asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the proposals made to him by a deputation on behalf of the directors of the light railways of the West Riding of the county Cork that the ratepayers in the guaranteeing areas were entitled to a Grant-in-Aid from the Treasury, in the event of such proposal being granted, he will make provision that the Kanturk and Newmarket Light Railway, in the East Riding of the county Cork, shall be given a proportionate pecuniary Grant to help to alleviate the loss to the ratepayers of the guaranteeing area, who suffer from an annual loss considerably greater than was forecasted when the guaranteeing area was originally fixed?

I do not think I can give any undertaking on this point. Every case must be treated on its merits, including the possibility of relief to the taxpayer.

asked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the decisions in re Roulston (1909), 1 Irish Reports, 306, and in National Bank v. Diffely (1910), 1 Irish Reports, 271, that neither a judgment mortgage nor an equitable mortgage by deposit of title deeds are within the restrictions on mortgaging contained in Section 54 of the Irish Land Act, 1903; and whether he will consider the desirability of so amending that Section as to bring within it either or both of these classes of mortgage?

My attention has been drawn to the decisions to which the hon. Member refers. They are decisions upon the construction of a provision in Section 54 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, which imposes restrictions upon the mortgaging of holdings by tenant purchasers. Whether any further restrictions of this nature are required is a question which will no doubt be considered in connection with any Bill for the general amendment of the Land Purchase Acts.

asked the Chief Secretary if he will consent to the omission of the Sunday drinking facilities Clause of the Dublin Police Bill in Committee if the opposition of hon. Members interested in temperance to the Bill is withdrawn?

This question does not appear to arise at this stage. I shall be very happy to hear the views of any hon. Members on the Second Reading or Committee stage of the Bill.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what validating Bills have been passed by the Imperial Parliament within the past twenty years for the purpose of giving validity to Bills unconstitutionally passed by the Parliaments of the self-governing Dominions?

The following validating Acts have been passed:—Canada 59 Vict., c. 3 (Session 2) Canadian Speaker; Appointment of Deputy.—This was passed at the request of the Canadian Government to remove any doubt as to the validity of a Canadian Act on the subject.Australia 56 and 57 Vic, c. 72 validates any Act passed by the Legislature of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania, and assented to in Her Majesty's name by the Governor and not disallowed by Her Majesty before the 20th February, 1894, the date of the passing of the Act. The Act was intended to validate certain Acts which should have been reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure and had not been reserved. The Special Acts were not set out in the Enactment.I. Edward 7, e. 29, confirms the following Acts:—New South Wales.—The Federal Elections Act, 1900 (No. 73 of 1900). The Parliamentary Electorates Redistribution Act, 1900 (No. 84 of 1900).Queensland.—The Parliament of the Commonwealth Elections Act and the Elections Acts, 1885 to 1898, Amendment Act of 1900 (No. 25 of 1900).

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Secretary of State proposes to extend the rule under which widows of Indian officers who entered the service before 1873 are allowed to visit India; and whether he will consider the advisability of removing these restrictions altogether and allowing such widows to draw their sterling pensions in India without any time limit?

The Military Funds Widows' Pensions referred to were fixed and subscribed for on a rupee basis. Under the rules widows not resident in India are allowed to draw their rupee pensions in sterling at special rates in excess of 2s. per rupee. The sterling pensions so received greatly exceed in valu3 the amount that would be due if payment were made in rupees, the excess falling upon the Indian taxpayer. As a further privilege widows visiting India are allowed to continue enjoying the advantageous sterling rate for the first two years after their arrival there. The Secretary of State does not propose to throw an additional charge on the revenues of India by extending this period.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India the amount of gold held by the Government of India in India on 31st October in the years 1910, 1911, and 1912?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he will lay upon the Table a copy of the contract with Messrs. Samuel Montagu and Company for the purchase of silver, and a copy of the terms on which they were instructed to purchase?

replied, and referred to the correspondence printed in the Official Report, 14th November, 1912, cols. 2119–2124.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what security was given by Messrs. Samuel Montagu and Company in respect of the sum of £1,050,000 lent to them this year out of the cash balances of India; and to what extent, if any, the security was registered or inscribed?

The securities for the loans making up the £1,050,000 were as follows:—

• £525,000 Guaranteed Debentures of the Bengal-Nagpur Railway Company.
• £35,000 Guaranteed Debentures of the Madras Railway Company.
• £70,000 Guaranteed Debentures of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company.
• £75,000 Guaranteed Debentures of the Assam-Bengal Railway Company.
• £25,000 Guaranteed Debentures of the Indian Midland Railway Company.
• £20,000 Guaranteed Debentures of the South Indian Railway Company.
• £190,000 India Sterling Bills.
• £56,000 London County Bills.
• £67,000 Guaranteed 2¾ per Cent. Stock.
• £12,000 2½ per Cent. Consolidated Stock.

Of the securities, £79,000 were registered and were transferred to the Stock Account of the Secretary of State at the Bank of England. The unregistered securities were held by the Bank of England on the Secretary of State's behalf.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he will give the names of the sellers from whom purchases of silver were made by Messrs. Samuel Montagu and Company on behalf of the Government, with the amount, the price, and the date in each case during the present year?

replied, and referred to the list of sellers printed in the Official Report, 14th November, 1912, cols. 2117–2119, Vol. XLIII.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he will state with what banks deposits have been made from the home balances of the Government of India?

Deposits have been made at various times with the following seven banks:—

• London County and Westminster Bank.
• London Joint Stock Bank.
• National Provincial Bank of England.
• Union of London and Smiths Bank.
• London City and Midland Bank.
• Messrs. Barclay and Company.
• Messrs. Glyn, Mills, Currie and Company.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what system food and drink were supplied to members of the Metropolitan Police Force employed at Sidney Street, the funeral of King Edward, the Coronations of King Edward and King George, the Investiture at Carnarvon, and the recent dock strike; and whether he proposes to adopt any different system on future occasions of this kind, so as to alleviate any hardship to the men?

In order to state the arrangements which were made for supplying food and drink to the Metropolitan Police on each of the occasions referred to, it will be necessary for me to reply at some length to the hon. Member's questions:—(1) The Sidney Street incident occurred quite unexpectedly, and was one for which no commissariat arrangements could have adequately provided, even if there had been time to make them. Police were hurried to the spot at a moment's notice, and on arrival found that they had to keep back from the danger zone a crowd so dense that it effectually cut off some of the men on duty from the adjacent police stations. The attention of superior officers was concentrated on efforts to overcome the criminals in the house, and to see that no unnecessary risk of life was incurred by spectators. Even under the stress of such conditions men, as far as practicable, were regularly relieved to enable them to go to the adjacent police stations, where supplies were available. In addition there were numerous refreshment houses within reach.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will cause inquiries to be made with a view to the extension of telegraphic communication from Grange Cross, Pallasgrean, county Limerick, to Brittas post office?

An extension of the telegraph system to Brittas post office was considered as recently as June last, but I regret to say that the estimated traffic is insufficient to warrant such an extension.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he intends to reduce the status of the Stretford Road Branch Post Office, Manchester, to that of a town sub-office, under the control of a sub-postmaster and lower-paid assistants than at present; and, if so, will he reconsider his decision so as to avoid lowering the standard of efficiency at this office when the work and responsibility due to the National Insurance Act, etc., are increasing?

The matter is under consideration; but the hon. Member may rest assured that in any case the duties will be adequately provided for.

asked the Postmaster-General whether Mr. John L. Martin, of the Galway Post Office, applied for transfer to the Central Telegraph Office in response to an advertisement for applicants to fill vacancies there; has Mr. Martin's application been considered; and, if not, when is it considered likely that the applicants will be informed of the result of their applications?

Mr. Martin's application for transfer to the Central Telegraph Office was considered with others, and he was informed some time ago by the postmaster of Galway that it was unsuccessful.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that the death of a girl, aged five years, which occurred at 3, Malcolm's Wynd, Kirkcaldy, on 31st October, was at first diagnosed by two medical men who saw the body, and one of whom is the consultant medical officer of health for Kirkcaldy, as having been due to measles; whether the death was incorrectly entered in the register as having occurred at the Kirkcaldy Smallpox Hospital, in which the patient had never been treated; whether the certificate gave small-pox as the cause of death; and can he state the reason for this variation of expert opinion?

I am aware that of four medical men who saw the body after death, three were of opinion that the death was due to small-pox, and one, who was the consultant medical officer of health for Kirkcaldy, suggested that it might have been due to suppressed measles. I am unable to suggest any reason for this variation of expert opinion. The death was registered as having occurred at 3, Malcolm's Wynd, Kirkcaldy, and the certificate gave small-pox as the cause of death.

asked the Secretary for Scotland whether the statistics in the Returns of the Registrar-General dealing with the vaccinal condition of persons whose deaths are ascribed to small-pox are compiled from the death certificates lodged with local registrars; whether on the certificate of a female patient, aged fifty-two years, who died in Kirkcaldy Small-pox Hospital on 25th October, no-mention was made of her having been vaccinated, although she was so classified whilst a patient in the hospital; and have steps been taken to rectify such omission, or will he give instructions that steps be taken, if necessary, in order that statistical accuracy may be assured?

The statistics referred to in the first part of the question are compiled from the death certificates lodged with local registrars, but these certificates are supplemented when necessary by reference to the medical practitioner. In the certificate referred to in the second part of the question, no mention was made of the deceased having been vaccinated; but steps were taken to ascertain the vaccinal condition of the deceased, and statistical accuracy was assured.