is generally somewhat less than that of subalterns of the Indian Army. The Secretary of State is not prepared to admit that the rates should be equalised.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he has received a despatch from the Government of India on the subject of the reorganisation of the Indian Telegraph Department; whether, in view of the general dissatisfaction among the officers of the Indian Telegraph Department at the delay which has occurred in India in coming to a conclusion regarding the reorganisation of that Department, he will take steps to expedite matters; and whether he can state when Orders thereon are likely to be passed?

The Secretary of State has not received the recommendations of the Government of India with regard to the reorganisation of the Indian Telegraph Department, but he will inquire when they may be expected.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a series of robberies of money from registered letters addressed by dockyard men, temporarily employed at Gibraltar, to members of their families resident at Sheerness and other dockyard towns, has recently taken place; whether the postal authorities have in such cases refused compensation on the ground that they have no responsibility for the loss, and whether he will, either alone or in concert with the Admiralty, take steps to prevent such robberies in the future?

I am aware that the losses referred to by my hon. Friend have recently been taking place; but, unfortunately, under the regulations of the Postal Union, no compensation is payable in respect of a registered letter whose contents are lost or abstracted. The losses have not taken place in this country, but I have taken steps which will, I hope and believe, prevent their recurrence.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the grant of the subsidy of £500 to the Glasgow and South-Western Railway Company for the conveyance of His Majesty's mails between Ardrossan and Arran is conditional on the punctual performance of the service; and, if so, whether he will state on how many occa- sions since 1st October, 1908, the mails were delivered in Arran at the scheduled time, and on how many occasions they were late?

The Glasgow and Southwestern Railway Company are required to perform the Ardrossan and Arran Mail Steamer Service at certain scheduled hours unless prevented by bad weather. I will make inquiry respecting the times of delivery in Arran during the period to which my hon. Friend refers, and communicate the result to him in due course.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has yet arrived at a decision on the points submitted to him by a deputation from the Supervising Officers' Association that waited on him last year; and, if so, whether his recommendations will date from the carrying out of the Hobhouse Committee's Report?

The matter is still under consideration. As regards the latter part of the hon. Member's question, I would refer him to the reply to a similar question put to me in this House on the 18th ultimo. I then said: "The proposals now under consideration are not founded on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee, but are subsequent and additional to them. Any changes which may be made will not, therefore, take effect as from 1st January, 1908."

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the possibility of allowing small country post offices to be closed early on bank holidays if desired by their occupants, seeing that in many of them very little business is done on that day?

Post offices in country districts at which telegraph business is not transacted close earlier on bank holidays than on other days—that is, 12 noon. I am considering whether any further reduction of hours can be made, and I am glad to say that I have already been able to make a reduction in some cases. As regards telegraph offices, the difficulties are considerable, but the matter is engaging my attention.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the names of the contractors and their places of business who have ben succesful during 1909 in obtaining contracts for Army boots and shoes, with the number of pairs to be supplied by each during the present year?

furnished the following particulars:—

Description. Contractor. Place of Business. Ankle Boots Adams Bros. … Raunds. R. Coggins and Sons, Ltd. … Raunds. W. Lawrence … Raunds. W. Nichols and Son … Kettering. Unity Co-operative Society … Ringstead. S. Walker … Walgrave. Cridland and Rose … Bristol. Clarke and Haynes … Raunds. J. T. Hawthorne … Finedon. C.E. Nichols … Raunds. Northamptonshire Productive Society … Wollaston. O. Smith … Raunds. St. Crispin Productive Society … Raunds. Tebbutt and Hall Bros … Raunds. Ankle Boots, machine sewn and stitched, screwed seats. Adams Bros. … Rushden. J. Cave and Sons, Ltd. … Rushden. R. Coggins and Sons, Ltd. … Raunds. Cridland and Rose … Bristol. W. Nichols and Son … Kettering. Boots, Wellington, Kip leg waxed Adams Bros. … Raunds. R. Coggins and Sons, Ltd. … Raunds. W. Nichols and Son … Kettering. Boots, jack, for Household Cavalry. W. Nichols and Son … Kettering. Canvas Shoes, No. 2, without laces. Adams Bros. … Raunds. Clarke and Haynes … Raunds. R. Coggins and Sons, Ltd. … Raunds. Cridland and Rose … Bristol. J. Horrell and Son … Raunds. Howell and White, Ltd. … Norwich. W. Nichols and Son … Kettering. St. Crispin Productive Society … Raunds. O. Smith … Raunds. Wilkins and Denton, Ltd. … Rushden. Canvas Shoes, No. 3, with laces. Adams Bros. … Raunds. W. Nichols and Son … Kettering. Pocock Bros. … London. Shoes, Highland, B S. Walker … Walgrave. Shoes, Magazine, W.A. pattern. Tebbutt and Hall Bros. … Raunds.

asked the Secretary to the Board of Education whether, seeing that the Government took part in the invitation to the Seventh International Congress of Applied Chemistry to meet in London, at Whitsuntide, he will say if the official support so extended will cover the rent of rooms, in the Imperial Institute, and in the University of London, granted for the accommodation of the Congress?

It has already been arranged with the authorities of the Con-

gress that no rent shall be charged in respect of the use by the Congress of the rooms required in the Imperial College of Science and Technology. I was not previously aware that a charge is being imposed by the Imperial Institute or the University of London for the use of rooms

]in those buildings, but, if so, it is not a matter upon which the Board of Education have any jurisdiction. I am, however, communicating with the authorities on the subject.

asked the Lord Advocate whether he can state the arrears of assessments in the island of Lewis which were levied up to and including the financial year 1907–8; what is the amount of these assessments for the current year, and how much of this is still uncollected; and what remains unexpended of the bank advance granted, on the guarantee of the Treasury, in November last to meet the pressing necessities of local government?

The information required by the hon. Member is as follows:— Parish. Arrears of Assessment for years to 15th May, 1908, still outstanding. Amount of Assessment levied for current year. Amount of current year's Assessment uncollected. Amount of Guarant'd Overdraft unexpended. £ £ £ £ Barvas 1,304 1,407 362 30 Lochs 1,471 1,645 205 — Uig 1,801 1,953 1,790 105

asked the hon. Member for the Crewe Division, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, what action, if any, the Commissioners have taken in the matter of the petition of Robert Henry Potter, presented to the House on 11th July, 1906, for redress of grievances, such petition being reported as being in order to the House 27th July, 1906?

Until their attention was drawn to it by the hon. Member's question, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners had no knowledge of the petition, but it appears to relate to the following matter: Robert Henry Potter, in 1899, brought an action (Potter v. Le Strange, 1899, p., No. 989) in the King's Bench Division of the High Court against Mr. Hamon Le Strange, and joined the Ecclesiastical Commissioners as co-defendants. His claim was for the recovery of certain copyhold lands held of the Manor of Sedgeforth in the county of Norfolk, of which the Commissioners are lords. The lands had formerly belonged to John Potter, alleged to be the claimant's great-grandfather, but upon the death of John Potter in 1834 had been sold by the trustees of his will. The lands are not and never were in the possession of the Commissioners. The action was dismissed on the ground that the statement of claim disclosed no cause of action. In the circumstances there is no action that the Commissioners are called upon to take in reference to the petition.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death from beri beri, on 7th December, 1908, of an Asiatic fireman named Lum Kau, a member of the crew of the "Tweeddale," of Glasgow; whether he is aware that this disease is attributed to insufficient and improper food; whether the seaman was medically examined before joining the vessel; whether he had any previous sea service; and whether any previous cases of death from this disease have occurred on this vessel?

The Collector of Customs at Union Bay, British Columbia, has reported the death from beri beri of the fireman Lum Kau on 7th of December last. 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. I am not aware whether the man had been medically examined before joining the ship, but I am informed that he had had previous sea service. The "Tweeddale" has not since been in the United Kingdom, and is now at Samarang, but upon her return further inquiry will be made. No other case of death from beri beri has occurred in this ship during the last three years.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the death from consumption, on 13th October, 1908, of an Asiatic fireman named Hamidall Noorhuroody, a member of the crew of the steamer "Baron Balfour," of Ardrossan; whether the seaman was medically examined before joining the vessel; whether he had any previous sea service; whether the Board of Trade surveyors have satisfactorily reported on the ventilation of the stokehold; whether he can state how much coal was required to be worked by the stokehold hands every 24 hours; and whether any previous cases of death from this disease have occurred on this vessel?

The Shipping Master at Aden has reported the death from consumption of the fireman Serang Hamidall Noorhuroody, in Aden Harbour on 13th October last. The man had been medically examined before joining the ship. As he was a Serang he would never be employed trimming or stoking, and probably had had previous sea service. As the vessel has not been in the United Kingdom since the date of the occurrence, the Board of Trade Surveyors have not had an opportunity of reporting on the ventila- tion. The owners state that the number of firemen and trimmers was 16, and that the amount of coal worked every 24 hours was approximately 19 to 20 tons. No other death from consumption has occurred on board this vessel during the last three years.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he is in a position to state the aggregate debt of the various local authorities of the United Kingdom for the years 1905–6 and 1906–7, and the amounts remaining in sinking or similar funds at the end of those years?

The following table gives the information desired by my hon. Friend:—

Local Authorities in Total Amount of the Outstanding Balances of Loans. Total Amount remaining in Sinking or similar Funds. 1905–6. 1906–7. 1905–6. 1906–7. £ £ £ £ England and Wales … 482,983,929 494,071,000* 16,452,299 17,212,000* Scotland … 63,118,797 63,898,777 658,997 687,395 Ireland … 18,584,751 19,279,956 450,000 526,000 Totals … 564,687,477 577,249,733* 17,561,296 18,425,395* *Approximate, the figure for a few local authorities not being available.

asked the Attorney-General whether it is the intention of the Government to reintroduce the County Courts Bill, 1908, during the present Session; and, if not, is it the intention of the Government to bring in any other Bill to amend the County Courts Acts during the present Session?

The Lord Chancellor hopes to bring in a County Courts Bill, but how far it may differ from the Bill of last year is not yet settled.

asked the Attorney-General whether he is aware that, at the recent election for the Hambleden Rural District Council, the returning officer who presided at the polling station placed his chair immediately facing, and himself sat within a few feet of, the compartments into which voters go to mark their ballot papers, so that, if he did not actually see, the voters reasonably supposed that he could see the way in which

they marked their voting papers; and whether, in view of the provisions of section 4 of the Ballot Act, 1872, requiring officers to maintain the secrecy of the ballot, and not to interfere or attempt to interfere with voters when marking their votes, he will take such action as may be necessary to ensure that the provisions of the Ballot Act shall be carried out both in letter and in spirit.

I have no information as to the matters mentioned in the question except the allegations contained in the question itself, which I have no means of verifying; but if the matter is brought, with proper and sufficient proofs, before the Public Prosecutor, it shall be carefully considered with a view to prosecution, if good grounds therefor are shown to exist.

asked the Postmaster-General if the construction of the new General Post Office in Newgate Street, E.G., is to be executed entirely in reinforced concrete Hennebique system of ferro-concrete; if so, were other systems examined before the adoption of the Hennebique; and are any or all of the articles used in this system made in England?

The entire structure, with the exception of street facades, which are of granite and stone, is of reinforced concrete on the Hennebique system, and this part of the work is now practically completed. Other methods were examined before the Hennebique system was decided upon for this building. All materials used in the construction are of British manufacture.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that on 24th March, when a Bill was under consideration in the Legislative Council of Jamaica for the extension of the franchise, an amendment moved for the providing of the enfranchisement of women on the same terms as men was lost by three votes, owing to the action of the Governor, Sir Sydney Olivier, in ordering the official and non-elected members of the council to vote against this amendment; whether Sir Sydney Olivier, as the representative of the Imperial Government, took this step on his own intiative or by the direction of the Colonial Office; whether any communications have passed between the Governor of Jamaica and the Colonial Office in reference thereto; and whether, having regard to the recorded opinion of this House in favour of the extension of the franchise to women and the action of the Governor of a Colony without responsible government, in using his position as the representative of the Imperial Government in opposition to female suffrage in that Colony, the Colonial Secretary has any, and, if so, what, explanation to give to the House of Commons in reference to the conduct of Sir Sydney Olivier in this matter, and the attitude of the Colonial Office in respect to that conduct?

The Secretary of State has had no official correspondence with the Governor upon the subject referred to in my hon. Friend's question, and no official Report of the proceedings in the Legislative Council has yet reached him. From the reports in the Press, it appears that the Bill in which it was proposed to introduce the amendment in question was a Bill to amend the Registration of Voters Law, passed last year. The amendment was introduced without notice, and the Governor declined to accept it. Two of the elected members voted against it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that Miss Patricia Woodcock, a member of a women's suffrage deputation appointed by the National Women's Social and Political Union, was arrested and charged with assaulting the police, and sentenced on 31st March, at Bow Street, to three months' imprisonment in the second division, in default of finding securities; and whether, having regard to the fact that if Miss Woodcock earns the remission to which good conduct entitles her she must, under the terms of the sentence, remain in prison until 16th June, he will consider the advisability of taking steps for the shortening of this term of imprisonment inflicted on a political offender and accompanied with incidents of personal indignity to which public opinion is adverse?

This lady, who had three times previously been committed for the same class of offence, and who intimated that if released she would straightway do the same thing, was only required to give securities for good behaviour, and can therefore come out of prison at any time on complying with the order of the Court. I see no reason for interference on my part.