asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that during the last 12 months five vessels have been damaged by colliding with the submerged blocks which form part of the defences of Portsmouth at East Southsea, while many others have narrowly escaped; if he is aware that the present small opening between the dolphins is quite inadequate to enable sailing vessels to get through against contrary winds and tides, and what is the width between these dolphins; whether he is aware that on occasions of contrary wind and tide coasting craft, are frequently delayed, as they are unable to get round the Horse Sand Fort; and will their lordships make another opening nearer the shore to facilitate the traffic of coasting craft in their passage westwards to Portsmouth Harbour and other places; and is it their intention to minimise the danger of the obstruction in its present condition by placing conspicuous marks to denote the line of its whereabouts when covered by the tide?

It has been brought to the notice of the Admiralty that vessels have collided with the submerged blocks at Portsmouth. The opening between the dolphins is about 100 feet in width. It does not admit of barges beating through against the wind and tide, and these must round the Horse Sand Fort, causing in consequence some delay, but the occasions are rare when this course cannot be followed. It is not proposed to make another opening for the passage of coasting traffic. The position of the obstruction is being inserted on the charts, and attention has been called to it in a notice to mariners. The question of marks on the obstruction is under consideration, but the opening is already marked day and night.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can give approximate figures of a fair working allowance for the percentage of our personnel usually absent through illness; the percentage under instruction in training establishments or awaiting appointment; and the percentage en route to and from foreign stations?

In the consideration of the manning requirements of the Navy the matters referred to are given full weight. It would be contrary to the public interest to give the figures for which the hon. Gentleman asks.

asked the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether his attention has been called to the statement on page 9 of the Report of the Progress of the Ordnance Survey to 31st March, 1909, that Lieutenant-Colonel C. C. J. Perry has charge, at the office in the Phœnix Park, Dublin, of the publication and engraving of Irish maps and the surveys for the Land Judges' Department and Irish Land Commission; and', if so, whether he will now say if the responsibility of the work falls upon the officials under Lieutenant-Colonel Perry at Mountjoy, or upon assistants serving elsewhere than in Ireland?

Lieutenant-Colonel Perry, acting under the orders of the Director-General of the Ordnance Survey, is responsible for all the work executed at Mountjoy.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the Post Office make any charge for the redirection from one address to another in the United Kingdom of Parliamentary papers, daily reports, or volumes of the Parliamentary Debates, when sent to a Member of the House; if so, whether he can see his way to provide that the original frank shall cover redirection?

The packets to which my hon. Friend refers, if posted officially through the authorised channel, may be redirected when necessary from one address to another in the United Kingdom without charge, provided that the usual conditions governing redirection are observed, namely, that the packets are not opened or tampered with, and that they are reposted not later than the day after delivery. If my hon. Friend will furnish me with particulars of any case in which a redirection charge appears to have been raised in error, I shall be glad to make inquiry in the matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether consideration will be given to the advisability of appointing an expert in irrigation to go out to British Guiana with the object of inquiring into and reporting upon the feasibility of irrigation and drainage schemes being undertaken?

As I informed my hon. Friend in reply to his previous question on the subject of irrigation works, the present Colonial engineer was selected for the appointment on account of his knowledge and experience of irrigation works, and the Secretary of State is not aware-that the Government of British Guiana consider any further advice necessary at present; but he will address a communication to the Governor and ask for a further expression of his views.

asked whether the Memorandum on the labour question in British Guiana by the People's Association has been received by the Committee of Inquiry into indentured labour and considered; and whether the Committee can now consent to hear witnesses from the People's Association in order to have the points contained in the Memorandum more fully brought out?

The Memorandum has been laid before the Committee on Emigration from India, by whom it has been carefully considered. It will be fully discussed in the Committee's Report, and will appear in extenso in the appendix thereto; but it discloses no ground, in their opinion, for summoning a witness to give oral evidence on behalf of the Association. The Association have been informed accordingly.

asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies whether he is aware that Mr. George Garnett, who has been provisionally appointed on the Executive Council of British Guiana, is agent for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and director of Sprostons, Limited, and the Demerara Railway Company, all of which are contractors to the Government of British Guiana; and whether he will state the conditions attaching to the appointment of a member of the Executive Council?

Mr. Garnett has been appointed to be a temporary member of the Executive Council during the absence of an unofficial member of the Council. The Secretary of State is aware of his connection with the business enterprises mentioned, which was brought to his notice by the officer administering the Government when recommending the appointment, and does not regard them as constituting any disqualification. I may add that Mr. Garnett is the senior elected member for Georgetown in the Court of Policy and has recently been elected to the Town Council of Georgetown. There are no special conditions attaching to the appointment of a member of the Executive Council.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) how many officials, established and non-established, including non-pensionable employés, were employed in his Department on 31st March, 1906, and on 31st June, 1909, respectively?

The figures are:—Number on 31st March, 1906, 483; number on 30th June, 1909, 615. These figures are exclusive of non-pensionable messengers, charwomen, artisans, boy attendants, and labourers.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if, in the allotment of the Connell Cannon estate, Leggs, county Fermanagh, Rose O'Neill and Francis O'Neill were promised allotments; has the property been divided; and, if so, why were not allotments given to the parties named; were any, and, if so, how many, evicted tenants provided with holdings on these lands; and what are the names of such evicted tenants?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that they propose to sell the lands in question to persons coming within Section 2 of the Evicted Tenants Act, save as regards two small plots containing respectively two acres 36 perches and one acre six perches, which are being sold as enlargements to the occupiers of shall holdings adjoining the estate. The Commissioners did not promise to give any of the lands to either Francis or Rose O'Neill, and at this stage of the proceedings they do not consider it desirable to state the names of those to whom it is proposed to give allotments.

asked the Chief Secretary how many officials, established and non-established, including non-pensionable employés, were employed by the Irish Office, the Land Commission, and the Congested Districts Board, respectively, on 31st March, 1906, and on 30th June, 1909?

The figures are as follows:—

asked the Chief Secretary whether the appointments to the professorships in the National University will be made by statutes laid before Parliament; and whether, in cases where the recommendations of the governing bodies of the various colleges have been overruled by the Commission, the latter will report its reasons for so acting?

This question will be submitted to the Dublin Commissioners appointed by the Irish Universities Act, 1908, at their next meeting, which is fixed for 10th November.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that John Cooney, of Ballygar, county Galway, was deprived of his old age pension a few weeks ago on the question of age, and, seeing that the Census Returns show that Cooney was at least one year old in June, 1841 and as months were not taken note of in the Census, the man may now be over 70; and, as the case is a deserving one, will he direct that the pension be continued?

I understand that John Cooney is shown by the Census Returns to have been one year old in 1841, and was therefore born in all probability in 1840. He will not apparently be eligible for pension till next year. The onus of proving that he has reached the statutory age rests upon the claimant, and if he can produce satisfactory evidence that he was born in some month of 1839, which would qualify him on the ground of age, he should send in a fresh claim.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the amount already advanced to Mr. Ernest Hardy, of Cranna, Tynagh, county Galway, for land purchase; whether it is the intention of the Commissioners to make a further advance for the purchase of Cranna; and if he is aware that there are 15 uneconomic holdings surrounding it.

The Estates Commissioners inform me that no advance appears to have been made to Ernest Hardy under the Land Purchase Acts, but he has applied for an advance under the Irish Land Act, 1903, for the purchase of the lands of Crannagh, and Ballyglass, which appear to be in his occupation as tenant. When the estate is being dealt with in order of priority by the Commissioners due inquiries will be made as regards the other matters referred to in the question.