asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what was the amount required for making good the deficiency in respect of Guaranteed Stock issued at a discount during the year 1911?

The amount required during the calendar year 1911 for making good the deficiency in respect of Guaranteed Stock issued at a discount was £218,663 9s. 5d.

asked what was the amount of the dividends and Sinking Fund payments on Guaranteed Stock issued for the purposes of the Land Purchase Aid Fund during the year 1911.

The amount of dividends and Sinking Fund payments during the calendar year 1911 on Guaranteed Stock issued for the purposes of the Land Purchase Aid Fund was £164,452 9s. 4d.

asked what has been the number of vendors who, under Section 3 (2) of the Act of 1909, elected to accept payment either partly or wholly in stock, respectively?

Since the passing of the Irish Land Act, 1909, 1,205 vendors have elected, under Section 3 (2) of that Act, to take payment partly in stock and partly in cash, and 516 vendors have elected to take payment wholly in stock.

asked how many workmen have been unable to resume their former employment of the 2,299 who were evicted from the shipbuilding yards and engineering works in Belfast during the recent riots?

lam informed that there are about 350 shipyard workers still out of employment in Belfast, and that about 300 left the city at the beginning of the trouble and obtained work elsewhere.

asked what was the cost of the Church Property Department of the Irish Land Commission for the year 1911?

The total cost of administering the Irish Church Fund for the financial year 1911–12 was £8,368.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland at what date were the agreements for purchase signed and lodged of Lord Antrim's estate at Bally-money; and at what date the money will be advanced and the purchase completed?

This estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants, and purchase agreements were lodged with the Estates Commissioners in August, 1907. The estate is on the principal register of direct sales (all cash), and, having regard to its position on the register and the claims of other estates, the Commissioners are not at present in a position to say when it will be reached.

asked the Chief Secretary if teachers affected by the Maynooth resolutions, in receipt of three months' notices countersigned by the bishop of the diocese, have the same right of appeal to the Board of National Education for reversal of their sentences of disemployment as Protestant teachers; and whether the priests who manage the vested schools, wholly built at the expense of the State, have the same right of employing and disemploying the State-paid teachers of these schools, with the consent of the bishop of the diocese, as the managers of schools erected by voluntary contributions?

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that Rule 96 of their Code provides for appeals by national teachers, and this rule applies equally to teachers of all denominations. The answer to the second paragraph of the question is in the affirmative.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the present scale of 36s. a week paid to shipwrights in His Majesty's dockyards is a violation of the spirit of the Government Fair-Wage Clause; whether he is aware that the rates paid for new and repair work, also the overtime rates in all important shipbuilding centres where similar work is done, are considerably in excess of those paid in His Majesty's dockyards; and whether the Admiralty will grant a uniform rate of pay of 40s. per week for shipwrights employed in His Majesty's dockyards?

It is the fact that at the present time the scales of wages paid to shipwrights in the great shipbuilding centres—which have now touched a higher point than has been reached, so far as I am aware, at any previous date—are in advance of those paid in His Majesty's dockyards. But I may remind the Noble Lord that the policy of the Department is to secure to the men employed rates not less favourable than those paid for similar work outside in the locality of the dockyard itself. It is also necessary to remember, in comparing the rates paid in His Majesty's dockyards with those of the great private yards outside, the following facts, namely:—(1) In the dockyards, roughly, one in six of the men employed have a chance of establishment, which involves security of tenure, subject to good conduct, and superannuation—to which, I admit, the men themselves largely contribute; (2) so far as the non-established men are concerned, there is far greater prospect of continuity of employment than in the outside yards; (3) the non-established men are entitled to a gratuity of one week's wage for every year of service, after seven years if stood off on reduction, and after fifteen years if stood off or retired from our service for any reason except misconduct; (4) the men work a 48-hours week; (5) all workmen enjoy the privilege of the four public holidays with pay; (6) there are various extras, such as an allowance of 2s. a week to each man instructing apprentices during the first four years of apprenticeship. These considerations have to be borne in mind in making a comparison between the money payments in His Majesty's dockyards and in the great private yards outside. At the same time I ought to add that the question of the present rate for shipwrights has recently been placed before me in great detail at the annual hearing of petitions at Devonport, Portsmouth, and Chatham and Sheerness, and is now receiving careful consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether all Special Reserve and Territorial battalions are supplied with tripod mountings for their machine guns; if not, what battalions are not so supplied; and whether these battalions would be so supplied upon mobilisation?

No Special Reserve battalions have yet been supplied with tripod mountings, but they will be supplied as soon as mountings are available, commencing next financial year. One hundred and twenty-four Territorial battalions have been supplied with tripod mountings, leaving eighty-three to be so equipped, and it is hoped that the majority of these will be completed in time for next training. Further issue of tripod mountings on mobilisation can only be made to the extent of numbers available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appointments of inspectors of factories and workshops have been made during the present year, distinguishing between junior inspectors, inspectors' assistants, and lady inspectors; and if he can give the previous occupation of each person appointed?

The particulars are as follows:—Junior Inspectors of Factories (Eleven Appointments).Previous Occupations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what were the circumstances which prevented Her Majesty assenting to the Act passed by the Canadian Legislature in 1843 for the better securing the independence of the legislative independence of the province; whether any protest was made by the Government of Canada against the refusal to give Her Majesty's Assent, to the Act; whether the Governor acted on his own responsibility, upon the advice of Ministers, or as the result of instructions from the Imperial Government, and, if upon instructions, were such instructions general, or special instructions in respect of this particular measure; whether the law has since been amended; and, if so, in what way were the objections met which prevented the Act receiving Her Majesty's Assent?

The Bill passed by the Legislature of Canada in 1843 for the better securing the independence of the Legislative Council of the province failed to receive the Royal Assent because the Law Officers of the Crown in England advised that the Bill interfered very materially with the power vested in Her Majesty by the Imperial Act, 3 and 4 Vict., chap. 35, with reference to the appointment of the members of the Legislative Council, and it was not, therefore, competent for Her Majesty to assent to the enactment. The Bill was reserved by the Governor on the advice of his legal adviser in accordance with his general instructions as to the reservation of Bills and in view of the fact that it was ultravires the legislature. I am not aware that any protest was made by the Ministry. By an Act of 1856 which was rendered valid by an Imperial Act, IV and 18 Vict., chap. 118, the constitution of the Legislative Council was altered, and in 1867 the Province of Canada was re-divided into two provinces which became parts of the Dominion of Canada with new Constitutions which are laid down in the British North America Act. The exact terms of the Bill of 1843 were not, however, re-enacted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what were the circumstances which prevented Her Majesty assenting to the Act passed by the New South Wales Government in 1896 to apply and extend certain provisions of the Chinese Restriction and Regulation Act of 1888 to other coloured races, to repeal Section 15 of that Act, and for other purposes incidental to or consequent upon the before-mentioned subjects; whether any protest was made by the New South Wales Government against the refusal to give Her Majesty's assent to the Act; whether the Governor acted on his own responsibility, upon the advice of Ministers, or as the result of instructions from the Imperial Government; if upon instructions, were such instructions general or special instructions in respect of this particular measure; whether the law has since been amended; if so, in what way were the objections met which prevented the Act receiving Her Majesty's assent; and (2) what were the circumstances which prevented Her Majesty assenting to the Act passed by the Government of South Australia in 1896 for the restriction of coloured immigration; whether any protest was made by the Government of South Australia against the refusal to give Her Majesty's assent to the Act; whether the Governor acted on his own responsibility, upon the advice of Ministers, or as the result of instructions from the Imperial Government; if upon instructions, were such instructions general or special instructions in respect of this particular measure; whether the law has since been amended; and, if so, in what way were the objections met which prevented the Act receiving Her Majesty's assent?

The circumstances which prevented the right hon. Gentleman the Member for West Birmingham from advising Her Majesty to assent to these two Bills are explained at pages 13 and 14 of the Proceedings of the Colonial Conference of 1897 (C. 8596). In both cases the Bills were reserved by the Governors on the advice of their law officers, and in accordance with the Royal Instructions. The instructions on which they acted were general instructions. As a result of the considerations which were urged at the Conference of 1897 by Mr. Chamberlain, the New South Wales Parliament passed in 1898 an Act dealing with immigration on the lines of the Natal Act of 1897, and this Act was duly assented to. In the case of South Australia no further action was taken, probably in view of the early approach of federation and the likelihood of legislation by the Commonwealth Parliament. The Commonwealth Parliament legislated on the subject by Act No. 17 of 1901. This Act, like the New South Wales Act of 1898, provided, on the model of the Natal Act of 1897, for a dictation test involving ability to write in a European language, and did not contain any discrimination by name against asiatics, and thus carried out the suggestion made by the Colonial Secretary at the Conference of 1897.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what were the circumstances which prevented Her Majesty assenting to the Act passed by the Government of Victoria in 1857 to explain to whom the term Crown as used in certain cases shall apply; whether any protest was made by the Government of Victoria against the refusal to give Her Majesty's assent to the Act; whether the Governor acted on his own responsibility, upon the advice of Ministers, or as the result of instructions from the Imperial Government, and if upon instructions, were such instructions general or special instructions in respect of this particular measure; and whether the law has since been amended; and, if so, in what way were the objections met which prevented the Act receiving Her Majesty's assent?

The Act which was passed in 1858 by the Parliament of Victoria purported to transfer to the Governor of Victoria all the powers vested in the Crown by any legislative enactment in force in Victoria and to ratify all acts done by him which could have been done by the Crown. It was reserved by the Governor with the concurrence of his Ministers and in accordance with the Royal Instructions, on the ground that its provisions were too wide and affected the Royal Prerogative. These instructions were general in character. The Act has not been re-enacted, but by an Act of 1884 (No. 799) such part of it as was necessary was given legal validity.

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he can give particulars of the draft Order relating to the management of Poor Law institutions, which has recently been prepared by a Departmental Committee; and whether this House will have an opportunity of discussing the matter before the Order is confirmed?

As I informed the hon. Member for the Bow and Bromley Division on the 14th ultimo, I understand that the Departmental Committee appointed to examine the existing Poor Law Orders with a view to their consolidation and amendment, contemplate the drafting of an Order dealing with the management of Poor Law institutions, but I have not yet received a Report from them on the subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his Department has power to insist on speed indicators being installed in the tramway cars run in the busy thoroughfares of Glasgow; if so, will he say how many speed indicators are at present in use in such cars; and whether the intention of the Board of Trade is to increase the use of these, in view of the number of deaths and accidents caused by fast speeds on the steep gradients there?

As my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade explained to my hon. Friend in reply to a question which he addressed tome on the 3rd August, 1911, the Board of Trade have power to require a speed indicating apparatus to be fitted to the Glasgow Corporation tramcars, but have not exercised that power owing to the difficulty of procuring a reliable apparatus and the cost involved. The information in my possession does not support the view expressed in the last part of the question, that a number of deaths and other accidents are due to fast speeds on steep gradients. As my hon. Friend has already been informed, none of the fatal accidents this year occurred on steep gradients, and from the reports made by the corporation the speed did not appear to have exceeded twelve miles an hour.

asked the Postmaster General what hour letters sent from Cork by the 7.40 p.m. Rosslare express are delivered in London?

When the train and boat services are running to time, the letters to which the hon. Member refers should be delivered in the central districts of London between 11.0 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.

asked the Postmaster General whether postmasters and sub-postmasters are required to prevent, or made in any way answerable for, illegal juvenile smoking among telegraph messenger boys; and, in view of the number of boys in that service who become demoralised and worthless, whether he will introduce some useful occupation for their spare time, subject to inspection and reward for merit?

The answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question is that no telegraph messenger is allowed to smoke, whatever his age may be, whether on or off duty, whilst in uniform. I cannot accept the opinion embodied in the second part of the question.

asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has received a reply from the Treasury to the application of the employés at Kew Gardens for an increase of wages; and, if he has, will he state the nature of the reply?

The answer is in the negative.