asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the Development Commission has received any proposals for the dredging of the harbour of Burtonport, county Donegal, and the construction of pier; and whether they are willing to contribute to the cost of the proposed improvements?

The Development Commissioners have not at present received any application for an advance in connection with the dredging of the harbour and the construction of a pier at Burtonport, county Donegal.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the estate of U. J. Bourke, Boher West, Toom, Cappawhite, has been dealt with by the Estates Commissioners; whether he is aware that Timothy Hammersley, a tenant on the property, was compelled under threat of eviction to sign a purchase agreement by the agent, C. E. Vandeleur, Mallow; and whether the Estates Commissioners will cause an inspection of Hammersley's holding to be made before completing the sale of the estate?

Timothy Hammersley signed an agreement to purchase his holding on the estate of John W. Bourke, county Tipperary, which was sold direct by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the Estates Commissioners sanctioned the advance applied for, the annuity on which represents a reduction of 27.8 per cent. of the judicial rent of the holding fixed in 1905. The holding has been vested in Hammersley, and the matter cannot be reopened.

asked how many tenant purchasers under the Acts of 1885 and 1888 became entitled, under Section 25 (2) (a) and 25 (5) of the Act of 1896, to decadal reductions by extending the term of their purchase annuities from forty-nine to seventy-nine years, and how many of them accepted the extension; how many tenant purchasers under the Act of 1891 became entitled, under the same provisions of the Act of 1896, to decadal reductions by extending the term of their annuities from forty-two years and a-half to seventy-two years and a-half, and how many of them accepted the extension; what is the length of the term during which, under normal conditions, the purchase annuity of 3½ per cent. enacted by Section 1 (1) of the Act of 1909 will be payable; what would be the length of the term during which, under normal conditions, a purchase annuity of 3¼ per cent. would be payable if the interest were 3 per cent. and the sinking funds ¼ per cent.; and what would be the annuities and the term required for the repayment of £100 if two decadal reductions of the annuity of 3½ per cent. enacted by the Act of 1909 were permitted on the principle enacted respecting three decadal reductions by Section 25 (1) and 25 (2) of the Act of 1896, but assuming the interest and sinking fund to be respectively 3 per cent. and ¼ per cent.?

The number of cases under the Land Purchase Acts, 1885–1888, which matured for revision of the annuities on the expiration of the first decade in accordance with the provisions of Section 25 of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1896, was 25,400, in 24,440 of which revision was accepted. Out of 14,000 cases under the same Acts which matured for second decadal revision 13,290 accepted revision. Under the Acts 1891–1896, 25,477 cases matured for a first decadal revision, and in 25,105 of these revision was accepted. Under normal conditions the Annuity of 3½ per cent. enacted by Section 1 (1) of the Act of 1909 will run for 65½ years. Under normal conditions an Annuity of 3¼ per cent., consisting of 3 per cent. for interest; and ¼ per cent. for sinking fund, would run for 86½ pears; but if this Annuity were subject to two of the decadal revisions provided in the Act of 1896 the term would be extended to 106½ years, the Annuity being for the first ten years £3 5s. per cent. for the second ten years £3 3s. 2d. per cent., and for the ensuing 86½ years £3 ls. 4d. per cent.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether Mr. Maurice O'Connor has offered his leasehold interest in the lands of Ardbooley and Poolaraddy, on the Blosse estate, county Mayo, for sale to the Congested Districts Board; and, if so, whether the Board have taken any steps to acquire such interest?

Communications have taken place between the Congested Districts Board and the lessee of the lands referred to with a view to their sale to the Board, but the necessary forms and maps have not yet been lodged.

asked whether, on the sale of the Blosse estate, county Mayo, the Congested Districts Board promised to give additional lands to the occupiers of uneconomic holdings in Balla, Rathduff, Knocknamoholane, Ballinagran, Loonamore, Loonabeg, and Clogher; and, if so, why such promise has not yet been fulfilled?

No promise as alleged was made by the Congested Districts Board. When negotiating for the purchase of the estate referred to, the tenants were informed by the Board that before utilising any of the untenanted lands for relief of congestion outside the estate, an effort would be made to relieve congestion on the estate by offering to the small holders on the property adjacent to the untenanted land parcels for the enlargement of their holdings, and providing new holdings for migrants from congested portions of the estate not adjacent to the untenanted lands. The untenanted lands are being disposed of in this way. A portion of a large farm held under a judicial tenancy has been recently acquired for the purpose of enlarging some of the small holdings at Knocknamoholane.

asked whether it is intended to reinstate Mrs. Jane Stewart, Tynan, county Armagh, who was evicted from her farm on the estate of Lady Lisgar, bordering the Lisgar demesne, near Bailieborough, county Cavan?

The Estates Commissioners have received an application from Mrs. Stewart for reinstatement in a holding formerly occupied by her on the estate of Lady Lisgar, county Cavan, and now in the occupation of another tenant, and have noted her name for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land which may be acquired by them.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is. aware that Territorial officers are now being asked to refund the outfit grant which was given to them to cover the cost of the necessary changes in uniform, under Paragraph 606, Territorial Force Regulations, notwithstanding the fact that, at the time of transfer, these officers were fully-qualified Volunteer officers; and whether he will take immediate steps for the cancelling of this order?

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the same question put by the hon. Member on Thursday last.

asked the President of the: Board of Education if he will take steps to revert to the former methods of registration, which were sufficient to enable the-Board to issue grants, in technical institutions and schools of art of established reputation known to the Board as the new method requires increased and unnecessary labour on the part of the managers?

I regret the necessity for insisting on a strict observance of the regulations as to registration; but I am satisfied that a uniform system of registration of attendances is necessary to enable the Board to secure that the funds for the disbursement of which they are responsible are properly spent. I think a. uniform system can without much difficulty be made sufficiently elastic to meet the-needs of schools of different types. I cannot undertake to draw the distinction between institutions whose reputation as known to the Board would justify a relaxation of the conditions in their ease and the rest.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the maximum speed sanctioned by his Department for the tramway cars in the city of Glasgow?

The maximum speeds fixed for tramcars in Glasgow vary in different parts of the city from four miles to sixteen miles an hour. I am sending my hon. Friend copies of the regulations in which the limits of speed are prescribed.

asked the President of the Local Government Board if he can now give the information asked for in reference to the cost of certifying inebriates and lunatics in Metropolitan areas?

The following table gives the particulars as regards lunatics. I am not in possession of particulars respecting inebriates.Fees paid by Metropolitan Guardians under Section 285 of the Lunacy Act, 1890, during the year 1910, to medical practitioners for the examination of lunatics or alleged lunatics:—

Union		Total paid in fees during the year.
	£	s.	d.
Bermondsey	230	9	6
Bethnal Green	43	1	0
Camberwell	184	3	2
Chelsea	87	3	0
Fulham	190	11	6
St. George-in-the-East	3	13	6
St. George's	101	6	6
St. Giles and St. George, Blooms bury	77	14	0
Greenwich	150	3	0
Hackney	235	4	0
Hammersmith	148	1	0
Hampstead	81	18	0
Holborn	20	18	6
Islington	15	15	0
Kensington	168	0	0
Lambeth	310	5	6
Lewisham	245	14	0
London, City of	144	18	0
Marylebone	180	12	0
Mile End Old Town	83	5	0
Paddington	85	11	6
St. Pancras	361	4	0
Poplar Borough	6	6	0
Shoreditch	142	16	0
Southwark	280	7	0
Stepney	50	18	6
Strand	80	17	0
Wandsworth	230	2	0
Westminster	40	19	0
Whitechapel	14	14	0
Woolwich	128	2	0
Total	£4,124	13	2

The Lunacy Act., 1890, gives authority to a justice to order the payment by the guardians of a fee to a medical practitioner called in to examine a lunatic or an alleged lunatic. It is understood that in some cases arrangements have been made by which the examination of alleged lunatics is made by one of the Poor Law medical officers, who is paid a salary inclusive of remuneration for examining lunatics, or a. fixed sum in lieu of fees. This may account for the small amount paid in fees in, certain cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can, now give the particulars asked for in reference to forcible feeding of prisoners in. connection with suffrage disturbances?

During the year ended 31st March last, the cases of artificial feeding in the prisons in England and Wales were as follows:—Suffragists, 2 males and three females; weak-minded persons, seven males and four females; medical cases in which there was physical' inability to take food, three males and one female; cases of other prisoners in which food was refused from motives of perversity or misconduct, eleven males and five females. The total numbers are twenty-three males and thirteen females. Medical officers were present at all cases except in cases of one male under the third head, and two females under the fourth head. The only extra cost was a fee of. £1 1s. to an outside practitioner in one case.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he could state the relative cost to shipowners of feeding Chinese seamen and British seamen?

I regret that the data in my possession do not enable me to give the information desired.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will explain why the Post Office in some towns deliver telegrams which bear the name of the house and the town only, without any surname prefixed, while in other towns they require the name of the house to be registered as a telegraphic address if the surname is omitted?

Perhaps the hon. Member will be so good as to give me the particulars of the cases he has in mind. I shall then have pleasure in, making full enquiry, and explaining the circumstances to him.