asked the Lord Advocate whether the purchase price of Vatersay will form a charge upon the sum allocated to the Congested Districts Board for Scotland or will be provided under a separate Vote?

The price will be a charge upon the funds of the Congested Districts Board, as I informed the hon. Member on 15th March.

asked the Lord Advocate whether he will print with the Votes the recent correspondence with Mr. Duncan Campbell as supplementary to the Vatersay Papers issued this week?

The following communication was made from the Scottish Office on the 2nd April in reply to a letter from Mr. Duncan Campbell requesting on behalf of the squatters at Vatersay that their agent should be consulted in regard to the settlement of the island:—

"With reference to your letter of the 24th ultimo, I am directed by the Secretary for Scotland to inform you that, as you are already aware, the farm of Vatersay has been purchased on behalf of the Congested Districts Board after negotiations to which it was obviously impossible that any third party having no legal interest in the property could be a party. The arrangements for settling the island will be made in accordance with the usual practice of the Congested Districts Board and in direct communication with the selected applicants for the land. The Congested Districts Board will not refuse to consider suggestions bearing on the settlement, from whatever quarter received, but they are unable to recognise any preferential claim to be consulted on the part of yourself or any other applicants, and they must reserve full discretion as to the division of the land, the choice of the settlers, and otherwise in dealing with the matter."

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 Sedge-forth, 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-grand- father, 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 Postmaster-General if he is aware that, consequent on the Hobhouse Committee revision, all established adult night messengers have obtained Civil Service certificates as postmen, and that several of them have been awarded good-conduct stripes, thereby inflicting a hardship and causing friction amongst the messengers with good records who have been denied them; will he therefore remove all cause of friction by adopting the view of the minority of the Select Committee that these men should, without delay, be awarded good-conduct stripes; and, having regard also to the fact that as the class of adult messengers is small, this reform could be carried out at small cost by awarding this concession to all adult messengers with nine years' of good conduct service?

In accordance with the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee all adult night messengers with five years' full-time continuous service, who were able to obtain Civil Service certificates, have been placed on the establishment. These officers have not been awarded good-conduct stripes. The Select Committee made an explicit recommendation on the point, and I can find no record that any different view was held by a minority of the Select Committee.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that owing to the recent official revision of the hours of duty of East Central postmen a large number of claims for payment of excess time have been presented, and that these claims have been refused on the ground that the rules cannot recognise them; and will he state if it is by his authority the recommendation of the Tweedmouth Committee that all excess time over 48 hours in one week should be paid as overtime has been cancelled?

I am having inquiry made in the matter, and will acquaint the hon. Member with the result.

asked the Postmaster-General if he can now say what decision has been arrived at as a result of the further consideration of the claims of the postmen of the Highgate, Hornsey, and Muswell Hill districts to promotion to Division II., promised in the Report of the Hobhouse Committee issued 12 months ago?

Under the classification scheme founded on the Report of the Parliamentary Committee (which appears in the Return "Post Office (Changes in Wages, etc.)" presented to the House of Commons in July, 1908), the postmen in the districts mentioned received an advance of 1s. a week in their maximum wages.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has yet received the Report asked for from the Governor of Malta relative to the threats contained in the Roman Catholic bishop's pastoral letter against Catholics who participated in designing or building any Protestant church or edifice; and, if so, will he state its contents?

The Report of the Governor has not yet been received.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether there is any diary or official record showing of what the 27 turns of horseback duty said to have been performed by District-Inspector Rogers since his appointment to Enniscorthy consisted; and, if not, what means the Inspector-General possesses of verifying the officer's statement; what were the three stations inspected by Mr. Rogers on horseback; on what dates were the inspections made; of what does a turn consist, as intended by the code; and whether he will cause a statement to be furnished showing clearly and in detail the 27 turns referred to, with dates?

The Inspector-General of the Royal Irish Constabulary informs me that a journal of personal duties is kept by each district inspector. District-Inspector Rogers does not appear to have entered in his journal particulars of all the 27 turns of horseback duty performed by him since his appointment to Enniscorthy. He is at present on the sick list, but on his return to duty he will be required to furnish these particulars. The three stations inspected by him on horseback were Killanne, Oylgate, and Clon-roche, inspected on 9th, 15th, and 18th June respectively. A turn of horseback duty consists of inspection, or any other suitable duty.

asked the Chief Secretary how long District Inspector Rogers has been in charge of Enniscorthy; whether he is aware that this officer has had no horse or man-servant in the town since August last; whether Mr. Rogers has drawn forage allowance and allowance for a man-servant during this time; if so, whether the certificate that was signed by the officer in conformity with the requirements of the Exchequer and Audit Department was false; whether it is proposed to hold a sworn inquiry into the whole matter; and, if not, what steps the Government propose to take?

The Inspector-General of the Royal Irish Constabulary, informs me that District-Inspector Rogers has been in charge of Enniscorthy district since April, 1908. He has had no horse at his station since August last, having sent his horse, with his man-servant in charge, to Kildare at the end of July. He states that he has since had the services of a man-servant at Enniscorthy, and has obtained a horse locally when necessary. He has continued to draw forage allowance and allowance for a man-servant. The certificate which he signed was to the effect that he was in possession of a horse which complied with the prescribed conditions. This though literally true was misleading. The Inspector-General has reprimanded him, and directed him to refund the forage allowance. The case having thus been dealt with no further inquiry appears to be necessary.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the number of acres of untenanted land the Estates Commissioners have distributed in Queen's County; the number of acres purchased but not distributed; and the number of acres for which they are in treaty?

The Estates Commissioners have acquired 3,995 acres of untenanted land in the Queen's County. All of this land has been distributed. In addition the Commissioners are in negotiation for the purchase of some 1,500 acres of untenanted land in the county.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners have received an application from James M'Gorty for reinstatement as a tenant evicted on the property of Captain Jones, at Belcoo, county Fermanagh; whether the application has been refused; if so, on what grounds; and, if not, whether the case will receive early attention?

The Estates Commissioners have decided not to take any action with regard to the application of James M'Gorty for reinstatement in a holding on this estate at one time in his occupation, and now in the possession of another tenant. It would be contrary to the established practice to state the reasons which actuated the Commissioners in the exercise of their discretion.

asked the Chief Secretary what is the acreage of the lands which the Estates Commissioners have actually got possession of under the Evicted Tenants Act from the passing of that Act to 1st April, 1909; and whether any, and, if so, how much, of such lands are in county Fermanagh?

The Estates Commissioners had acquired 6,512 acres of untenanted land under the Evicted Tenants Act up to 1st April last. None of these lands are situated in Fermanagh. Proceedings are pending under the Act of 1903 for the purchase of 3,000 acres of untenanted land in that county, and, when acquired, they will provide holdings for the greater number of the evicted tenants in that county who have been noted as suitable.