asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he has received complaints of trespass by a national health inspector named Gill, of Chelmsford, upon a private dwelling at Lynders Wood, Braintree, in pursuit of his official duty; and if he will take steps to warn officials against similar intrusion in Suture?

I have made inquiries into this case and find that the assistant inspector obtained the permission of the wife of occupier to speak to certain workmen on the estate. In these circumstances no further action appears to be necessary.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), whether he will state the average prices obtained for Irish butter in the English markets during the years 1909, 1910, 1911, and 1912?

This Department do not -collect statistics of prices received for Irish butter in English markets. The Hoard of Agriculture and Fisheries, however, collect this information, and their Report on Agricultural Statistics for the year 1911 (Vol. XLVI, part III. cd. 6272–1912) gives the following as the average prices per cwt. received for Irish butter in Great Britain in 1909, 1910 and 1911:—

	1909.		1910.		1911
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
Irish Creamery Butter
1st quality	111	6	112	0	119	0
2nd quality	108	0	108	6	115	6
Irish Factory Butter
1st quality	101	0	103	6	104	0
2nd quality	95	6	97	6	98	0

The corresponding prices for the year 1912 are not yet available, but the average of the prices per cwt. obtained in Great Britain for Irish butter from January to November, 1912, as published in the monthly journals of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries were:—

Irish Creamery Butter.				s.	d.
1st quality	…	…	…	118	9
2nd quality	116	…	…	…	0
Irish Factory Butter.
1st quality	…	…	…	109	0
2nd quality	…	…	…	104	0

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether a portion of the Farrell estate, known as the Bawn, Moynalty, county Meath, has recently been inspected by the Estates Commissioners, and with what object; and whether, if eventually purchased by them, it will be distributed amongst local applicants?

The reply to the first paragraph of the question is in the negative. The lands refered to were repurchased by the owner under Section 3 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, and were vested in him in 1909.

asked the Chief Secretary what progress has been made by the Congested Districts Board towards the purchase of the following estates situate in the barony of Erris, county Mayo, namely: the estates of General J. P. Brabazon, Messrs. H. N. G. Bushby, H. H. S. Bingham, H. B. Knox, A. O'Malley, W. H. M. Kirkwood, Denis Bingham, and others; John O'Donnell, Knox and Carter, and Mrs. Mary McGloin and Mrs. Mary Moran; if he is aware that, by a letter of 31st May, 1912, the Board intimated their intention to make offers for all these estates before September last; and, in the case of any of the above estates for which no offer has yet been made, will he state the cause of delay?

The Congested Districts Board inform me that their offer for the purchase of the estate of Mary McGloin has been accepted. The Board have decided to issue as soon as practicable offers for the purchase of the estates of John O'Donnell and W. H. M. Kirkwood. The question of making offers for the purchase of the estates of H. H. S. Bingham and Mary Moran has not yet been considered by the Board, but these cases will be dealt with as soon as possible. Negotiations for purchase are at present pending in reference to the other estates mentioned.

asked the Secretary of State for War how much money has been laid out in renovation and rebuilding Longford Military Barracks since 1879; whether he can state if the barracks is now from a military point of view considered a first-class one; what is the accommodation for horses in the Laver Barracks; and whether, having regard to the necessity of maintaining these buildings in good order, some horse troops will be sent there soon?

Since 1889 about £19,000 has been spent in new works, reconstruction and repairs; there are no statistics available prior to 1889. The barracks are not considered first class, although they have been provided with more modern accessories in recent years. There is accommodation for eighty-nine horses in the lower barracks to which the hon. Gentleman appears to refer. It is not in contemplation to send horse troops to these barracks at present.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the numbers borne compared with the numbers voted of men in the Royal Navy for each year from1895–6 to 1906–7, inclusive.

The numbers are as follows:—

year.	Numbers Voted.	Average Numbers Borne
1895–96	88,850	85,903
1896–97	93,750	91,507
1897–98	100,050	96,925
1898–99	106,390	103,330
1899–00	110,640	108,595
1900–01	114,880	112,429
1901–02	118,625	117,116
1902–03	122,500	121,870
1903–04	127,100	125,948
1904–05	131,100	130,490
1905–06	129,000	127,667
1906–07	129,000	127,431

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his attention has been drawn to a case heard before the Alien Immigration Board in which a Russian named Schaye Gold-fried, a tailor, appealed against expulsion; whether he is aware that an official made a statement that cheap labour was required in the tailoring trade in consequence of the prices now being asked by workmen; whether he is also aware that the Board allowed the appeal; whether he will make inquiries into the matter; and whether he will make representations to the Board that the Aliens Act should be impartially administered, and persons should not be admitted into this country merely on the ground that there is a demand for cheap labour?

I am aware that the alien appealed to the London Immigration Board against the Immigration Officer's refusal of leave to land, and that the Board decided to allow him to land; but the second sentence of the question does not give correctly the effect of the observations made by the officer who had himself refused leave to land, nor is there anything to show that the alien was admitted on the ground that there is a demand for cheap labour. Each case has to be dealt with on its own merits in accordance with the terms of the Act, which require the alien to show that he possesses or is in a position to obtain the means of decently supporting himself, and this; case does not in my opinion—though I have no power to review the decision of the Board—afford ground for making the representations suggested in the last part of the question.

asked the Home Secretary if he will say what lawful order ex-Inspector Syme disobeyed; did he refuse to perform duty after he was reduced from inspector to station sergeant,' or did his insubordination consist in persistence in appealing against what he alleges to be an unjust decision; is he aware that his predecessor, Lord Gladstone, in August, 1907, stated that the police had a right of appeal; does the exercise of this right constitute a refusal to obey lawful orders; has this right of appeal, since used by ex-Inspector Syme, been withdrawn from the police; and, if so, when and why was this done?

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies which I gave him in answer to similar questions on the 13th and 23rd March, 1911, and to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Durham on the 10th April, 1911.

asked whether ex-Inspector Syme's allegations relating to certain aspects of police administration, as applied in his case, were investigated in the Courts when he was tried in 1910 and 1911; was the police evidence called by Syme in support of charges affecting his superiors placed before the Courts; and, in view of the recognition in the Knox case that the findings of magistrates may require revision, although the ordinary right of appeal has not been exercised, will he say why the judgment of the Commissioner of Police, in a matter which terminates the career of an officer of long service and good record, should be accepted as final and binding without the production of the evidence on which it is based or any appeal to any judicial tribunal?

It was within the competence of the Courts, in the cases referred to, to admit any evidence that they deemed relevant. I can find no similarity between the case of engine-driver Knox and that of Syme.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the recent attacks upon the police, it is the intention of the Government to propose legislation to prohibit the carrying of all firearms except by persons holding and producing on demand a proper licence?

I cannot at present say whether it will be possible to introduce a Bill on this subject next Session.

asked the President-of the Local Government Board if the seizure and condemnation of four tuberculous pigs at the recent Smithfield Club show and the partial condemnation of four others was reported to him; if so, what action has been taken in the matter; whether he is aware of what became of the four pigs partially condemned; and will he state if they were sold as food for man?

I am informed that among a number of pigs entered for the Smith-field Club Show which were slaughtered at the Metropolitan Cattle Market eight were found after slaughter to be diseased. Four of these carcases were considerably affected with tuberculosis, and were seized and destroyed in the market's destructor. Of the remaining four carcases, two showed traces of tuberculosis and two traces of other disease, but in all these last four cases the evidences of disease were slight and local, and the carcases were passed by the veterinary inspector for human consumption after removal of the affected parts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the outcry in many of the provincial large cities, including Glasgow and Manchester, on the subject of the risks and loss of lives from fast driving of motor vehicles; whether he is aware that the corporation authorities are prevented from instituting proper regulations on the question of fast driving by the fact that they themselves are proprietors of fast-driven tramcars; and whether, in the circumstances, he will appoint a Committee of Inquiry similar to that appointed for London by the Home Secretary?

My right hon. Friend has-asked me to reply to this question. Speak-for England and Wales, I do not think there is any ground for suggesting that local authorities are deterred from proposing the imposition of speed limits upon motor vehicles by the fact that the tram-. ways are in their hands. I should prefer to wait until the present Committee have reported before expressing any opinion as to the necessity of the further Committee suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give due notice when the Motion for the Second Reading of the Railways (No. 2) Bill will be taken?

My right hon. Friend hopes, ere long, to be able to give notice of a date at or near which the Second Reading of this Bill will be taken.

asked the Attorney-General how many applications have been made for the Attorney-General's fiat [for prosecutions in England and Wales under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1906, and on how many occasions permis- sion to bring proceedings has been re- fused?

There have been eighty applications. On twelve occasions the fiat has been refused.