asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will say why the Probate and Records Department of Somerset House has just been entirely closed for six weeks, to the inconvenience of the general public and the professional searchers, in spite of the promise made by Sir Samuel Evans that he would direct other arrangements to be made?

I am informed that the President of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division has recently considered the question raised in the hon. Member's question, and that he has decided that it is not possible for him to arrange for extending the facilities for literary searchers during the present Long Vacation. It was never contemplated that the literary search room should be kept open during the whole vacation as at other times of the year. The Probate Registry is not a public record office, and the literary department was only formed in order to give to actual literary examiners such reasonable facilities as might be found convenient.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the Road Board have made grants of £275,390, and loans of £7,500 to various local authorities up to 30th June last; whether they have also grants under consideration amounting to £400,000; whether none of this money is going to Lancashire or Yorkshire; and, if so, whether this is due to the authorities in those counties having made no application for grants, or to their having refused to make any contribution equivalent to the grant applied for?

Grants amounting to £35,000 have been made to the Lancashire County Council from the Road Improvement Fund. Grants amounting to £28,000 have been indicated to the local authorities of Yorkshire, but general details in connection with the proposed works are still in course of discussion with the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the circumstances under which certain patients in the workhouse infirmary in the Glenamaddy Union, county Galway, were deprived of their old age pensions, although they were willing to pay for their maintenance; also on what grounds the pension of Michael Murray, in the same district, was reduced; whether the reduction was contrary to the rule laid down in the Pawley decision; and whether he will direct that these pensions be restored?

In order to facilitate inquiry I will ask the hon. Member to give me the names of the persons to whom he alludes in the first part of the question. I am inquiring into the case of Michael Murray, and will inform the hon. Member of the result.

asked upon what grounds the Local Government Board for Ireland disallowed an old age pension granted by the Louisburgh (county Mayo) pension subcommittee to Ellen Sammon (née Gordon), of Askelane, Louisburgh; and whether, having failed to procure any record of her age in the census returns or church registers, the claimant produced a certificate that she was married in April, 1861, over fifty years ago, which, supported by the personal appearance of the claimant, the sub-committee accepted as sufficient evidence that she had reached the qualifying age?

Ellen Sammon was married, as stated, in April, 1861. Her parents' family was treated in the census returns of both 1841 and 1851. The claimant's name was not in the list of the family in the former year, from which it would appear she was not then born, whilst in 1851 her age was given as seven years. No other satisfactory evidence being produced, the Local Government Board accordingly disallowed her claim to a pension on the ground that she has not yet attained the statutory age.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on what grounds the pension was taken from Ellen McNamara, of Ballycashown, Cappamore, county Limerick; whether he is aware that this woman produced her marriage certificate dated January, 1859, as well as the affidavits of people more than eighty years of age, to show that she was more than the age limit; why did the pension officer and the Local Government Board allow her pension for a period of six months and then take it from her; and what new evidence was produced to uphold such action on their part.

This case has been three times before the Local Government Board, but on no occasion have they allowed Ellen McNamara's claim to a pension. No affidavit from a person claiming to be more than eighty years of age has been forwarded to the Board, and the claimant's marriage took place in January, 1860, not 1859, as stated. Her parents were traced in the Census Return of 1841, but they had then no child named Ellen, from which it would appear that she was born subsequently to the taking of the Census on the 6th June, 1841, and no other satisfactory evidence was produced. Her third claim was disallowed in March last, but if she makes a fresh claim the Board would be prepared to hold that she has now attained the age of seventy years unless evidence to the contrary were forthcoming.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the Estates Commissioners received a resolution from the Aghaboe branch of the United Irish League, Queen's County, requesting that a portion of the untenanted land on the Hamilton Stubber estate should be used for the enlargement of the uneconomic holdings in the parish; and, if so, can he say what steps, if any, have been taken by the Commissioners in this matter?

The resolution referred to has been received, and will be considered by the Estates Commissioners when they are dealing with this estate.

asked what steps the Estates Commissioners have taken to acquire the farm at Clondoty, Loughmore, Thurles, county Tipperary, from which the late Mr. Cumbie was evicted for nonpayment of rent?

The Estates Commissioners have instituted proceedings with a view to the compulsory acquisition of these lands under the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, and objections under the Act, filed by the owner to the acquisition of the land, are awaiting determination.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will give the names of the twelve evicted tenants in the county of Limerick, and their addresses, who have been noted for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land acquired by the Estates Commissioners in the county; and whether he has any idea when these cases will be settled?

It is not the practice of the Estates Commissioners to furnish detailed returns giving the names and addresses of persons whose applications for reinstatement as evicted tenants or representatives of evicted tenants have been provisionally noted for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land. Cases so noted are further considered on the allotment of untenanted land acquired by the Commissioners and, if finally approved, are given parcels of land. The Commissioners are not in a position at present to reply to the last paragraph of the question.

asked in what way and when the Estates Commissioners propose to deal with the thirty-four cases of evicted tenants in the county of Limerick who did not make application within the period limited by the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907?

These cases will be considered by the Estates Commissioners if and when the estates on which the applicants' former holdings were situated come before the Commissioners as the subject of proceedings for sale under the Land Purchase Acts.

asked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been directed to discrepancies in regard to the issue of vesting orders in West Clare; that whereas in the estate of Miss Letitia G. Foster, in the townland of Knockahila, parish of Kilmurry-Ibrickan. barony of Ibrickan, West Clare, purchase agreements were signed by the tenants on 19th March, 1904, and notice of the vesting orders was given on 13th October, 1904, yet in the estate of Richard Stacpoole, in the townlands of Annagh and Carrowduff, barony of Ibrickan, estate No. 3,405, purchase agreements were signed by the tenants on 23rd October, 1905, and lodged with the Estates Commissioners in January, 1906, but vesting orders have not yet been issued; and whether steps will be taken to rectify this state of affairs?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that the agreements signed by the tenants on Miss Foster's estate were lodged soon after the passing of the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the holdings were in due course vested in the purchasing tenants. In the interval between the lodgment of the agreements in this estate and the lodgment of agreements in the estate of Richard Stacpoole, purchase agreements in nearly 3,000 estates were lodged. The Stacpoole estate has not yet been reached in order of priority to be dealt with.

asked the Chief Secretary can he state what stage negotiations between the Congested Districts Board and Mr. Richard Kelly for the purchase of his estate at Carramore, Louisburgh, county Mayo, have reached; when the necessary maps and papers were lodged with the Board; and when the Board hope to be able to complete the purchase?

The Congested Districts Board inform me that maps and documents in connection with the estate referred to were lodged with the Board on the 20th July, 1910. The estate will be inspected as soon as practicable, and a decision arrived at regarding purchase.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will say, of the 970 teachers who left the service of the Board of National Education, Ireland, on reduced pensions between the years 1900 and 1910, inclusive, how many had higher salaries than those who succeeded them, and, of the 2,971 teachers who left the same service during the same period without any pension, how many had higher salaries than those who succeeded them?

The information asked for is not available, and could not be procured without an expenditure of time and labour out of all proportion to its public utility.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that County-inspector Foley, Nenagh, had to retire from the Royal Irish Constabulary force before he had completed forty years' service; can he state upon what grounds District-inspector Conor Beirne, Royal Irish Constabulary, Athlone, has been ordered to retire; what are the ages and periods of service of District-inspectors Webster and Fitzsimons of the same force, and why they have not been retired; and does the difference in treatment of these officers arise from the fact that Messrs. Foley and Beirne are Roman Catholics, while Messrs. Webster and Fitzsimons are Protestants and prominent Freemasons.

The hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension. The inspector-general informs me that County Inspector Foley was not required to retire before he had completed forty years' service. District-Inspector Conor Beirne has not yet been called on to retire. District-Inspector Webster, who has retired on pension, is sixty-one years of age, and has over forty-two years' service. District-Inspector Fitzsimons has not yet been called on to retire. He is now sixty years of age, and has over forty-two years' service. The ordinary practice is to retire officers on pension when they attain the age of sixty years and have completed forty years' service. Exceptions are occasionally made when, in the opinion of the Government, the circumstances render it desirable in the interests of the public service. The question of religion is never taken into consideration.

asked the Secretary of Slate for the Home Department if he has received a resolution from a conference representing twenty-one local authorities in Greater London in connection with motor omnibuses being fitted with efficient splash-guards; whether he is aware that the Chief Commissioner of Police has refused to call upon the motor omnibus companies to use efficient splash-guards; and whether, seeing that efficient splash-guards are necessary in order to prevent the travelling public and property from being splashed with mud by passing vehicles, he proposes to take action in the matter?

I have received the resolution referred to. As I stated on the 24th July, it is impossible to make such a regulation as is suggested, because no satisfactory type of mudguard has yet been found. Motor omnibuses are, of course, not the only vehicles that cause inconvenience by the splashing of mud.

asked whether he is aware that Police-constable George Greaves, No. 177 X, formerly 46 H, of Whitechapel, who offended the Chief Com- missioner of Police by the evidence he gave in the defence of Stinie Morrison, has been removed to Pinner; if he is aware that Constable Greaves passed the preliminary examination for promotion previous to the Clapham murder trial; and whether, in view of the fact that a promise was made that if he made a truthful statement he would not be interfered with, he proposes to see that the terms of that promise are carried out.

The Special Commissioner who investigated the matter has recorded the finding that the statement made by Greaves was untrue, but as the Commissioner also added that he was not satisfied that Greaves had deliberately sworn what he knew to be false, no action to his prejudice was taken. It is clear, however, that an officer who could give incorrect testimony in so important a matter is not fitted for all branches of police work, and should not be employed on duties which might necessitate his giving evidence in court where the finding of the Commissioner would be likely to prejudice his credibility as a witness. He has been sent to a particularly healthy part of the police district, where it is to be hoped he will do useful work and qualify for promotion. I do not propose to interfere with the discretion of the Commissioner of Police in such matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether cases of sleeping sickness have recently been reported in Angoniland, on the southwestern arm of Lake Nyassa, in proximity to the Government game reserve; whether twenty-two cases have occurred in the last six months in the Protectorate; and, if so, what special measures have been and are being taken to safeguard Nyassaland?

Three cases of sleeping sickness have recently been reported on the south-western arms of Lake Nyassa, in proximity to the Government game reserve. Fresh cases are being continually discovered, and I am unable to give the exact number for the last six months, but fifty-four cases in all have been reported to me. An account of the measures which are being taken will be found in the Sleeping Sickness Diary of the Protectorate, Part XIV., a copy of which I will send to the hon. Member. The hon. Member is probably aware that I have sent to Nyassaland a well-equipped scientific expedition, under the leadership of the distinguished expert, Sir David Bruce and the general direction of the Royal Society, to investigate the relation between the African fauna and the trypanosome diseases of men and animals. Some of the members of the Commission have already sailed, and the rest will follow in about three months, when the laboratory and dwelling-houses will be approaching completion.

asked the Prime Minister when he proposes to proceed with the Finance Bill?

On Wednesday.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if a Labour Exchange clerk may submit to the central office a petition of grievance or an application for promotion, transfer, or increase of salary when he has reason to believe that the treatment by the divisional officer is unfair, without prejudicing himself in anyway?

All officers, of whatever rank, may approach the Central Office on any grievance through their superior officer.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the sub-postmaster of a neighbouring village is now being employed as a season assistant at the Holyhead office; whether, as the particular sub-office is seven miles distant from the Holyhead office, the sub-postmaster can be expected to perform satisfactorily the duties required of him at both places, and on what grounds it has been deemed necessary to depart from the usual procedure of advertising the vacancy in the Post Office Circular?

The arrangement referred to is a convenient one, and was made with my approval. Sub-postmasters paid on the scale system are not required to perform the whole of their duties personally, and I am assured that in the case in question suitable arrangements have been made to carry on the work of the sub-office. It was unnecessary to advertise for a season assistant when a satisfactory officer was at hand.

asked the Postmaster-General when the booklets containing eighteen penny and twelve halfpenny postage stamps will be obtainable at the post-offices in this House and elsewhere for the sum of 2s., as promised by the Department some weeks ago?

The issue of books containing eighteen penny and twelve halfpenny postage stamps of George V. design has just been commenced; and these books are now on sale at the post-offices in this House.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that, although the attention of the Board of Agriculture was drawn to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at Hounslow by the 2nd of July, no notice was sent to the market authorities at Southall until the 5th of July; and whether, in view of the number of cattle which were sent to the market in consequence of no notice being received between the 2nd and 5th of July, and having therefore to be slaughtered, he will take steps to see that the owners of such cattle receive adequate compensation for the loss they sustained through no fault of their own?

No report as to the suspected existence of foot-and-mouth disease at Hounslow was received by the Board until 1.55 p.m. an the 3rd ultimo. Two of the veterinary officers of the Board at once visited the premises and the existence of disease was confirmed by telephone at 8.15 p.m. The necessary orders wore issued on the following day and were communicated to the local authority and to the police. The Board have no power to pay compensation for the losses to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture when the minutes of proceedings of the annual meeting of representatives of the Sea Fishery Committees, which was held on 6th July, 1911, will be published?

The report referred to is with the printers, and it will be available shortly.