asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he would state whether the Administrator-General in Bengal can use his discretion in dealing with property which he may sell or keep as he thinks best, setting wills aside; whether he is at liberty to spend or retain money belonging to estates, and is not accountable for the same; whether his attention has been called to the will of Mr. Knox Johnson, principal of Queen's College, Jubbulpore, of which will probate was granted, who died 19th June, 1906, and to whose widow no communication was sent until 4th October, 1906, after all the effects had been disposed of at low prices; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter?

As regards the realising of assets, the Administrator-General in Bengal is under the same Administrator-General, is under the same obligations as a private executor or administrator: his powers and duties are laid down in the Indian Acts, No. 2 of 1874 and No. 5 of 1902. The Secretary of State and my predecessor, the right hon. Member for East Perthshire, have personally looked into this case, and Mrs. Knox Johnson has been informed that the Secretary of State is unable to interfere with the discretion of the Administrator-General in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by law.

asked the Under-Secretary for India whether he would state how many sites had been acquired by the Government of Bengal for the construction of model buildings to be used as liquor shops; what had been the result of the experiment; and whether, before arriving at a final decision upon the subject, due regard will be paid to the objections entertained by all sections of opinion in India to the acquisition of such sites and the erection of liquor shops under the direct control of the Government?

The Secretary of State has no information as to whether any action has as yet been taken by the Bengal Government on the recommendation, to which the hon. Member refers, of the Calcutta Licensing Committee; and in any case results are hardly likely as yet to be available. There is no reason to suppose that in arriving at a final decision the Bengal Government will be insensible to well-considered objections preferred by responsible exponents of public opinion in India. The Licensing Committee, which recommended the experiment in the interests of temperance and sanitary reform, included representatives of the Municipal Corporation.

asked the Under-Secretary for India whether the Secretary of State had yet received official information as to whether the cases of the nine British subjects who were deported from Bengal last December without charge or trial have now been reconsidered by the Government of India; and, if so, with what result?

asked the Under-Secretary for India whether the cases of the nine deported Bengalis came up this month for reconsideration by the Government of India, or were merely reported in the manner prescribed by the Regulation as a matter of administrative routine?

The Regulation requires the officer, in whose custody a State prisoner is, to submit twice a year a report to the Government of India on the "conduct, health, and comfort" of such State prisoner, in order that the Government of India may determine whether the orders for his detention shall continue in force or be modified.

May I ask whether it is not also obligatory on the Government to consider the whole policy of the deportation of these prisoners, and not merely their detention?

I have quoted entirely from the Regulation.

Are we to understand that the Government of India is not reconsidering the policy that has been pursued?

I do not think that arises out of the answer.

How much longer will they have to be detained; can the right hon. Gentleman say?

No, Sir, I am afraid I cannot.

inquired whether the official report of the libel action brought by Mr. Lajpat Rai in the Calcutta High Court has yet been received from India?

The Secretary of State has, as I have already informed the House, cabled for a report of the proceedings to be sent by mail Meanwhile full reports of the case as published in the newspapers are available, and there is no reason to doubt their accuracy.

Will the Secretary of State arrange that Mr. Lajpat Rai should be relieved from the imputation cast on him by the suggestions—which were no more than suggestions—made in this House?

I think that the whole matter is so controversial that I prefer to deal with it when the Indian Budget is taken; this is fairness also to the Indian Government.

More than once we have been told that the Government did not accept the accuracy of the newspaper versions. How can the House now rely upon them?

I never said that the Government did not accept their accuracy. I said we have received no official information.

When is the information expected?

It may arrive at any moment.

Has any appeal been lodged?

I shall have to consult the Secretary of State.

asked the Under-Secretary for India whether the Punjab Government have completed their consideration of the Report made in the case of the alleged murder of her husband by one Gulab Bano, heard on appeal in the Lahore High Court in January last, and whether any, and, if so, what, orders have been passed on the Report with regard to the conduct of the police officers concerned?

The Secretary of State has not yet been informed of the conclusions arrived at by the Local Government, and he is unable to say whether any orders have been passed.

Could not the Secretary of State make inquiries?

I will convey the suggestion to the Secretary of State.

asked the Under-Secretary for India whether the attention of the Secretary of State has been called to the Report of the administration of the police in Calcutta for last year issued by the Commissioner, Mr. Halliday; whether it is reported by Mr. Halliday that in the course of the year I sergeant, 4 head constables, and 65 constables were dismissed from the service, of whom 2 head constables and 15 constables were dismissed for taking bribes; that 1 head constable and 7 constables were judicially convicted of crime; that 1 head constable and 22 constables were dismissed for illegal acts; that, in addition, over 500 inspectors, sub-inspectors, sergeants, head constables, and constables were punished departmentally for various offences; and whether, if these facts are so, the Secretary of State will give them careful consideration before sanctioning any measure which will place larger powers in the hands of the police of Calcutta?

The Secretary of State has seen the Report quoted by the hon. Member. As to the powers proposed to be given to the police by the Bill, I would refer the hon. Member to the explanation of its scope and intentions given in reply to the hon. Member for East Nottingham last Thursday. The number of punishments inflicted appears to show that the responsible officers are exercising proper supervision and enforcing strict discipline over a force drawn from an Oriental population. That being so, the Secretary of State deprecates inquiries, which may have the effect of lowering in the public estimation a body of men which is loyally doing its best in difficult circumstances, and upon which the public must rely for their security.

Is my hon. Friend aware that in the Anglo-Indian Press the record of the police is described as an appalling record, and is it not proposed to place larger powers in their hands?

Well, the hon. Member will see from the reply to his question that the Government in India have been dealing with this appalling record in so far as it has been able to.

May I ask whether the controlling agency in the Indian police, is, to a large extent, European; whether further control of the character indicated by the punishments referred to in the question can be effected by increasing the employment of Europeans in the police; and what would be the cost of substituting European for native agency upon such a scale as to effect an improvement throughout the Indian Empire?

The control is largely in the hands of Europeans.

asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies if he is aware that at the Prince's Town police court, Trinidad, on the 29th June, an indentured immigrant was prosecuted for absenting himself from work at the Buen Intento estate; that the presiding magistrate, Mr. H. H. Pasea, called the attention of the overseer to the man's physical condition, remarking that he had been an overseer when these people were treated as human beings, and, after commenting on their present treatment, ordered the man to be sent to hospital; and whether ho is prepared to take action in regard to such cases of ill-treatment?

also asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies if he was aware that at the Prince's Town police court, Trinidad, on the 29th June, an indentured labourer from the Jordan Hill estate was prosecuted for absenting himself from such estate without a pass; that, in regard to such, it was pointed out that at Bronté there had been a free fight amongst such labourers, and that the overseers stood by and saw a man being beaten to death; that the man prosecuted was a good worker; that there are many complaints as to the treatment of these people; and, if so, would he state what action, if any, the Government intend to take to put an end to such proceedings?

The Secretary of State has no knowledge of any of the incidents to which he refers, but he will cause inquiry to be made into these allegations.

asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Cape Government have raised the licence duty on representatives of British firms in South Africa from £25 per annum to £50, and in cases of agents representing a number of firms up to £100, withdrawing at the same time the traveller's concession on his railway ticket, and also imposing a charge upon them equal to a 5 per cent. duty on the value of all samples carried by them; and whether he will represent to the Cape Government that the travellers affected by this taxation are suffering severe pecuniary loss as a result of the same?

The attention of the Secretary of State has been called to the large increase in the licence duties referred to, though not to the other points, by a number of complaints from commercial bodies in this country, and he has been in communication with the Cape Government on the subject. The Cape Government, who were compelled to impose considerably increased taxation to meet a deficit, have not felt able so far to take steps to reduce the duties, but they gave an assurance that the objections made should receive full consideration if it should be found possible to make a reduction later. In these circumstances, and more particularly in view of the impending Union of the South African Colonies, it is not proposed to reopen the question at present.

inquired whether the Government proposes to take any action in order to render the bankruptcy laws more stringent in Nyasaland.

No, Sir; it has not hitherto been represented to the Secretary of State that more stringent bankruptcy laws are required, but if my hon. Friend ii disposed to furnish me with his reasons for thinking that they give too much latitude to the bankrupts of Nyasaland I shall be happy to look into the matter.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the value of stock of naval stores on 1st April, 1906, and on 31st March, 1909.

The value of the stock of naval stores, etc., on the dates named, was:—

Has the right hon. Gentleman noticed that my question refers to the 31st March as well as to 1st April?

I did notice that, but there would be no difference in the amount.

In naval stores is the supply of cordite included?

No; that would come under the head of ordnance stores.

asked the First Lord if he will state whether it is the official rule that a register should be kept of the recipients of all confidential documents and a signed receipt given in each case for the same at the Admiralty; and, if so, whether this rule was observed in the case of the Bacon and Mann letters, and also of the document in which one First Sea Lord took credit to himself for saving seven millions over Rosyth?

No, Sir. There is no such general rule.

asked the First Lord if he will state to what extent are the "St. Vincent," building at Portsmouth, and the "Collingwood," building at Devonport, likely to be delayed; and what is the cause of this delay?

It is expected that the "St. Vincent" will be delayed in completion three months, and the "Collingwood" two months. The cause of delay is the strike on the East Coast last year, which has affected the completion of the machinery.

How long have these vessels been building since laid down?

The period of the contract is two years. If they are delayed respectively two months and three months, it will be two years and two months and two years and three months.

asked whether the Government can give the House authentic details as to displacement, speed and armament of the German "Dreadnoughts" to be commissioned this autumn?

The details are understood to be as follows:—

Has the right hon. Gentleman anything more exact with regard to speed than "over 19 knots"?

No, Sir; I have nothing more than that—I should say something over 19 knots.

asked how many of the 18 first-class protected cruisers in the Navy are maintained in full commission, excluding such vessels whose crews may have been increased to full complement for the temporary purposes of manœuvres, etc?

One first-class protected cruiser, the "Powerful," is in commission with full crew.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman regard this as a most serious state of things—only one out of 18 in full commission?

No, Sir; the others are perfectly ready and available to go to sea, if required.

How long would it take to put them in full commission?

Those with nucleus crews probably five or six hours; those with the special reserve may take a couple of days—probably two or three—

Can a vessel in the special reserve be sent to sea without mobilising the reserves?

If we wished, of course.

Is it not a fact that it is laid down in the regulations that the reserve of crews are to be Naval reserve men?

No; under the scheme of mobilisation in the event of war these special reserve ships would be manned with a certain proportion of Naval Reserve, and that is under the scheme for the manning of the whole fleet; but it does not follow that if we wished to man these vessels at any time we could not do so.

Is the right hon. Gentleman quite satisfied with the manning of only one?

Oh, yes! Perfectly satisfied. It has nothing to do with the availability of the ships.

asked when it is hoped to launch the "Neptune" and "Indefatigable," building at Portsmouth and Devonport respectively; and how long will be required to prepare the slips they vacate for the new battleships ordered under the current programme?

As at present arranged the "Neptune" will be launched at the latter end of September and the "Indefatigable" during the last week in October. It is expected that the further new ships referred to will be laid down by the end of November on the same slips.

asked what dress it is contemplated that men of the Royal Marines wear when engaged in land operations in time of war?

The "marching order" dress of the corps as specified in Dress Numbers 5a and 9, page 840a, "Quarterly Navy List." Under certain circumstances the ordinary serge tunic would be replaced by khaki.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has considered the question whether the offences of which the suffragettes have been convicted are or are not to be regarded as political offences; and if he will state whether the Home Office has received any legal advice on the subject?

Political offences are not in any way recognised by the common law of England, nor can political motive be pleaded in justification of an offence or as in itself entitling the offender to special treatment in prison. Persons guilty of certain offences specified by statute, such as sedition and seditious libel, must by statute be placed in the first division, but it is not, and never has been, the law or practice in this country to accord special treatment to prisoners who, like the suffragettes, have offended against the ordinary law in the course of a political agitation or from political motives, and the introduction of such a practice would be likely to have dangerous consequences. If special treatment were to be provided by law for prisoners who have committed offences, and who could prove that they had acted with a political motive, any persons able to show that they were in earnest on some social or political question could create obstruction, assault policemen, and break windows, without having to anticipate any punitive consequences beyond detention for a short period. In the gradation from trifling offences to murder it would be impossible to fix the point where such leniency should cease. The provision in the Extradition Acts has reference to offences committed abroad, was designed to protect the right of asylum, and has no bearing whatever upon the punishment of offenders for offences committed in this country. The answer to the latter part of the question is in the affirmative.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he has given the ladies, who have been accused and punished for breach of discipline in Holloway, including charges of biting and kicking officials, an opportunity of stating their version of what took place, or whether in his replies he is relying on the ex parte statement of the officials?

I do not see how that arises; but if the hon. Member wishes to press that question he will put it on the Paper. I am not in a position to answer it to-day.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in this respect the British Government differs from all other Governments in connection with political offences?

Then it is about time other Governments should imitate us.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention had been drawn to the sentence of four months' imprisonment in the first division passed on Arthur Fletcher Horsley for unlawfully printing and publishing a scandalous and seditious libel against the Members of the Government of His Majesty and against the peace; whether the offence was a political one; and, if so, whether he will seek to so amend the law as to ensure that women convicted of political offences shall not be subject to less favoured treatment than men?

It was pleaded on Horsley's behalf that, so far as he was concerned, the offence was not political, and that plea was accepted by the judge in passing the lenient sentence of four months' imprisonment. Had he been actuated by political motive his offence would have assumed a much graver aspect. Prisoners, whether male or female, convicted of publishing seditious libels must by statute be placed in the first division. There are no grounds for suggesting that women are subject to less favoured treatment than men convicted of similar offences.

May I ask whether the publishing of a scandalous and seditious libel is a more heinous crime than seeking to interview the Prime Minister?

The question of the magnitude of the crime is, of course, a question for the courts.

asked whether, in view of the attitude of the members of the Royal College of Surgeons, as shown in the memorial recently submitted, he proposes to sanction the new bye-laws proposed by the council of the Royal College of Surgeons?

This matter is still under my consideration.

asked the Lord Advocate if he will state to the House the reasons for the extension of service of the chairman of the Scottish Prison Commission for 2½ years beyond the compulsory retiral age; was it on account of his exceptional efficiency; and, if so, will he say whether the work of the Prisons Commissioners is subject to any independent inspection, or do they report on themselves?

My hon. Friend is correct in his surmise; various exceptional matters in connection with prison administration have been engaging the attention of the Prison Commissioners during this period, and in view of the long experience and special qualifications of the chairman it was thought desirable to retain his services. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative. The Prison Commissioners present an annual Report to the Secretary for Scotland, in the same manner as other Departments of Government in Scotland, which is laid before Parliament, and the Vote for the Department forms part of the annual Estimates, and is, of course, subject to the criticism of the House of Commons.

Is it the case that the present Commissioners reported on their own chairman that he was exceptionally efficient; and that on that Report an extension of the time was twice made?

I really do not know whether that is so, but if they did they were quite correct.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the treatment towards Mr. Jameson by the Hammersmith Infirmary officials because he refused to undergo an operation on his leg and was turned out in consequence, although the infirmary doctor had to remove the splints from his leg to pass him out; and, seeing that this man was readmitted an hour afterwards and subjected to bad treatment on readmission, will he cause an inquiry to be made about the matter?

I have received complaint with regard to this case, and have made inquiry with respect to it. Jameson was admitted to the infirmary on 5th January. The splint was removed on the 6th, not apparently for the purpose of passing him out, but because it was no longer required and because the sinues from which he suffered rendered its continuance undesirable. On the 8th he declined to undergo an operation on his leg. He was discharged on the 9th, not, as I understand, on this account, but at his own request. He was re- admitted the same day. The allegation that he then received bad treatment is entirely denied by the officers concerned, whom I have caused to be questioned on the subject, and I do not find any evidence in support of it.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that, according to the report of the medical officer of health for the Borough of Croydon for 1908, numerous cess-pools in the Croydon Rural District are in direct communication with water-bearing strata from which drinking-water is derived; that the local authorities do not attempt to put into operation the model building bye-laws of the Local Government Board, which insist on builders making cess-pools watertight; that cess-pools in the district are allowed to be built in defiance of the bye-laws and in such a way as to encourage the direct flow of sewage under 20 or 30 feet of pressure into porous chalk; and that within the Croydon drainage areas there were in 1907, according to the borough engineer's report, 249 houses drained by cess-pools which were and are capable of being connected with the sewers; is he aware that the medical officer has urged the necessity of safeguarding and extending the present water supply; and seeing that in January, 1908, the Croydon Corporation laid the facts before the Local Government Board, will he say what action the Board has taken or proposes to take in the matter, and what assistance or advice the Board can give on the whole question of water supply from the chalk?

I am aware of the reports of the medical officer of health and borough engineer referred to in the question. I communicated with the rural district council, and was informed that they had succeeded in persuading a considerable proportion of the owners concerned to connect their premises with the public sewers. I advised them as to the powers which they possessed for dealing with cases where such connections had not been made, and I subsequently issued an Order conferring upon them certain additional powers under the Public Health Acts Amendment Act, 1907. Further, I am causing some scientific investigations to be made with regard to chemical means of purifying chalk waters. I am fully alive to the importance of the subject.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that two daily diet books cost £2 12s.; and whether he can see his way to reducing the charges levied on guardians of the poor for union books?

I presume that the book referred to is the Daily Provisions Consumption Account prescribed by the General Order for Accounts issued by the Poor Law Board on the 14th January, 1867. I am not aware of the precise cost of the book as prepared for any particular Board of Guardians. This would be settled between the Guardians and the bookseller. It is not fixed by me, and I do not think I can take any action in the matter.

asked the right hon. Gentleman whether, in regulations under The Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Act, it is the Customs officer whose duty it is to call in the medical officer of health to examine imported meat which the Customs officer considers unsound; if so, will he say whether that official is qualified by training to decide what meat is diseased and what meat is wholesome; and, if not, will he alter the regulation so that all meats imported are subjected to expert examination?

It is the case that an officer of Customs would not be qualified by training to decide what meat is diseased and what meat is wholesome, but the Regulations do not require him to do this. His duties under them are to require that certain classes of foreign meat, whether it is diseased or not, shall not be removed until they have been examined by the medical officer of health, and that other classes of foreign meat shall not be removed if, by reason of facts brought to his knowledge, or of representations made to him, he is of opinion that the meat requires examination by the medical officer of health. The responsibility for expert examination rests with the medical officer of health, and he may examine any foreign meat whilst it is still in the district, although it has not been detained by the officer of Customs. It does not appear to me that any alteration of the Regulations is necessary.

Can the right hon. Gentleman state whether this is entirely a matter of expense?

It is a matter of cost plus common-sense.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the Local Government Board auditor to the West Ham Union surcharged the clerk to the board of guardians 5s. for 10 sixpences given to 10 persons ordered by the several relief committees, acting under regulations ordered by the board of guardians in meeting assembled, and sanctioned by the Local Government Board itself, to appear before the house committee, and kept waiting there from 10 a.m. to as late as 2.30 p.m. without food; that the resolution to pay the 6d. for food to such persons was carried at a duly summoned meeting of the board where, by 4 and 5 Will., c. 76, s. 38. it is enacted that no guardian has any power to act in virtue of his office except as a member at a meeting of the board; and will he say where the auditor gets the power to override decisions of boards of guardians at board meeting assembled, and where the Local Government Board auditors get their right to interfere in cases of relief, as is done in this same Union, by telling the relieving officers they will be surcharged with the amount of relief ordered, when the Local Government Board have admitted that they have no power to interfere in individual cases of relief, as no Act of Parliament give the Board such power?

I am aware that the auditor disallowed the 5s. referred to. The guardians appear to have had no legal authority to direct the clerk to pay this sum, and hence the payment was illegal The auditor has, under the Poor Law Acts and the Orders made under them, full power to disallow payments not authorised by law, and it was in exercise of this power that the disallowance was made. I do not know under what circumstances the statements attributed to the auditors in the last part of the question were made, but I presume that they consisted of a warning to the relieving officers that they would be liable to be surcharged with the amount of any relief given by them, if it was illegal. This would be the case. The Local Government Board are precluded by the proviso to section 15 of the Poor Law Amendment Act from interfering in any individual case "for the purpose of order- ing relief," but the present matter does not seem to be affected by this enactment.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state when the next open competitive examination for sorter-ships in the London postal service will take place; and whether the list for the limited competition has been extended beyond the advertised number?

No date has yet been fixed for the next open competition for male sorterships in London. The number of candidates originally declared successful in the competitions restricted to postmen and other Post Office servants has been increased to provide for the vacancies which have occurred in excess of those estimated at the time that arrangements were made for holding the last competition.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a number of officers work in the South-East District Office in an old furniture shop which is being used as a temporary sorting office, the height of which is about eight feet and the ventilation very unsatisfactory during the hot weather; and can he see his way to having an electric fan at once installed?

Instructions have already been given for an electric fan to be installed in the temporary sorting office at the South-Eastern District Post Office. The premises are merely being used for temporary purposes.