asked the Chief Secretary whether the Estates Commissioners, having purchased the lands of Ballinleg, Carrigeens, Tobberreose, and Knockdrumdonnell, on the Waithman estate, county Roscommon, under Section 6, are taking action to have the small holdings on this estate enlarged and improved and of providing turbary for the tenants; whether the Commissioners intend improving the condition of the by-roads on this estate; if they are giving a free grant for that purpose; and if he will urge on the Commissioners the necessity of improving this estate or of handing it over to the Congested Districts Board to be dealt with by them in view of the number of small and uneconomic holdings and the condition of the by-roads?

This estate has only recently been purchased by the Estates Commissioners. They propose to carry out a scheme for the rearrangement and improvement of the estate before the lands are vested in the purchasing tenants, and when it is being dealt with by the Commissioners the matters referred to in the question will be duly considered.

asked the Attorney-General for Ireland whether he is aware that at the election of clerk of petty sessions for the district of Falcarragh, county Donegal, on the 25th ultimo, a gentleman who was a connection of one of the magistrates on the bench and voting was allowed to sit on the bench beside some of the magistrates during the progress of the election; and that the same gentleman came to the court in the company of the magistrate referred to, and the solicitor for the applicant for the position, who was declared elected; and whether, under these circumstances, a fresh election will be ordered?

The gentleman referred to is a brother-in-law of Mr. Stewart, one of the magistrates present at the election. At first, I understand, he sat in the body of the court, but, as the court was cold and draughty, I am informed that he was invited to sit on the Bench, where he took a place behind the magistrates. The gentleman in question is, I understand, a resident in Liverpool, and had no interest in or connection whatever with the election or its result. Nor did Mr. Stewart's vote in any way determine the result, the successful candidate having otherwise a majority. In the circumstances I do not think further attention need be paid to the incident.

asked the Attorney-General for Ireland if he would state whether there is any rule or regulation governing the appointment of local solicitors to the Irish Land Commission, and, if so, the date of the same; whether any salary is paid to such solicitors; and in how many cases is the position held by the Crown Solicitor of the district?

There is no rule or regulation governing the appointment of local solicitors to act for the Irish Land Commission. The solicitors are selected from the point of view of efficiency. No salary is attached to the post, the solicitors being remunerated by the prescribed costs of court, which, on recovery of the debt, are paid by the defaulter. Of the thirty-four local solicitors so employed seven are Crown solicitors and six are sessional Crown solicitors.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Daniel Keeffe, of Knocknagullane, Millstreet, county Cork, was in receipt of an old age pension until February, 1910; will he say on what grounds he was then deprived of it; whether he is aware that Keeffe's age was not found on either the Census Returns of 1841 or 1851, and that the parish register of Rathmore, where he was born, contained no entry of it; that several persons testified at the meeting of the pensions sub-committee on 2nd February, 1911, that this man was well over the statutory age, and that his sister, who is two years his senior, is proved by the Census of 1841 to be seventy-two years and seven months; and will he say why, seeing that Keeffe is clearly entitled to a pension on statutory grounds, his claim is still refused by the Local Government Board?

In February, 1910, the Local Government Board, on appeal, allowed a question raised by the pension officer on the ground that Daniel Keeffe had not reached the statutory age. His name was not included in the records of his parents' family in the Census Return of 1841, from which it would appear that he was not born until after the Census was taken in June, 1841. The sister Mary referred to is only seventy-one years and two months old according to the 1841 Census, but Keeffe's second claim is still under investigation by the Board.

asked whether the pension claim of Bridget Sullivan, Knockraheen, Carriginimma, was twice passed by the Macroom pension sub-committee; whether, in the absence of proof of age in the Census Returns and parish register, she produced satisfactory documentary evidence, including a statement of the late Reverend H. Kelleher, P.P., Grenagh, who knew her from her infancy, that she had reached the statutory period; have the Local Government Board the facts of the case at present before them; and what action do they propose to take in reference to the matter?

Two claims made by Bridget Sullivan were passed by the Macroom No. 2 pension sub-committee, but disallowed by the Local Government Board on appeal by the pension officer on the ground that there was no satisfactory evidence of her having attained the statutory age. Her name did not appear in the Census Return of her parents' family in 1841, from which it would appear that she was not then born. As the Board are no longer in possession of the documents relating to the case they are unable to state positively whether the testimony of the late Rev. H. Kelleher was before them, but apparently it was not. Mrs. Sullivan's second claim was decided by the Board in December last.

asked the Chief Secretary whether his attention had been called to the fact that notices were recently posted up at Shelagh Chapel, county Louth, stating that Dr. O'Brien was deprived of his living by Mrs. Burns, Rassan, and James Kieran, Courtbane, and that these persons should be shunned as Carey and Duffey would be; whether he is aware that Carey was a Crown witness in the Phoenix Park murder cases, and Duffy a Ribbonman and informer in the Crossmaglen conspiracy case of 1882; and whether, seeing that Mrs. Burns and Kieran appeared on subpoena in the Louth election petition, giving evidence against Dr. O'Brien, who was reported by the election judges, he will say if any steps have been taken to trace the authors of this notice; and, seeing that it is an incitement to crime and calculated to intimidate witnesses from giving truthful evidence on oath, he will state what steps he intends to take in the matter?

The police authorities inform me I hat notices to the effect mentioned in the question were posted at or near Shelagh Chapel. I understand that the notices have had no ill effect upon those against whom they were directed. The police have been unable to ascertain who wrote or posted the notices, and they have been instructed to afford all necessary protection to the persons to whom the notices referred.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state if the rules and regulations governing the intermediate examinations to be held in Ireland in 1911 have yet been issued; and, if not, when will they be issued?

The rules and programme governing the intermediate examinations to be held in Ireland in 1911 were issued as a Parliamentary Paper in April, 1910. The rules and programme for the examinations of 1912 are at present under consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the firm of Laing and Son, who are contractors for the carpenters' and joiners' work rat Carlisle Castle and for the fitting up of the camp at Brackenber Moor, do not pay the standard rate of wage to their workmen; and whether he will make in- quiries as to the rate of wage paid by this firm and take steps to enforce the Fair-Wages Clause on Government work done by this firm?

Inquiries are being made, and the result will be communicated to the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he was aware that Mr. E. Musgrove, of Carlisle, who has a contract for certain work at the prison in that city, was paying less than the standard rate of wage to the joiners in his employ; and whether he would take steps to enforce the conditions laid down in the Fair-Wages Clause?

This firm has a contract for timber supply, but are doing no work for the Department at the present time. Inquiry will be made as to the allegation contained in the question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will draw the attention of the petty sessional benches in England and Wales, by means of a circular, to the provisions of Section 5 of the Army (Annual) Act, 1911, with a view of securing that an order for the repayment by the War Office of process money may be made in cases for which that section of the Act provides?

I will consider the matter and let my hon. Friend know the result.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the accidents, sometimes fatal, arising from the reckless and careless driving of motor omnibuses, taxi-cabs, and other mechanically propelled vehicles in London; whether, with a view to prevent or minimise these accidents, he will limit the speed of these vehicles to not exceeding sixteen miles per hour within a radius of six miles from Charing Cross; whether he is aware that many accidents arise from mechanically propelled vehicles issuing at a high speed from side streets into main streets or roads and at cross roads or streets; whether he will institute legislation making such reckless driving punishable by substantial fine or imprisonment; and whether he will apply such legislation to other large towns and cities?

Yes, Sir. I receive from the Commissioner of Police monthly returns of accidents caused by motor and horse-drawn vehicles in the Metropolitan Police District, and doubtless a number of these occur at intersecting points of traffic. As I pointed out on the 12th April, in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland, motor omnibuses are limited to a speed of twelve miles per hour, but there is no power to fix by general regulation a lower maximum speed for taxi-cabs than that fixed by Parliament, twenty miles per hour, and these maxima of twelve and twenty miles respectively apply to all motor vehicles according as they come within the definition of heavy motor cars or not. There are, of course, certain limits in which the speed is restricted by order of the Local Government Board to ten miles an hour or less, and by by-law the maximum is twelve miles in the Royal parks and eight miles in certain parks controlled by the London County Council. As regards the suggestion of legislation to punish reckless driving, I would draw the hon. Member's attention to the powers under the existing law and particularly to Section 1 of the Motor Car Act, 1903.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that accidents to pedestrians, caused by mechanically propelled vehicles, arise from the carelessness or wilful neglect of such pedestrians, who, in many instances, would appear to invite accident by reason of unnecessarily walking or standing in the streets or roads, although provision is made in such streets or roads for pedestrians; and whether anything will be done by legislation, or otherwise, to require or enforce greater caution and prudence on the part of pedestrians?

No doubt accidents are caused sometimes by pedestrians walking or standing unnecessarily in the road way, instead of on the footpath; but persons have the right to walk in the road, and are entitled to the exercise of reasonable care on the part of persons driving vehicles. If the serious and immediate dangers to which careless pedestrians are exposed are insufficient to enforce caution and prudence, I do not think any minor penalties the law might inflict are likely to be more effective.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to cases of hardship arising under the Children Act, owing to children accompanying bonâ fide travellers being refused admittance to licensed houses which have only two public rooms and are unable to provide a separate room for children; and, if so, whether he sees any prospect of being able to amend t he Act in this direction?

I am not sure that I can identify any of the representations which have reached the Home Office in regard to Section 120 of the Children Act, 1908 with the description given by the hon. Member, but I am aware of sundry statements to the effect that parents or other persons accompanied by children who desired to take them into licensed premises have experienced some inconvenience in consequence of that Section. I am not, however, prepared to propose any amendment of the law which would have the effect of removing or diminishing the protection given by that enactment to children against the evils to which they may be exposed in drinking bars or other parts of licensed premises exclusively or mainly used for the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquors.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that in nomination for engineering posts under the Post Office the University of London is invited to send in the names of internal students only; and whether he will so amend the rules as to enable the university to nominate external students also for such posts?

I am aware of the restriction referred to by the hon. Member and after full consideration I have decided to remove it.

asked the hon. Member for Southampton, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if the furniture and contents of the Houses of Parliament are insured against fire; and, if not, will the Government reimburse hon. Members for any loss sustained in case of an outbreak causing injury to personal effects or to the valuable contents of Members' lockers?

The reply to the first paragraph is in the negative. The Government would be prepared to consider the losses of Members should occasion arise.