asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the

The amount of duty paid on home-made and imported spirits and home-made and imported beer, respectively, during the month of September in each of the years 1908 and 1909 was:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the number of proof gallons of spirits which paid duty, and what was the amount of revenue therefrom, under the headings of Excise and Customs, respectively, in each month from March, 1908, to September, 1909, inclusive?

submitted the following statement of the number of proof gallons of spirits on which duty was paid and the amount of revenue received therefrom in each month from March, 1908, to September, 1909, inclusive:—

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the recent refusal of His Majesty's Commissioners of Woods to grant a licence to a pack of hare-hounds to hunt in the New Forest; and whether he can take any action in the matter?

My attention has been drawn to the matter in question. The grant of licences for sport in the New Forest rests with His Majesty's Commissioners of Woods, who, as my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury explained on the 6th instant, has felt compelled to refuse leave for hunting by a certain pack of hare-hounds. I understand that the grounds of his refusal are that he is not satisfied with the proceedings of the Master. I regret that it should have been found necessary to refuse a licence for a pack which I gather was popular in the district, but I am afraid I am unable to intervene in the matter. I am, however, making further inquiry into the case, and am in communication for that purpose with my right hon. Friend and with the Commissioner of Woods.

asked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether the Government contemplate the payment of compensation for the slaughter of diseased animals out of Imperial funds in future?

The payment of compensation for the slaughter of diseased animals, both out of Imperial and local funds, is governed by the provisions of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1894. No amendment of the law on the subject is at present contemplated.

asked the hon. Member for South Somerset if the Commissioner from the Board has yet conferred with the small holdings committee of the county council of the Soke of Peterborough with reference to the purchase of land for the men who were recommended by the small holdings committee and the Board's Commissioner as suitable men for small holdings, but refused land by the county council; if so, whether the Commissioner has made any Report upon the result of the conference; and if he is now in a position to state what steps the Board is pre- pared to take to provide these men with small holdings in default of the council performing its duties under the Act?

The special meeting of the county council at which this matter is to be considered and at which the Small Holdings Commissioner will be present is to be held on the 20th instant. I shall be glad to acquaint my hon. Friend with the result.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the India Office has received a Report from the Government of India on the subject of the provincial engineers; and whether it is proposed to withdraw the Orders contained in Circular Letter, No. 9978, dated 6th June, 1908, from the Government of India?

The Secretary of State is still awaiting the recommendations of the Government of India on the subject of the position of the provincial engineers in the Indian Public Works Department. He is unable to state what action the Government of India propose to take with regard to the Orders referred to.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Secretary of State has received copies of the recent recommendations and opinions of the local governments on the subject of the employment of the provincial engineers; and whether such Reports can be communicated to the House?

Until the Secretary of State has received the recommendations of the Government of India, he cannot consider the question of presenting Papers to the House.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether engineers trained in Indian colleges have been placed in Imperial service appointments since the Public Service Commission made their Report and Orders were passed on it; and whether there is any reason why these precedents should not be followed in the case of other Indian-trained engineers?

The Secretary of State is not aware of any cases of officers who entered the Indian colleges since the issue of the Orders based on the Public Service Commission Report having received appointments in the Imperial Service of the Indian Public Works Department, though there no doubt are cases of officers who had previously passed through the colleges or were in them at the time having received such appointments since the Public Service Commission made their Report. As at present advised, he does not propose to make any change in the existing system.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the standard of training in the Indian engineering colleges is quite equal to the professional training imparted in England; and, considering that the provincial and Imperial service engineers perform the same duties in many cases and have the same responsibilities, he will consider the advisability of opening Imperial service appointments to provincial engineers and thus abolishing the present distinction between Europeans and Indians in the Public Works Department?

The question of the position of the provincial engineers in the Public Works Department is now receiving the attention of the Government of India, and, as I have informed the hon. Member in reply to another question, the Secretary of State is expecting to receive the recommendations of the Government of India on the subject. In the meanwhile he would prefer not to make any statement on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has appointed a British Commissioner for the Argentine Centenary Exhibition of 1910; if so, who has been selected; and what money will be put at his disposal for ensuring a display of British products commensurate with the importance of our commerce with the Republic?

Mr. C. E. Akers has been appointed British Commissioner for the Argentina Exhibition, 1910. He will proceed to Argentina in the course of the next few days, and will furnish His Majesty's Government with a report. I am not in a position to state the amount of the sum to be put at his disposal. I understand that the Board of Trade have been in communication with the Treasury on the subject.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether consideration will be given to the desirability of limiting the duration of the Court of Policy of British Guiana to three years in order to make the life of the Court synchronise with the Civil List, the present Court being dissolved when the next Civil List falls to be considered?

The period fixed by law for the duration of the present Court of Policy will expire about 12 months before the end of the period for which the Civil List was passed on the last occasion. The latter period was fixed in order to give the newly-elected Court an opportunity of considering the Civil List and voting upon it, and the Secretary of State sees no occasion for any alteration in this arrangement, which adequately secures the object that my hon. Friend has in view.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what concessions for working oil have been granted in Southern Nigeria, and what are the terms of the grant?

As far as can be ascertained without reference to the Colony, the only licences to drill for and work mineral oils in Southern Nigeria which have been approved and issued in accordance with the law of the Colony were those issued to the Nigeria Bitumen Corporation and to the British Colonial Petroleum Corporation. The period of the licence issued to the latter corporation has now expired, but they have applied (with others) for the grant of fresh licences. It is necessary to explain that under Section 4 of Southern Nigeria Ordinance No. XII. of 1907 it is not lawful to drill for or work mineral oils within or under any lands in the Colony or Protectorate of Southern Nigeria other than such lands as may from time to time be notified by the governor by proclamation in the "Gazette." At the present time the only lands so notified are those mentioned in the "Gazette" notice of 3rd July, 1907, which are confined to the Western (Lagos) Province of the Colony. It has been held by the law officers of the Crown that oil has already been "raised, won, or gotten" within the meaning of Section 7 (4) of the Ordinance. In accordance, therefore, with that Section, no further licences can be issued under the Ordinance, but only leases (which are granted for smaller areas and on more onerous terms than licences). Such leases would, of course, be confined to the portion of the lands at present notified over which no licences are at present held. The governor has, however, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, now under his con- sideration the enactment of a new Ordinance, which is to legalise the issue of licences and leases in respect of fresh lands lying outside those notified in the Notice of 3rd July, 1907. He has been instructed to give careful consideration to the claims of all applicants for either licences or leases under the new Ordinance, and especially to those applicants who had already applied for licences before the introduction of the new Ordinance. As regards the terms on which licences or leases are granted, I am prepared to lay the Ordinance before the House if my hon. Friend so desires.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the figures of exports and imports from and to the United Kingdom for each of the last ten years, inclusive and exclusive of gold and bullion?

The following statement shows the value of the total imports and total exports of merchandise and of coin and bullion into and from the United Kingdom in each of the years ended 30th September, 1900 to 1909 inclusive:—

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will, in appointing officials under the new Labour Exchanges, consider the claims of the officials who for the last four years have been employed in the employment bureaux of the Central (Unemployed) Body for London and the borough councils, whose experience and expert knowledge must be superior to those who are quite new to the work?

The answer to this question is in the affirmative.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state the names of the estates in the Land Judge's Court in which proceedings for sale are pending under the Land Purchase (Ireland) Acts; and can be state the names of the estates on which purchase agreements have been signed?

The Registrar of the Land Judge's Court, to whom this question has been referred, informs me that the required information could not be given without a prolonged investigation into the circumstances of each particular estate in the Land Judge's Court. Having regard to the urgency of their ordinary business, the officials of the court cannot be asked to undertake such an investigation.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will say what progress has been made in the proposed sale of the A. E. Humphry's estate, Bawnboy, county Cavan, since 3rd November, 1908; if he is aware that there are some very uneconomic holdings on this estate,and will the grass farm on the property be made available for enlarging the small holdings; and when may the tenants expect to be allowed an opportunity of purchasing?

The Estates Commissioners have made an offer to the Land Judge for the purchase of the Humphry's estate, Ballyhaise, county Cavan, but the lands have not yet been vested in the Commissioners by the Land Judge. The property does not appear to include any untenanted land.

asked the Chief Secretary if he can say why the present Resident Commissioner of National Education and his immediate subordinates have, within the past few years, refused to give inspectors whose salary increments have been withheld any explanation whatever as to the cause of such treatment, and further, have even threatened them with suspension or dismissal for merely venturing to inquire the reason; is he aware that, prior to the appointment of the present Resident Commissioner, an explanation was usually given to any inspector whose increment had been withheld, and whether, as the existing practice as indicated above is open to abuse, he will impress on the Board the necessity of having the Resident Commissioner's authority properly defined and restricted?

further asked if the Chief Secretary is aware that with regard to the salary increments withheld from some of the officially subordinate inspectors of national schools during the past few years, and for the withholding of which the inspectors in question are refused all information, the Resident Commissioner says the two chief inspectors are responsible, while the two chief inspectors, on the other hand, say in private that it is he himself who is to blame, but being his subordinates are afraid to say so openly; and whether, as the 19 non-resident Commissioners know little as to what is being done in their name except as represented to them by the higher officials referred to, he will consider the desirability of appointing a small Commission to inquire into the working of the National Education Office?

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that the statement that the inspectors whose increments of salary have been withheld have been refused any explanation is in-correct. They state that an increment has not been withheld in any case save for conduct involving official censure, and that the inspectors were fully aware in every case that their service was not approved. Two inspectors who had incurred grave censure on several occasions wrote to the Commissioners letters of an insubordinate character demanding explanations as to the details of their cases which were not given, but the inspectors were not threatened as stated in the question. The Resident Commissioner is not personally responsible for the withholding of incre- ments, which are granted on conditions precisely similar to those obtaining in other Departments, and no change has been made in the procedure since his appointment. The Commissioners have ample facilities for making themselves acquainted with the business done in their name. I am not aware of any necessity for the appointment of a Commission as suggested.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the number of persons approved of by the Estates Commissioners as persons suitable to be provided with farms under the Evicted Tenants Act in the county Donegal; whether he will say how many of these can be supplied with economic farms out of the 325 acres which the Commissioners have already acquired; and whether this number of acres will be adequate to supply all the evicted tenants now on their list as suitable with economic holdings?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that 19 county Donegal evicted tenants or their representatives have been provisionally noted for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land to be acquired by the Commissioners under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907. The 325 acres referred to by the hon. Member, which are the subject of proceedings under the last-mentioned Act, have not yet been acquired, as the owner has filed a petition under Section 2 (5) of the Act, which has not yet been determined.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will say what is the present position of the Castlehamilton estate of the trustees of Lord Southwell, county Cavan; are the purchase agreements which were signed in December, 1906, yet put into collection, and by whom; when are those tenants' holdings likely to be vested in them; and, if any avoidable delay has taken place, will he state the cause of the same?

The Estates Commissioners have issued a request to the Land Judge for the purchase of this estate under Section 7 of the Irish Land Act, 1903. It has since been inspected, and they hope at an early date to make a formal offer to purchase. Until the offer has been accepted and the estate vested in the Land Commission, the tenants continue liable for rent or interest in lieu thereof to the Receiver in the Land Judge's Court.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the percentage of the total expenditure on ordnance, rifles, and ammunition, or stores in which the trade and Government compete, given by the War Office to the Government and private establishments, respectively, for the years 1903–4 and subsequent years, and the probable percentage for years for which estimates only are available?

The percentages are as shown below, those for the last year being an approximate estimate only. The figures are based on the orders placed by the War Office with the Ordnance Factories and the trade for land and sea services, but exclude orders placed for India and the Colonies:—

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, in reference to the stopping of the pay of a petty officer lent by the Government to the Shackleton expedition, if he will say what happened in the case of the "Discovery" expedition; how many men were lent by the Admiralty for that expedition; were they in receipt of their full pay during the expedition; was the "Discovery" expedition private as in the case of the Shackleton expedition; and, if the "Discovery" men received their full pay from the Admiralty, why in the present case has it been withheld?

In the case of the Antarctic expedition of 1907 no application was made to the Admiralty for the services of Naval officers or men. The petty officer in question was not applied for, but he voluntarily asked for his discharge from the Navy in order to join the expedition, and was allowed to remain on the books of the Navy during his absence only in consideration of his excellent record and his expressed desire not to sever his connection with the Naval service entirely.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the number of men under 20 years of age in the seamen, marine, and stoker classes of the Navy, and the total personnel on which the calculation is based in each case, with the percentage of the total?

There are no statistics at the Admiralty which will enable a reply to be given.