asked the Secretary to the Treasury what sums have been granted by the Treasury to the International Council for the Exploration of the North and neighbouring Seas, or for the purposes of that council in each year since its establishment: and what portions of each such annual grant have been voted direct to the council and administered respectively by the Scottish Fishery Board, the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, or any other specified authorities or bodies?

No sums have been granted to the International Council for the investigation of the North Sea and adjacent waters except the annual subscription of 25,000 marks which is payable by Great Britain as one of the participating countries. Provision was made in each of the financial years, 1902–3 to 1909–10 inclusive, at the rate of £5,500 apiece to the agents appointed for carrying out the British share of the international work, namely, the Marine Biological Association for England and the Scottish Fishery Board for Scotland, for the maintenance and equipment of research steamers, laboratories, etc. Since 1st April, 1910, the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries has been substituted as the English agent for the Marine Biological Association, and the expenses of that Department in connection with the investigations and of the Scottish Fishery Board have appeared in. the annual estimates of the two Departments in special subheads.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether gold mining operations have been commenced at Kildonan, in Scotland, and, if so, what royalties are being charged by the Government on the gold produced; whether the gold for the insignia to be used at the investiture of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has been obtained from the gold mines of Merionethshire; what is the total quantity and total value of gold which has been obtained from the mines known as Gwyn or Gwynfynydd and St. David's mines, in that county, since gold mining operations were commenced by Mr. Pritchard Morgan in or about the year 1888; what has been the average value per ton of the ore from the said mines in Merionethshire which has been treated; and what is the total amount of royalties charged and received by the Crown on such gold in and since that year?

I understand that fresh prospecting operations have been commenced, or are about to be commenced, at Kildonan by the Duke of Sutherland, who holds a Crown Charter of Mines Royal within his lands which re- serves to the Crown a tenth part of the gold and silver ore found. The gold for the insignia used at the Investiture of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was obtained from the Merionethshire mines. According to the returns furnished to the Commissioners of Woods by the lessees, the total quantity of gold and silver obtained from the Gwyn or Gwynfynydd and St. David's Mines in Merionethshire since 1888 is 102,038 ounces, and the total net value £362,298, the silver representing but a small proportion of the whole. The average value per ton of the veinstuff treated appears from the returns furnished to be about £l 9s. 9d. The total amount of royalties received by the Crown from these Merionethshire mines since 1888 is £12,383.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why, although Section 2 of the Finance (1909–10) Act, 1910, defines increment value as the amount by which the site value on the occasion exceeds the original site value, duty was claimed in the Richmond case on a value attributable to goodwill and not to the site?

I must remind the hon. Member that this case is sub judice, and I am accordingly not in a position to make any statement in regard to it.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if the Congested Districts Board have taken any action with reference to the sale of the Popham estate, in the townlands of Ballymore, Lisserdrea, and Ballylugnagun, in Boyle parish, county Roscommon; if the landlord offered to sell directly to the tenants three, years ago; have the Board communicated with him; is he still willing to sell; and, if so, when will the initial steps be taken?

The Congested Districts Board communicated with the owner of the estate referred to, inquiring whether he was willing to negotiate for the sale of his estate through them, but up to the present no reply has been received. The Board have no information as to whether the landlord offered to sell directly to the tenants.

asked the Chief Secretary whether the tenants on the townlands, of Cooleanig and Gerah, parish of Tuogh, county Kerry, have represented to the middle landlord, Mr. Quill, and to the head landlord, Mrs. Drummond, that they are desirous of purchasing their holdings; and whether steps will be taken by the Congested Districts Board to ascertain from the owners on what terms they are willing to sell?

I have no information as to the matters referred to in the question. The Congested Districts Board communicated with the agent inquiring whether it was proposed to negotiate for the sale of the property through them, but so far no reply has been received.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners have proceeded so far with the purchase of the Chapman estate, Killua, Westmeath, as to be able to intervene and save for distribution among uneconomic holders and landless people the Kilrush and Cloran farm of 162 acres held by Mr. Skelly on a grazing tenure, and now advertised to be sold by auction at the court house, Athboy, on 12th August, by Mr. William Casey?

This estate is not in priority to be dealt with this year. The powers of the Estates Commissioners to acquire land are limited to the acquisition of lands in fee simple, and they have no power to acquire a tenant's interest apart from the fee simple. Due inquiries will be made regarding all tenancies on the estate when it is being inspected.

asked what was the cost to the ratepayers of the county of Kerry for the county council, rural district council, and urban district council elections for this year?

This information is not available, and could only be obtained by communicating with the several local authorities in county Kerry.

asked the Chief Secretary where, when, and by whom the brothers Dowling, of Lixnaw, county Kerry, were sentenced to ten years' penal servitude; if he will state what the charges were against these two men and on what charges they were convicted, and if they have been released from Maryborough Prison; if so, will he state the grounds on which they were released and how much of their sentence remains un-served; and if he will lay upon the Table of the House the report of the trial in this case?

The two men referred to were tried at Cork Winter Assizes, 1909, before Mr. Justice Wright, and convicted of feloniously wounding with intent to maim. They were released by the order of the Lord Lieutenant on 11th July last. It would be contrary to practice to state the reasons which influenced His Excellency in the exercise of the prerogative of mercy. The period of sentence remitted in each case was eight years, 143 days. No report of the trial is available beyond what appeared in the public Press.

asked the Chief Secretary if in one week in July of last year thirty threatening notices were found posted in the Lixnaw district in connection with a dispute concerning a local quarry, and will he state why these threatening notices were not included in the total number of threatening letters and notices served or posted in the county of Kerry for the year 1910; and will he state on what grounds Lord Justice Cherry was able to state this year, in his address to the grand jury of the county of Kerry at the summer assizes, that there were only nineteen threatening letters and notices served or posted in the county of Kerry for the year 1910?

The police authorities inform me that on 9th July, 1910, thirty threatening notices, all of the same nature in connection with a dispute concerning a local quarry, were found posted in the Duagh district. In accordance with practice, the notices, having reference to one and the same transaction, were recorded as one case. As regards the final paragraph of the question, I would refer the lion. Member to my reply to his similar question on this day's Paper.

asked the Chief Secretary on what grounds Lord Justice Cherry congratulated the grand jury of the county of Kerry, at the summer assizes, on the satisfactory state of affairs, when the trial of a man named William Cotter, who was charged with unlawful assembly, and with firing into a dwelling-house and terrifying the inhabitants, had to be postponed, upon the application of counsel who appeared for the Crown, because it was not possible to obtain a fair trial of the case in the county Kerry; and will he state what steps he proposes to take to restrict the carrying of firearms in the disturbed districts of Ireland?

If the hon. Member will refer to the reports of Lord Justice Cherry's address which appears in the Press he will find that while the learned judge congratulated the grand jury of the county of Kerry on the satisfactory condition of the county as a whole, he at the same time specially exempted from his remarks the district in which the case referred to occurred. With regard to the latter part of the question, I do not propose at present to take any special steps in the matter as regards Ireland, but the question of introducing legislation to restrict the possession of firearms in the United Kingdom generally has been under consideration.

asked the Chief Secretary on what grounds Lord Justice Cherry stated at the Kerry summer assizes, in his address to the grand jury, that nineteen threatening letters were served or posted in the county of Kerry for the year 1910, and that for 1911 there were only five; if his attention has been directed to the observations of the learned judge with reference to the subject of threatening letters; will he state how many threatening letters and notices were served or posted in the county of Kerry for the year 1910; and how many from the 1st January of this year to the 12th July of this year?

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. On the occasion referred to, Lord Justice Cherry was comparing not the years 1910 and 1911, but the period between the Spring and Summer Assizes of 1910, with the corresponding period of 1911. My attention has been directed to the observations of the learned judge on the subject of threatening letters. As far as the police are aware thirty-one such letters and notices were posted in county Kerry during the year 1910, and nine between 1st January and 12th July, 1911.

asked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the fact that a decree in an action for assault was granted by the county court judge at the June sittings against Sergeant Carroll, of the Royal Irish Constabulary, Maguiresbridge, county Fermanagh, and confirmed on appeal, and is this the second time this officer has been held liable for assault; has another officer of the Maguiresbridge force been held liable also for assault; and will he suggest to the Royal Irish Constabulary authorities that the constant friction between the Royal Irish Constabulary and some of the inhabitants of the district might be terminated if these members of the force were transferred to other stations?

I have nothing to add to my reply to the similar question of the hon. Member on 31st July.

asked whether the application of Mr. Michael O'Connor, Milltown, county Kerry, for reinstatement in the holding from which his father was evicted, on the Chute estate, Castleisland, has been considered; and, if so, what steps do they propose to take regarding it?

O'Connor applied to the Estates Commissioners for reinstatement in a holding on the Chute estate formerly occupied by his father, whose tenancy terminated on the expiration of his lease, and now in the occupation of a tenant-purchaser. O'Connor has already been informed that the Commissioners cannot take any action in the matter of his application.

asked what steps are being taken to deal with the case of Mrs. Malone, evicted tenant, Dingle, county Kerry?

The Estates Commissioners have received an application from Mrs. Honoria Malone for reinstatement in a holding formerly occupied by her late husband on the Hickson Estate, county Kerry, and now in the occupation of another tenant, and have noted her name for consideration in the allotment of such untenanted land as the Commissioners may acquire.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War, whether he will ask the Commissioners of Chelsea Hospital to reconsider the question of a Grant to Robert Perry, late of the 12th Lancers and Imperial Yeomanry, having regard to the fact that, since his examination by the medical board on 12th July last, Dr. Cohen, of 461, Green Lanes, Harringay, N., has certified in writing, dated 20th July, that Perry is still suffering from the effects of the operation for a ruptured adductor longus of the left side, and to the consideration that the finding of the medical board that he is not incapacitated does not imply that he is under no disability where long hours and physical strain are concerned, without which it is difficult for him to get a living?

The case will be further investigated and the hon. Member informed of the result in due course.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the number of trade disputes in which the assistance of the Board of Trade has been employed under the Conciliation Act of 1896, and the number of workpeople directly concerned in such disputes; and if he will give the figures separately for each of the years since the Act came into force?

The following statement gives the information available:—

asked the President of the Local Government Board (1) how many times Charles Bowles, of Donnington, Stow-on-the-Wold, has appeared before the justices there in connection with action taken to compel him to contribute to the support of his father; what is the total amount of the costs and payments he has personally paid; for how much has he been made liable; and whether he has to support himself and his wife and two children on a weekly wage of 12s.; (2) whether in January or February of this year the justices of Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucester, in condemning one Charles Bowles to contribute to the support of his father, were so fully convinced of the hardship upon the poor of the law as commonly interpreted in such cases that they paid the man's costs and fine from their own pockets; and whether he will take steps to secure the alteration of the law in such cases?

I learn that Charles Bowles has appeared twice before the justices in respect of an order made upon him in 1907 for payment of a shilling a week for the support of his father. The total amount of the payments due from him since June, 1907, including 10s. costs, is £6 11s. 0d. Of this sum, he has paid £3 19s. 0d.; two guineas have been remitted by the guardians. The sum of 10s., which he was ordered by the justices on the 1st June last to pay in respect of arrears was, as I understand, found for him by the members of the Bench. His wages in 1907, when the order was made upon him, were said to be 13s. a week. At the hearing on the 1st June, 1911, he stated they were 12s. a week, and that a daughter aged nineteen was then at home dependent on him. I am not at present satisfied that an alteration of the law is needed, but I will consider the matter further.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state why Mr. Michael O'Donoghue, who served as assistant clerk in the engineering department of the General Post Office, London, was not permitted to return to duty on 12th July, as he requested, he then being free from all disease as certified by two doctors; whether he is aware that Mr. O'Donoghue's time did not expire until the end of August, the Post Office doctor not having examined him since 13th August, 1910; and whether steps will now be taken to restore him to his position?

Mr. O'Donoghue went on sick leave suffering from tuberculosis on the 28th July, 1910. After an absence lasting for nearly six months, the Chief Medical Officer to the Post Office formed the opinion, on the medical reports which were furnished by the authorities of the sanatorium where Mr. O'Donoghue was staying, that there was no reasonable prospect of his again being fit for the performance of his duties. In these circumstances, it was necessary to proceed with his superannuation; and I regret that I cannot hold out any hope of his reinstatement.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, what assistance he proposes to give to help the cockle industry of Flookborough, Lancashire?

The action of the Board is dependent upon the decision of the Development Commissioners with regard to the proposals recently submitted to them.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the beneficial effects resulting from the working of the Prevention of Foul Brood Act in Ireland, and considering the almost unanimous demand of bee-keepers in this country, he will introduce a Bill for the prevention of the spread of bee diseases in Great Britain?

I should be quite ready to consider the introduction of a Bill to enable county councils to deal with Bee Diseases if I could be assured that it would be treated as an uncontroversial measure by both sides of the House.