asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state on what grounds the old age pension granted to James Cunningham, of Derrew, Eyre-court, county Galway, on November last, is now withdrawn?

I am making inquiries in regard to this case, and I will communicate with the hon. Member when they are complete.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether a vacancy now exists for a new post of head valuer in the Valuation Office, under the Finance Act, in Ireland; whether he is aware that there are officials in Dublin who have been for twenty years engaged on the most important valuation work in Belfast and other places in Ireland, and who are entitled to promotion on the grounds of experience, highest class qualifications, character, and length of service; and whether, in filling this position, he will see that a selection is made from these officials rather than by an importation from Great Britain?

The post of head valuer in the Valuation Department is already filled by the promotion of one of the staff. In the event of its becoming necessary to make a special appointment of a head valuer in connection with the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, due regard will be paid to the qualifications of the gentleman referred to in the question.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners have yet prepared a distribution scheme for the lands of Newrath, the property of the Representative Church Body, situate outside Kells, county Meath?

No scheme has yet been prepared by the Estates Commissioners, as the estate has not yet been reached in order of priority.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether James Shiels, evicted tenant, county Cavan, had yet been reinstated; if not, would he say what was the cause of the delay, and when his case would have attention?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that James Shiels has not yet been reinstated. With a view to effecting Shiels's reinstatement the Commissioners approached the owners of the land some time ago, but ascertained that they were minors. They have since attained full age, and the Commissioners have reopened negotiations with them.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he has observed that the nominal concession of four days' holidays in Coronation week made to the Irish National teachers is nullified by the condition that those days must not count in the 200 days' teaching per year required to secure the payment of full grants; and whether he will see that the concession to the Irish National teachers, if made at all, shall be made without this restriction?

The Commissioners of National Education have decided to allow one week's additional vacation in the National schools in honour of the Coronation and of the visit of their Majesties the King and Queen to Ireland, in place of the concession already granted. A corresponding reduction will be made in the number of days for which the schools are required to be in operation to warrant the payment of full grants.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War, if he has yet settled which of his directorships Colonel Morgan is to be allowed to keep after he takes up his appointment at the War Office; and on what date he will take up that appointment?

The Army Council is still corresponding with Colonel Morgan on the subject.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state how long the men of the Army Reserve (Special) are obliged to serve each year and what rate of pay they receive; also if he will state how long the men of the ordinary Reserve serve each year, whether or no their service is compulsory, and what rate of pay they receive during service?

Men of the Special Reserve are required to perform twenty-seven days annual training. Men of the Regular Reserve train according to instructions laid down annually, and such training is compulsory in those years of their services specified in the instructions. The instructions for 1911 were issued with the January Army Orders. The normal length of their training consists of the performance of two musketry drills and of firing in one day a course of target practice of twenty-five rounds of ball ammunition. They are liable under the Reserve Forces Act, 1882, to twelve days' training or twenty drills annually if required.During training all Reservists receive pay at the rates laid down for their rank and arm of the Service in the Royal Warrant for Pay, etc. Regular Reservists attending drills are paid 4d. per drill, under Article 1203, Royal Warrant for Pay. In addition Regular Reservists receive Reserve pay throughout the year, as provided in the Pay Warrant, and Special Reservists receive training and non-training bounties, as provided in the Special Reserve Regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the complaints made by indentured Indian coolies in Mauritius that they are recruited by misrepresentations and subjected to hardships and ill-treatment on the plantations; that, when brought before the magistrates they are unable to obtain witnesses in their favour, as no one is willing to give evidence against the employers; that they are often refused admission to hospital when ill; and that their contracts are unfairly prolonged under a law passed since they were engaged; and, if so, what action he proposes to take in the matter?

I have not received any representations on the subject, but if my hon. Friend will inform me of any specific instance in which coolies have been recruited through misrepresentations, or ill-treated, I will make inquiry. The law to which my hon. Friend refers provides that a labourer who is illegally absent from his work may have his contract prolonged by the number of days during which he has been so absent—but I am not aware of any unfair prolongation of contracts, nor that labourers are unable to obtain witnesses in their favour.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that a strike has been going on in the Springhill and Glace Bay collieries of Nova Scotia for nearly two years, that agents of the companies are in this country inducing colliers to go out as blacklegs under false pretences by telling them that there is no strike, and that as a consequence much indignation is felt amongst the working class population of the Dominion of Canada; and whether he has any power to put a stop to these agents making such misrepresentations?

I am aware that a strike has been in existence at the coal mines at Springhill, Nova Scotia, since August, 1909, but I am happy to think that, if information recently given in the Press is correct, it has now ended. Fraudulent inducements to emigrate can, if sufficient evidence is forthcoming, be dealt with under Section 24 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the treatment of Mr. Cameron, on the island of Tonga, who was president of the Toga ma'a Toga Kautaha, a co-operative association formed in 1909 for the purpose of shipping copra and fruit for the natives direct, and composed chiefly of upwards of 3,000 natives; whether he is aware that, after a compulsory audit of the books, the Tongan Government issued a gazette extraordinary embodying the audit report, which declared that the books were faked and the assets appearing in the balance sheet did not exist; that on the strength of this report the Tongan Government seized the association's goods and premises; that Mr. Cameron was afterwards summoned by Mr. Humphreys, one of the auditors, on behalf of the Government, for embezzlement and falsification; that the acting chief justice of the Western Pacific who tried the case declared that the evidence of Humphreys, who was also chief witness for the prosecution, was biassed, prejudiced, and amounted to animosity against the accused; and that the action of the Government in seizing the goods and premises of the association was highhanded and ill-advised; whether, seeing that despite his attack upon the defendant Mr. Humphreys was compelled to admit that the association could pay 20s. in the pound, and that, in dismissing the case, the judge declared that no falsification had taken place and no material matter had been omitted, he will make careful inquiry and take action in the matter; (2) if he is aware that after the dismissal of the case against Mr. Cameron, president of the Toga ma'a Toga Kautaha, for falsification and embezzlement, the Tongan Government issued an Ordinance (No. 4 of 1911), declaring it to be illegal for any Tongan to bring an action at law against the, Government or against any officers employed by or acting with their authority, in the matter of the suppression, winding up, or liquidation of an association recently known as the Toga ma'a Toga Kautaha, and further making it unlawful for any native of Tonga to give, subscribe, collect, or to aid, assist, etc., in the collection of any money to assist any non-native who in the past may have been associated with natives of Tonga for the purpose of trading, or in any Kautaha, and that, under cover of this ordinance, the Tongan Government issued another gazette in which all the statements about the falsification by Cameron were reaffirmed in spite of the fact that the verdict of the acting chief justice of the Western Pacific acquitted him of any wrong doing in the matter; whether he will withhold his sanction to the said ordinance until full inquiry has been made; and (3) whether the Consul-General of the island of Tonga, Mr. W. Telfer Campbell, is responsible for the prosecution of the Toga ma'a Toga Kautaha; whether he used his influence in the Cabinet of the Tongan Government, of which he is a member, to procure the prosecution; whether this is the same Mr. Camppell who was formerly in the Gilbert Islands, and to investigate whose alleged tyrannous acts the High Commissioner, Sir E. im Thurn, paid a special visit to the Gilberts in 1905; if so, whether he will now publish Sir E. im Thurn's report; and, if not, will he state the reason why the publication of the report is so lone delayed?

I understand that the matters referred to are the subject of actions now pending in the Court of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, and in these circumstances it would not be proper for me to make any statement with regard to them. It was stated, in answer to a question asked in the House in April, 1909, that the High Commissioner, who visited the Gilbert and Ellice Islands to inquire into the charges made against Mr. Campbell, had satisfied the Secretary of State that the complaints had no solid foundation, and that his report contained so much personal and confidential matter that it could not be published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is in a position to promise the introduction of a Bill to amend the Inebriates Acts, and so redeem a promise made in the King's Speech in February, 1909?

I cannot make any statement on this matter at present.

asked the Prime Minister whether the cost of making good the loss of Indian revenue caused by the extinction of the opium trade between India and China will fall upon the British or Indian taxpayer?

The extent of the loss from the progressive restriction and eventual extinction of the Indian opium trade with China, and the date of the extinction of the trade, are at present undetermined, and depend on contingencies that cannot be accurately foreseen. So far there has been no loss to the revenue owing to the higher prices due to the policy of restrictions.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Return relating to Parliamentary Election Petitions, of which notice stands on the Order Paper, will be granted? The notice relating to the return was as follows: "Return of all the Parliamentary Election Petitions in Great Britain and Ireland arising from the General Election of December, 1910, showing in respect of each the names of the candidates, the declaration of the returning officer, the result of the Petition as regards the occupancy of the seat, the corrupt, illegal, or irregular practices or falsehoods found, and the names of all the persons who confessed to those practices or falsehoods or were convicted of them, with the nature of the offence and penalty imposed in each case."

The Prime Minister has asked me to reply to this question. I do not think the expense of furnishing the return desired by the hon. Member could be justified. Most of the information can readily be obtained from newspaper reports, and from the formal records of the proceedings of this House.

asked the President of the Local Government Board, whether he can give the Census returns for the towns in the county of Essex commonly known as London over the Border, and the increase that has taken place in the population of these towns, respectively, since the 1901 Census?

The information desired will be given in the Preliminary Census Report, which will be issued shortly.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that the district council has already given the required guarantee, he will make arrangements for the speedy installation of telegraphic facilities at Derrybeg, county Donegal?

The guarantee deed for the opening of a telegraph office at Derrybeg was only signed last Saturday. It will necessarily be some time before the office can be opened, as wayleaves have first to be obtained, and notice given to the public of the intended erection of wires, as required by statute. The installation will, however, be carried out with due expedition.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he would state if, before deciding to sell post-cards at their face value, he gave any opportunity to the stationers of the United Kingdom to formulate their objections to the proposal?

The answer is in the negative; but the representatives of the stationers have had full opportunity, by deputation and otherwise, of advancing the arguments on which they have based a request for reconsideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that for some years past, between the end of May and the end of August in each year, foreign-owned and foreign-manned steam vessels, to the number of ten or twelve, have been in the habit of trawling, greatly to the detriment of local fishermen, from the Sunk Light, Harwich, through East Swin and the Barrow Deep as far up as the Mouse Lightship; whether he is aware that a large portion of this area lies within the estuary of the River Thames; whether he is aware that these foreign vessels use roller and other trawls having a sweep, approximately, three times as large as ordinary trawls, and that these trawls, by reason of their peculiar and heavy construction, kill many small fish, destroy the spawn, and, by cutting up the ground and breaking down the heaps of ross which contain the worm, destroy the feed for shrimps and other fish, and thus do mischief to the local fishing industry; and whether, under these circumstances, he will take steps during the coming season to prevent the incursion of these foreign steam trawlers, and afford to the native fishermen in the above-mentioned waters the necessary protection for their industry?

Almost all of the waters to which the hon. Member refers are outside the area within which this country possesses exclusive fishing rights, but the Board propose to communicate with the Board of Trade and the Admiralty with a view to arrange for the protection of that area by a fishery cruiser.