asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give instructions to the pension officers in Ireland not to raise any objections to pensioners who may be admitted to Irish workhouses, and who while there are paying the full cost of their maintenance, seeing that in such cases the pensioners will be repaying the full relief charges?

Pension officers in Ireland have been instructed not to raise a "question" in respect of old age pensioners who, on admission to the fever hospital or infirmary of a workhouse in Ireland for medical treatment, claim to pay, and do actually pay the full average cost of maintenance therein. These instructions are based upon Section 6 of the Poor Relief (Ireland) Act, 1862, which expressly provides that such persons are not subject to any disfranchisement or disability. My right hon. Friend is not prepared to extend these instructions so as to apply to all old age pensioners admitted to Irish workhouses. Apart from the Section quoted above, relief of such a nature as to disqualify for receipt of a pension, when not paid for, does not cease to disqualify when it is paid for.

asked if he will state whether the Local Government Board have made any supplementary inquiries in reference to the claim of Edward Cassidy, of Barran, county Cavan, to an old age pension; and did the Board take into account that the local committee, acting with full knowledge of all the facts of the case and knowing that this man's Poor Law valuation is only £4 10s. awarded the full pension of 5s. a week?

The Local Government Board made inquiries into this case through the pension officer and one of their own inspectors, besides obtaining from Edward Cassidy a statement regarding his means. The Board were cognisant of the fact that a pension had been awarded to Cassidy at the rate of 5s. a week; but after full consideration of his resources they were unable to agree with the sub-committee's decision.

asked how many teachers in the service of the National Board promoted to both divisions of first grade on 1st April, 1909, have yet received no increase of salary corresponding to their promotions; how many also of those promoted on 1st April, 1910, have yet received no increase of salary; is he aware that these teachers are being deprived of anything from £150 to £400 each, and are the most efficient and deserving teachers in the service, who had to give, before being promoted, many consecutive years of highly efficient service; and is there any parallel in any educational board where teachers have to wait for vacancies before being admitted to promotion?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the question asked by the hon. Member for South Cork on the 16th May last for the particulars which he requires. As I have already stated, the whole question is receiving my most careful consideration.

asked the Chief Secretary whether clerks of unions appointed since the year 1899 are by an Order of the Privy Council obliged to supply returns of all adult deaths in their respective unions every year to the secretaries of the county councils for the purpose of preparing the Parliamentary franchise papers; whether, for the purpose of carrying out this order, it is imperative on the clerks to visit the offices of the several registrars in their unions; whether there is any remuneration to the clerks for performing this duty, which entails travelling and other expense; and, if not, whether he will make provision, by a new order or other means, for having adequate remuneration, paid these officers for this work?

A clerk of a union, appointed since 1899 is bound in his capacity of superintendent registrar to supply the Return in question each year to the county secretary under Section 16 of the Parliamentary Registration (Ireland) Act, 1865, as amended by the Registration (Ireland) Rules, 1899. The Local Government Board understand that to carry out this duty it is necessary for the clerk to visit the offices of the various registrars in his district, but there is no statutory provision for payment of expenses incurred thereby, as the work forms part of his ordinary duties as superintendent registrar, for which he is paid a salary.

asked the Chief Secretary if any application has been yet made to the Development Commissioners in reference to the encouragement of Irish tobacco cultivation; and whether he will urge the desirability of action being taken by the Commission, in view of the fact that the present Treasury arrangement as to tobacco cultivation comes to an end before long?

The Department of Agriculture have forwarded to the Treasury, for submission to the Development Commission, an application for an advance from the Development Fund byway of grant for the purpose of further experiments regarding the production of tobacco in Ireland. The hon. Member may rest assured that this matter will not be overlooked.

asked whether the Development Commissioners have received any application for the development of the the harbour at Burtonport, county Donegal; and whether, in view of the importance of this harbour to the Donegal herring fishery, steps will be taken for its improvement?

The Congested Districts Board for Ireland have made an application for an advance from the Development Fund for the improvement of certain harbours, of which Burtonport is one. The application is now under the consideration of the Commissioners.

asked how many evicted tenants, whose claims have been considered bonâ fide by the Estates Commissioners in county Cork, are yet unprovided with holdings; and how many have been provided with holdings during the six months ended 30th June last in county Cork?

The Estates Commissioners inform mo that there are at present seventy-seven persons in county Cork whose applications as evicted tenants have been noted for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land acquired by the Commissioners, and who have not yet been provided with holdings. Thirty-two evicted tenants in that county have been reinstated in their former or provided with other holdings during the six months ended 30th June.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners have received an application for reinstatement from Terence Mahony or O'Mahoney, who was evicted from a holding at Ardglass, Charlevelle, county Cork, on the John R. Daly estate; and, if so, what decision have the Commissioners arrived at?

The Estates Commissioners received an application in February last from Terence O'Mahony for reinstatement in a holding formerly occupied by his father, and now in the occupation of another tenant. As his application was not received within the period limited by the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, it cannot be dealt with under that Act.

asked whether any free grant has been made towards the drainage of the Barrow; and can he hold out any hope of a free grant towards the drainage of the Sillies river, county Fermanagh, which does harm yearly by flooding the lands of farmers, and in a district where the small proprietors would be unable without assistance from the Government to undertake the necessary works to combat the evil?

I understand that an application has been made to the Development Commissioners for a grant for certain drainage works on the River Barrow, but so far as I am aware no grant has been made for the purpose. There are no funds at my disposal from which a grant could be made towards the drainage of the River Sillies.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in view of the objection of the inhabitants of the townships of Clontarf, Fairview, Drumcondra, and Kilmainham to the legislation of the Sunday drink traffic from which they have enjoyed exemption for over thirty years, he will abandon Clause 4 of the Dublin Police Bill, which proposes to allow the opening of public-houses on Sunday afternoons, a proposal which is objectionable to a seaside district like Clontarf adjacent to a large city?

The retention of Clause 4 in the Bill is a matter for the Committee and the House.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the gentleman who acts as interpreter in Irish at quarter sessions in Galway has been, since the Local Government Act of 1898, paid a much reduced salary for the same duties as he previously performed; and whether he will arrange that, after the retirement of the present Crown Solicitor, the incoming Crown Solicitor should pay to the interpreter employed by the Crown the same salary as he received up to 1898?

Mr. Anthony McDonnell, who holds the office of interpreter in Irish for Galway quarter sessions district, was appointed to that office in 1901, after the passing of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, on the same terms as he holds office at present. His salary has not been reduced, but his predecessor in office on the amalgamation of the City of Galway with the county under the provisions of the above-mentioned Act ceased to draw the allowance which he had for acting as interpreter in city cases at the Recorder's Court. The Crown Solicitor has nothing to do with the matter.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will state how many constables of the Royal Irish Constabulary resigned their position in 1909 and 1910, respectively, and whether the num- bers are abnormal; has the Constabulary Act, 1908, proved satisfactory to the Royal Irish Constabulary as regards pay of the rank and file and promotion on merit and not on influence at headquarters; and has his attention been called to the desire that exists in the Royal Irish Constabulary for reduction in the expenses of command and a reorganisation of the force on more businesslike lines, especially in regard to promotion?

The number of resignations from the Royal Irish Constabulary was 116 in 1909 and 142 in 1910. These figures are not abnormal; the number in 1908 was 124 and in 1902 it was as high as 153. The Constabulary (Ireland) Act, 1908, did not deal with the question of promotion. There is nothing at present to indicate that any widespread feeling of discontent regarding their pay exists in the force, or that there is any such general desire as is indicated in the last paragraph of the question. There is no foundation whatever for the suggestion that promotion in the force is due not to merit, but to influence at headquarters.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the police authorities at Charleville made any report with reference to an assault committed on 28th May last at Newtown, Shandrum, county Cork, on an aged woman by the supporters of Mr. Walsh, J.P., a candidate for the county council; and, if no report has been received, will he order an investigation to be made?

The police authorities made no report in reference to the case referred to. It appears that in consequence of allegations in the local press that an assault had been committed on a Mrs. Twohill on the date in question, the police twice visited her to make inquiry and hear her complaint, but they failed to obtain any information from her or her daughter, and the neighbours said that nothing had happened. No further police action is necessary.

asked why prosecutions have been ordered against sixteen men from the Doneraile, county Cork, district is because they were supporters of the All-for-Ireland candidate for the county council, and no prosecutions issued against the supporters of the United Irish League candidate, who committed more serious breaches of the Law?

There is no foundation for the imputation in the hon. Member's question.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the ages (in five-year groups) of marines and seamen now in the service, and how many are married?

The estimated numbers on the 1st January, 1911, were as follows:—

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the promotion to writers from the ranks of unskilled labourers is by seniority of service or by special selection in the various War Office Departments known as the A.O.D.?

The promotion is made by selection.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state the reason why the application for discharge of Trooper John D. Robertson, No. 4,474, C Squadron, 3rd Dragoon Guards, was refused after being promised by the officer commanding and a situation fixed for him in Glasgow at the instigation of that officer?

This was a case of an application for the discharge of a soldier to enable him to support his mother. Such discharges are granted by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, who has full discretion. In this instance he did not consider that there were sufficient reasons to justify the grant of a discharge.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has taken into consideration the effect of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Kent, v. Fittall, No. 5, on the prevailing practice in the registration of voters; and whether, in view of the position created by this judgment, he will issue instructions in accordance with the findings of the court for the guidance of town clerks, overseers, and other officials engaged in the registration of voters?

The questions raised by the judgment of the Court of Appeal in this case are receiving consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider the advisability of instituting an inquiry to ascertain how far accidents arising in connection with the use of hoists or lifts may be preventible by means of automatic or other appliances attached to such hoists and lifts?

Inquiries into the subject were made some years ago by the Factory Department, and a full report, to which I would refer the hon. Member, was issued in 1904 dealing with the construc- tion and arrangement of lifts and the means of preventing accidents. Further inquiries are now proceeding with regard to hoists which are worked electrically. I should add that I have no power to take any action with regard to hoists used elsewhere than in places to which the Factory Acts or Mines Acts apply.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the relative numbers of Protestants and Catholics employed in the Irish division of the Labour Exchange, namely, in Dublin Exchange, in Belfast Exchange, and in four outside Exchanges; what are the relative positions held by each and the total amount of their salaries; and what has been the annual amount of increases given to Protestants and Catholics, respectively?

I am not in a position to give the detailed information asked for. I am, however, satisfied that in the recommendation of officers for promotion or increase of salary, no distinctions have been made on the ground of religion.