asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he could see his way to take any steps, whether by reference to international arbitration or otherwise, for the removal of the restrictions of residence and travel in Russia imposed on Jewish subjects of His Majesty; and whether, if the obstacle to his doing so arises from the Anglo-Russian Treaty of Commerce, 1859, he will obtain the opinion of the Law Officers as to the true construction of the treaty?

I can only refer the hon. Member to the numerous answers I have lately given to questions in Parliament on this subject, the last of which was to the hon. Member for South Manchester on the 7th of last month. The question of the interpretation of the Anglo-Russian Treaty of Commerce of 1859 has been most fully considered more than once since then by the Law Officers of the Crown.

asked what is the total number of Angolan labourers, exclusive of Cabendas, which have been repatriated to the mainland of Africa since the commencement of repatriation in 1909?

As far as the figures are available the number of servicaes repatriated to Angola appears to be about 2,300, of which number about 1,700 were repatriated last year.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give any particulars that are possible in the forthcoming White Paper?

I will inquire whether everything is included.

asked whether His Majesty's Government has received allegations of slave trading practices for the supply of labour for Fernando Po; whether the attention of the Spanish Government has been officially called to these allegations; and whether the commander of a British warship has been informed of this traffic and urged to keep a look out for any vessels engaged in slave trading?

We have received information that there have been irregularities affecting British subjects in the recruitment of labourers for Fernando Po under the pretence that they were to be sent elsewhere, and also in their contracts and in regard to their departure from the island. The circumstances have been brought to the notice of the Spanish Government who are considering them. The commander of H.M.S. "Dwarf" has furnished information on the subject and will continue to watch for any further irregularities.

asked whether there is now any prospect of the carrying out of the proposals for an adequate loan to the Persian Government to enable them to restore order in that country?

Good progress is being made with the arrangements for an advance to the Persian Government for immediate requirements, and there is every reason to hope that they will shortly be concluded. The question of obtaining a substantial loan to Persia from financiers will then be considered.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in existing conditions British trade is completely paralysed owing to the impossibility of protecting caravans?

The hon. Member must give notice of that question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, though the actual length of mileage may not be the best comparison available, still, failing something better, he will meanwhile see to it that the concession granted by the Persian Government to the British syndicate shall not be less in length of mileage than that granted to the Russian syndicate, and that the British syndicate be given a preferential right to further extension similar in extent to the number of miles by which the concession to the Russian syndicate in the North for the three lines of railway from Julfa to Tabriz, from Tabriz to Urumia, and from Tabriz to Kazvin exceeds in total length the concession granted to the British syndicate for the line from Mohammerah to Khorramabad in the South?

So far as the mileage of the two railways can be compared in the absence of a survey—a calculation which is admittedly a mere speculation having regard to the mountainous character of the country between Mohammerah and Khorramabad I should be inclined to estimate that the line from Mohammerah, or a point adjacent thereto, to Khorramabad will only be a little shorter than the Russian projects if the preferential extensions are included; if they are not included, the Mohammerah railway will be considerably the longer of the two. I am not satisfied that comparison of mileage is any indication of the value or commercial advantages of the respective projects.

Does not the Russian concession include an option of extension of 250 miles, and does not that make it a far more valuable concession?

No; I do not think it does. First of all, it is only a possibility of extension, and even when that is included the total mileage will only be a little more than the mileage from Mohammerah to Khorramabad.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how many more miles?

It is impossible to give more than a rough estimate until the survey is made, because it cannot be possible to go direct.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the two years' option granted by the Persian Government to the British syndicate for the construction of a railway line from Mohammerah to Khorramabad is a concession similar in every respect to that granted to the Russian syndicate, or whether it may be transformed into a mere contract; and, if so, why has this distinction been drawn; and will he take steps to insure absolute equality of treatment between the Russian and British syndicates?

The hon. and gallant Member may rest fully assured that His Majesty's Government will afford the British syndicate all necessary support to secure their interests. As, however, I am not yet in possession of sufficiently precise information in regard to the Russian project, I am not in a position to draw comparisons between the conditions of the British and Russian projects. The option granted to the British syndicate is to build a line as a State railway for the Persian Government, or to build one under the terms of a concession; the choice of these alternatives is not to be made until the survey is completed, but it is the intention to settle details as to management, etc., before the survey is started, and the conditions attaching respectively to a concession or a contract will, I anticipate, differ in form rather than in substance.

Have similar conditions been applied to the Russian as to the British syndicate?

I am not possessed of sufficiently precise information in regard to the Russian project to be able to give details of the concession.

Will the right hon. Gentleman see that the British syndicate does not suffer in any way in comparison with the Russian?

Certainly. I do not think that the British syndicate with their option for two years run any risk of being placed at a disadvantage compared with the Russian.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether he has any official information showing that after the occupation of Prisrend the Servian troops set houses on fire and shot men, women, and children as they ran out, and that the massacre is estimated by various refugees to have amounted to between 500 and 900; (2) whether he has any official information showing that when the Servian troops occupied Lyuma they tied women and children together, saturated them with petroleum and set them on fire besides stripping many men and stabbing them to death with bayonets, and that the total number who thus perished is estimated as between 500 and 600; (3) whether he has received any report from the Consul-General at Salonica as to the statement that the Greeks tied together seventy-five Turkish prisoners of war and drowned them in the River Vardar; (4) whether he has any official information showing that the Greeks massacred many Albanians at Prishtina and executed many of the most prominent Albanians and Kutzo Vlach inhabitants of Karaferia after so-called trial by court-martial; (5) whether his attention has been drawn to the report of the Comité de Publication des Atrocités des Coalisés Balkaniques, which gives particulars of a massacre at Serres in which, at the lowest estimate, 1,700 Turks perished; and whether he has received any conformation of it; and (6) whether his attention has been drawn to the Report of the Comité de Publication des Atrocités des Coalisés Balkaniques, which states that, during the first forty-eight hours of the occupation of Strumitza by the Bulgarian troops, thirty-four Moslems were massacred, including two old men and five children; that after the departure of Colonel Mitoff, the Bulgarian Lieutenant Volcheff, the Servian Commandant, Ivan Gribitz, the Comitadji Chief Tshacof, and four others, were constituted as a tribunal, and condemned and executed 591 persons during twenty-three days, in most cases by bayonet stabs or after some horrible mutilation; whether he has any Consular Reports confirming these statements; and whether he has any information as to the punishment of those responsible for such atrocities?

As regards the first four questions concerning events alleged to have occurred at Prisrend, Lyuma, on the Vardar, and at Prishtina and Karaferia, I have received no information from any official source bearing out the statements made. As regards the last two, relating to outrages alleged to have been perpetrated at Serres and Strumnitza, the report of the committee referred to has not come under my notice. I have, however, received Consular Reports containing statements substantially the same, though naturally not based on personal knowledge. The hon. Gentleman is already aware, from replies returned to him on the 16th, 21st, and 28th, of the action which I took on these reports. I shall take similar steps in the case of any further reports of the same kind which may reach me, when there seems to be foundation for them, but in this connection I would recall attention to the remarks I made in replying to the hon. Gentleman on the 28th ultimo.

In the case of those first four questions as to which the right hon. Gentleman has got no official report, has his attention been called to the statements of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Prishtina at Vienna and other refugees, and can he inquire into the matter?

It is impossible for us, while the war is going on, to undertake in the districts which are at present the theatre of warlike operations, over which we have no control, the duty of investigating charges made from any quarter.

Can the right hon. Gentleman not reassure our Moslem fellow-subjects by at least expressing the horror that he feels at these well authenticated cases which have reached him, and expressing some friendly hope that the allied Governments would take steps to prevent a repetition of them?

Of course statements of that kind, from whatever quarter they came, must be most painful and distressing reading. So far as I am concerned I must repeat that the hon. Member never seems to attach the weight which ought to be attached to the action which we have taken. Whenever reports have reached me from the Consul, even though not based on personal knowledge or first-hand information, and for which there appears to be foundation, I have brought it to the notice of the Governments concerned, either the Bulgarian, Servian, or Greek Governments, whichever it might be, and I have expressed the expectation that they would take steps to put a stop to anything of this kind, or to prevent it from happening. The replies that have been received both from the Bulgarian and Servian Governments state that any outrages of this kind will be punished, and that the outrages which did occur, so far as their information went, had been committed by irregular bands and not by troops.

Is it within the knowledge of the right hon. Gentleman that the Bulgarian and Servian Governments, through the troops, are disarming the whole of the population in the occupied territory as rapidly as possible, and that they are doing their best to restore order in the country?

May I also ask whether it is not stated on good authority that, after disarming the population, they proceed to massacre them? [HON. MEMBERS: "No," "Hear, hear."]

asked the Chief Secretary whether anything has transpired to throw light on the subject of the theft of the Dublin Crown jewels; and whether, either now or at any time since the robbery, information relating to the crime has been available which, for the sake of shielding any individual, has not been used?

On a point of Order, Sir. I desire to ask your ruling on the second part of this question. It asks, in effect, whether the Chief Secretary is or is not guilty of the crime of conferring immunity from the criminal law upon some person. In the first place, the Chief Secretary has been directly charged and has not explicitly denied the charge. In the second place, the accused person—

The hon. Member, I understand, is putting a question.

Yes, certainly.

The question seems to me of very much the same character as that already asked by the hon. Member.

On a point of Order. May I ask, Sir, whether it is in order to ask a Member in the position of the Chief Secretary a question the answer to which may incriminate him?

If it will have that result, he is not bound to answer.

Nothing whatever has been discovered to throw any new light on the mystery of the theft of the Crown Jewels; nor is there any evidence whatever in existence at the present moment which would justify the arrest or prosecution of any person. The story, which someone must have invented out of spite, that anyone is being shielded from prosecution is simply a lie; and I am sorry to have to add that it has lately been revived in connection with the name of Lord Haddo. The introduction of his lordship's name into the matter is a particularly cruel outrage, for, as already stated, he was not in Ireland for months before or after the robbery; he had no connection with the Office of Arms, and was only inside that office once in his life.

May I ask on what grounds, except Kane's report, did the Chief Secretary ask Lord Haddo to say that he was absent from Dublin at the time?

I inquired about the movements of Lord Haddo, because I regret that in some infamous newspapers in this country his name was connected with the crime.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say why Lord Haddo was not produced before the Commission?

asked who were the persons holding official positions entitling them to have access, or acting as clerks or secretaries to those entitled to have access, to the Dublin Crown Jewels at the time immediately preceding their theft; and how many of those persons have subsequently resigned their offices, with the reasons given in each ease?

The only person entitled to have access to the Crown Jewels was Sir Arthur Vicars, Ulster King-of-Arms. The persons employed in the Office of Arms immediately preceding the theft of the jewels were Mr. Burtchaell, secretary to Sir Arthur Vicars, Mr. Horlock, clerk, and Miss Gibbon, typist. These persons were in the personal employment of Sir Arthur Vicars, and their employment ceased on his removal from office. Mr. Burtchaell was subsequently placed in charge of the office and has since been appointed Athlone Pursuivant. The officials attached to the office at the time were Mr. Mahony, Cork Herald, Mr. Shackleton, Dublin Herald, and Mr. Goldney, Athlone Pursuivant. In October, 1907, it was decided, with the approval of the Crown, that the Office of Arms, Dublin Castle, should be reconstructed. This involved the retirement of the Dublin Herald, and the Athlone Pursuivant, who were notified accordingly and resigned office. Mr. Mahony, the Cork Herald, resigned in 1910, assigning no reason for doing so.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say on what date Mr. Shackleton resigned his post?

I am afraid I do not remember the exact date.

Will the Chief Secretary inform the House about the missing duplicate key of the strong room? Has it yet been discovered?

I do not know what the hon. Member means. There were two or three keys opening this particular safe, all of which were in the possession of Sir Arthur Vicars.

Are they available now?

I think so; yes.

No.

asked what persons, other than officials and their assistants, had access, through relationship and acquaintance with officials and familiarity with the police, to the room in Dublin Castle in which the Crown Jewels were kept at the time those jewels were stolen in 1907?

I know of no such persons.

Can the right hon. Gentleman inform the House why, during the last five years, he has not been able to get anybody in Ireland to believe his version of the story?

asked whether the Chief Secretary has received information of a cattle drive which took place last week on the property of Mr. W. B. Murphy, Lallymore, in county Kildare; whether the adjoining tenants have demanded that this property should be sold and distributed amongst them; whether this cattle drive has been carried out with a view to compelling the landlord to sell his property; whether any arrests have been made or anyone made amenable; and whether, in view of this intimidation, the Congested Districts Board or Estates Commissioners will intervene to compel the landlord to sell?

The police authorities inform me that thirty head of cattle and forty-four sheep were driven off the lands of Mr. Murphy on the night of the 20th January. No person so far has been made amenable, but the police are taking special precautions in order to prevent a repetition of the offence. A memorial from the tenants on the estate asking the Estates Commissioners to acquire the untenanted land was received by them in 1910, and an inspector has recently visited the property, and his report is awaiting consideration by the Commissioners. At present they cannot make any statement as to what action they may take in the matter.

asked how many names have been submitted for the position of His Majesty's Lieutenant for county Donegal, vacant by the death of the late Duke of Abercorn; if the Chief Secretary is aware that Mr. J. B. Mullin, who is a candidate for the office, is a tradesman in Londonderry city; and if he intends to recommend him for the appointment?

The high office referred to in the question is not one which is filled up from a list of candidates, and any applications for it are irregular and improper. No name has as yet been selected by the Lord Lieutenant for submission to His Majesty. The gentleman referred to in the question has written to me to say that he is no more a tradesman than the hon. and gallant Member, but as to this I know nothing. The appointment does not rest with me.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that if this candidate or this gentleman is appointed to the position, it will be regarded in the North of Ireland as a reward for political services in connection with a recent by-election?

I object altogether to anybody's name being mentioned in connection with an office of this sort. There are no candidates, and anybody who is a candidate will not get it.

asked the number and salaries of road surveyors and deputies in the county of Kerry at the present time as compared with the number employed under the grand jury system prior to 1898; whether the Chief Secretary is aware that in August of last year the Kerry County Council passed over the names of two duly qualified candidates for the post of deputy and gave the appointment to the son of an existing deputy surveyor though without the neces- sary qualification; whether the Local Government Board refused to sanction the appointment; and whether, in view of the importance of tourist traffic to county Kerry, the Local Government Board will insist on the appointment of officials holding the necessary qualifications irrespective of their creed or nationality?

There are now in county Kerry one county surveyor, with a salary of £1,000 a year; one assistant surveyor and clerk, with £160 a year; and five assistant surveyors at £150 a year. In April, 1898, there were one county surveyor at £730, three assistant surveyors at £80 a year each, and three others, with salaries of £70, £50, and £40 a year, respectively. The Local Government Board have no information as to the number of qualified candidates for the vacant position of assistant surveyor last year. The county council appointed the son of one of the existing assistant surveyors, who had for some time previously been assisting his father in his work; but, as he had not the necessary qualifications, the Board requested the council to proceed to a new appointment. The council asked that the selected candidate should be allowed an opportunity of qualifying as assistant surveyor at the next examination, and the Board, having made inquiries as to his experience and qualifications, consented. Pending the result of the examination, the Board do not propose to take any further action in the matter.

Is it not the fact that this appointment was vacant as long ago as last summer, and that it has been kept open all that time?

I went into the case, and the gentleman really had very considerable external qualifications. There is no doubt that in many respects he was a very competent person, but he had not the technical qualification which the Board thought necessary for the post, and it stands over for him to be tested by examination.

How long has the position to be kept open for this gentleman to learn his work?

The examination will be held very soon indeed.

asked whether the Estates Commissioners will this year re- instate any evicted tenants in West Clare; if so, how many, and within what limit of time; and whether, if the delay be caused by reason of land not being available, the Congested Districts Board will use the powers at their disposal to obtain the land necessary?

The Estates Commissioners are not in a position at present to state the number of holdings they can provide during the current year for evicted tenants on such untenanted land in county Clare as they may be able to acquire in the year. It is not at present possible to state how much land can be so acquired in that county or to estimate how much of it, if acquired, will have to be utilised by them in the enlargement of small holdings in the neighbourhood.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that with proper business management all these questions could be disposed of in a week, instead of which they have been kept alive in a most vicious way for years?

I am sure a week would not be enough.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many towns of the size of Kilrush, West Clare, in Ireland, have a gravitation water supply; whether he can give the average cost of such schemes and the proportion by which the rates were burdened in consequence; whether the general health of these towns is better than that of Kilrush; and whether, in view of the cost of a water scheme in Kilrush and of the fact that the money is required for housing schemes, the Local Government Board will give attention to the representations of all the local bodies interested, including the urban council, and forbear from pressing this water scheme?

The information asked for in the first part of the question is not available. With regard to the last paragraph, I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given to his previous questions on this subject.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman to give more weight to the representations of these local bodies who know the facts, and as well also of their Parliamentary representative?

I have already done so, and I will again consider it.

asked the Chief Secretary if he has received resolutions from the local public boards in Athlone and county Westmeath dealing with the distress created by the Shannon floods; and whether, in view of the fact that this state of things is periodically recurring, he will appoint a small Commission to report on the whole matter and suggest what steps should be taken to deal with the same?

I have received several resolutions on the subject. The question was fully dealt with by the Royal Commission on Irish public works in 1887 and no useful purpose would be served by the appointment of a small commission. The difficulty is mainly one of finance, but the rival claims of drainage and nagivation have also to be considered.

asked the Chief Secretary if the question of making an offer to Viscount Gough for the purchase of the holdings situate in the town of Gort has been considered; and, having regard to the fact that proceedings are at present going on for the settlement of the agricultural portion, will he represent to the Estates Commissioners the wisdom of keeping in their hands the entire estate until such time as steps have been taken to include the town holdings in the sale?

I have nothing to add to my reply to the question of the hon. Member on this subject on 10th instant.

Can the right hon. Gentleman inform us is it the intention of the Estates Commissioners to deal with the agricultural portion of the estate, and, having dealt with it, then take up the town?

I believe the Commissioners are making an offer for the purchase of the holdings in the town at the earliest possible moment.

asked when the Congested Districts Board intend to proceed for the compulsory acquisition of the congested estates in West Mayo, which landlords have refused to sell voluntarily?

The Board do not at present anticipate the necessity of having to put in force their compulsory powers in the case of any estates in West Mayo. In some cases in which it was thought that compulsion would be necessary there is now reason to believe that voluntary sales may be carried out.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of all the circumstances connected with the sale to Mr. John A. O'Flaherty of the farm land situate at Oranmore, townland of Frenchfort, on the estate of Miss Dora Creagh; is he aware that Mr. O'Flaherty, at the time of signing the agreement to purchase, was a grazing tenant, letting the land to small tenants at a large profit; is he aware that Mr. O'Flaherty is an absentee in New Zealand, a gentleman occupying an important public position under the Government in that country; does he know that four other tenants, small and uneconomic, have holdings on this estate and have applied for an enlargement of the same; and, seeing that it was never intended, under the Acts of 1903 and 1909, that money should be advanced by the State to enable men like Mr. O'Flaherty to acquire such lands, will he cause the Estates Commissioners to make special investigation into the circumstances of this case before they take on themselves the responsibility of vesting this farm in Mr. O'Flaherty?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 16th January to which I have nothing to add.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this is a case of a permanent resident in a foreign country in a public position, and in view of the fact that there are a large number of uneconomic holdings in the neighbourhood, will he consider the matter before assigning the holding over to this absentee?

That was the exact question put by the hon. Member to me before, but I will recall the attention of the Estates Commissioners to the matter.

asked whether it is proposed to have the Return under the Irish Land Purchase Acts (Command Paper 6130) brought up to date; and, if so, when the continuation Paper will be issued?

I propose to have the Return brought up to the end of the last financial year and issued as early as possible next Session.

asked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), how many lettings on the eleven months' system have been granted by the Board in the Vandeleur demesne, West Clare; whether he is aware that the failure to carry out the provisions of the Act in regard to this property has caused in Kilrush discontent which has found expression in resolutions of all public bodies in that town; and whether the Board will make over the demesne to the Estates Commissioners?

Grazing over such lands at Kilrush Forestry Centre as were not included in the plan of planting operations for the season 1912–13 was let in eight lots by public auction in March, 1912. These lettings will expire in February, 1913. Another lot was let from March to November, 1912. With regard to the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on 16th ultimo.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say under what Section of the last Land Act this action has been taken?

I should like notice of that.

asked the Chief Secretary the grounds on which the Local Government Board based their decision given on 31st January ultimo, in the appeal case of Patrick Lally, No. C.A. 2653, Tubbercurry, county Sligo, sub-committee, by which they refused the applicant an old age pension granted him by the local pension committee; whether he is aware that Lally's age has been testified to by the sworn affidavit of Mr. Charles Brett, of Achonry, a respectable Protestant gentleman; whether he is aware that the entries in Mr. Brett's family Bible were examined by Rev. Canon Daly, P.P. and Mr. P. J. Henry, J.P., members of the committee, and that these entries show Mr. Brett himself to be seventy-eight years; and, if so, whether, seeing that Mr. Brett positively swears he remembers Lally's birth in 1842, he will order a fresh investigation of the case?

Patrick Lally's claim for a pension was disallowed by the Local Government Board on appeal on the grounds that the evidence produced before them was not sufficient to warrant them in holding that Lally had established his claim to be at least seventy years old. I have no power to order a fresh investiga- tion of this case, which cannot be reconsidered by the Board unless it comes before them again on appeal.

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that, on 23rd December, 1906, John Marron lodged with the clerk of the Cootehill (No. 2) Rural District Council a representation in Form 1, under the Labourers Act, applying to have a cottage erected on the farm of James Carey, in the townland of Aughnamullen, Anny electoral district, county Monaghan; that this representation was duly considered and accepted on behalf of Marron at a meeting of the rural district council, held on 15th February, 1907; that at the Local Government inquiry under the Labourers Act, held in December, 1907, Marron appeared and gave evidence in support of his representation before the inspector, who approved of Marron as a suitable person for a labourer's cottage and passed his claim and the site for the cottage; that the cottage was not completed till the year 1912, and the letting thereof was considered at a meeting of the rural district council held on 2nd August, 1912, when Marron attended with the intention of getting possession from the council, but instead the council decided to give the cottage to a man named Joseph Kennedy; whether he will state while Joseph Marron, who is a bonâ-fide labourer with a wife and family, who first applied for the cottage and waited five years for it, was passed over for Kennedy, who was not resident in the district and is not a labourer insured as an employed person, but a speculator yearly in conacre lettings and grazing takes, and who never applied for the cottage; will he state whether the council acted within their rights in passing over Marron for Kennedy; whether the Local Government Board have any power to deal with the case; and, if so, what action they have taken or intend to take?

The facts of the case are even more complicated than would appear from the question, as there was a third applicant who considered that he had some claim to the cottage. The Local Government Board, after carefully considering Marron's complaints, have come to the conclusion that the case is not one calling for their interference. The question whether the council were acting within their legal rights is one which could only be determined by a Court of Law.

asked the Chief secretary whether he is aware that during the last six months six summonses have been issued by the Royal Irish Constabulary against Mrs. Margaret Byrne, licensed vintner, of Margaret Street, Newry, for alleged breaches of the licensing laws; whether he is aware that in each case the police prosecution failed and the cases were dismissed; whether Mrs. Byrne has been put to considerable expense in defending these cases; and whether he will take steps to see that this licence holder is not subjected to a repetition of such charges?

The police authorities inform me that Mrs. Byrne has been summoned on five occasions during the past nine months for breaches of the licensing laws. While in each of these cases the charge against Mrs. Byrne was dismissed, the parties found drinking on the premises on three of the occasions were convicted and fined. I have no reason to believe that the police are doing any more than their duty in regard to the supervision of this public-house.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that with the last case the chairman of the bench said there was not a particle of evidence to justify the charge—the action of the police?

I will call the attention of the police to this matter, but I am not at all disposed to induce them to relax their vigilance.

asked on whose nomination, at what date, and at what salary, Mr. C. T. Beard became secretary to the Irish Land Commission; what positions he held prior to that time; where, if at all, he acquired the special knowledge of Irish Land Laws which that position requires; what qualifications and previous experience were alleged to make his claim superior to that of officials of many years' service in that Department; whether the work for which he is paid is now done by those officials and could not be done by him without them; and whether he is one of the salaried officials who must be maintained and pensioned out of Irish revenue under the Government of Ireland Bill?

Mr. Beard was appointed secretary to the Irish Land Commission from the 1st October, 1910, at a salary of £1,200 per annum. The appointment was made by the Land Commission with the consent of the Lord Lieutenant under the authority of Section 45 of the Land Act of 1881. Mr. Beard had been for upwards of thirty-two years in the permanent Civil Service of the Crown, and at the date of his appointment he was a first-class clerk on the staff of the Chief Secretary's Office, Dublin Castle. During the six years immediately preceding his appointment to the Land Commission he was successively clerk in charge of the Irish Office, London, and private secretary to the Chief Secretary. In appointing Mr. Beard as their secretary the Land Commissioners selected the gentleman, who, in their opinion, was by reason of his qualification and experience best fitted for the post, and he has since proved his competency to their entire satisfaction. Mr. Beard's duties are mainly connected with land purchase, and as that is a "reserved service," under the Government of Ireland Bill, the provisions of that Bill with respect to the salaries and pensions of existing Irish officers will not apply to his office.

asked whether temporary inspectors under the Local Government Board for Ireland usually become permanent in name or in fact; what qualifications, examinations, or knowledge of the matters to be inspected are required; whether local government officials of experience are eligible; whether it was in open competition, and, if not, on whose nomination, with what examination, and with what salary and average annual expenses Mr. Alfred Tennyson obtained that position; where and when he had acquired the qualifying knowledge and experience in local government; what had been his salary before this appointment; and whether he is one of the salaried officials intended to be maintained and pensioned out of Irish revenue under the Government of Ireland Bill?

Persons temporarily employed as inspectors under the Local Government Board occasionally obtain permanent appointments if they prove themselves fully competent. No examinations are prescribed for temporary inspectors, and local government officials are eligible for such appointments. Mr. Tennyson, who had previously passed a first-class Civil Service examination, was employed temporarily in connection with the Old Age Pensions Act by the Vice-President of the Local Government Board at a time when there was great pressure in the Department charged with the administration of that Act, and is still attached to that Department. His salary is £350 a year with the usual travelling allowances. He is not pensionable, and is in the same position as regards the Irish Government as other temporary officers who can be removed at any time.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say is this the same person whom the Chief Secretary as President of the Board of Education appointed Junior Examiner to that Board, and who before his probationary period had expired, resigned in order to avoid dismissal.

No, Sir. Really I think that is not a fair way of dealing with a young man, even though he may happen to have the misfortune of being a relative of mine. He started his official life by passing with great distinction an examination for a clerkship in the House of Lords. Finding that office not sufficient for his energies, he desired to be transferred to the Board of Education, which he could only be on terms of probation. He was there for a short time, when I am sorry to say, his health broke down. He went away and resided for a year farming in British Columbia. He returned perfectly restored in health, and without any operation or movement on my part the Vice-President of the Irish Local Government Board gave him this purely temporary appointment, from which he could be dismissed on a week's notice, in the Old Age Pensions Department. He has there conducted himself exceedingly well, and has won very good reports. I only wish the hon. Member discharged his duties equally well.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the mineral rights in Nigeria are reserved to the Government or in whom they are vested?

In Northern Nigeria, and in part of Southern Nigeria, the Government succeeded to all the mining rights which had been acquired by the Niger Company. In the rest of Southern Nigeria the Government has assumed the right, by legislation, to direct under what conditions and by whom it may be carried on, the surface rights of the occupants of the land being duly protected.

Can the right hon. Gentleman persuade the Administration to make similar provisions with regard to mining rights at home?

I have to do only with mining rights outside this country.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether the competition for the designs for the proposed new Government offices in Edinburgh will be unrestricted; and, if not, what restrictions are proposed?

The conditions of the competition have not yet been settled, but the present intention is that it shall be an open one.

Before the terms are settled, can we have an opportunity of knowing what they are?

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will put a question on the Paper a little later on, when we have had an opportunity of consulting Sir Robert Lorimer further.

Is not this really a question for the Committee who have been entrusted with the matter?

I do not think it is necessarily a matter for the Committee to decide; but the Commissioners will be glad to have the benefit of the opinion of Members of the Committee?

Would it not be better for the Committee to resign?

asked whether it is proposed to adhere to the present site for the proposed new Government buildings in Edinburgh?

The answer is in the affirmative.

asked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, if he is aware that Messrs. Colbourne, contractors, of Swindon, who have the contract for the erection of a new post office at Leamington, are not paying their workmen on that job the proper rate of pay when they are working overtime; and whether he will compel this firm to pay all arrears of overtime pay, or remove them from the list of contractors who are invited to tender for work for his Department?

The First Commissioner is aware of the facts and has called on the contractor to refund to the workmen the arrears of overtime wages.

asked whether the scaffolding about to be erected in Westminster Hall will have to remain erected for several months; and how much of the hall's floor-space will be occupied by it?

The First Commissioner regrets that this restoration and inspection are necessary. Operations have been delayed owing to the continuous sittings of Parliament, but can now be deferred no longer. The scaffolding will be required in the positions where erected for some months. About one-half of the floor area immediately beneath the scaffolding for four bays of the roof will be taken up, but Adequate passage will be provided.

In order to provide the passages would the hon. Gentleman remove even temporarily the hideous images there?

asked whether the Office of Works has made any estimate of the cost of removing the Calton Gaol from its present site; whether any search for a new site has been or will be made; and whether the question of an alternative site for the proposed new Government buildings, other than the Calton site, has been considered and decided?

The removal of the Calton Gaol and the acquisition of a new site is not a matter to be settled by the First Commissioner of Works, and no estimate of the cost of such removal and acquisition has been prepared by him. Another site for the proposed new Government buildings was considered, but the decision was in favour of the Calton Prison site.

Will the hon. Gentleman say where the other site was?

In St. James' Square.

Can the hon. Gentleman give us any particular reason why the hon. Member for East Edinburgh (Mr. J Hogge) should prefer the preservation of a gaol instead of public buildings?

May I say—

I deprecate these personal exchanges.

asked for further information concerning the projected alterations in the House; whether the new staircase will be completed before the House reassembles on the 6th March; and whether the promised accommodation for hon. Members' secretaries will be available for lady secretaries?

The First Commissioner will place in the Tea Room drawings of the proposed new staircase. The alterations necessary to make available the new room in Westminster Hall will not be undertaken for some months, and the precise details are not settled. The First Commissioner will fall in with the wishes of hon. Members generally as to the use to be made of the new room.

asked whether, in view of the fact that the staircase from the Strangers' Lobby to the Terrace is quite inadequate, he will see that a new staircase is built; and, if so, whether he will place the plans for the proposed staircase in the Tea Room so that Members of the House may see them?

As I stated in previous answer, a new staircase is now being constructed, and the First Commissioner will cause the drawings of it to be exhibited in the Tea Room.

Has the hon. Gentleman considered the advantage of a lift?

That was considered, but the other scheme was thought preferable.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that owing to the late commencement of next Session, combined with the early date of Easter, the opportunity of private Members, especially for private Members' Bills, Will be reduced to an unusual extent in the coming Session; and whether, with the object of encouraging private Members to bring forward practical proposals, he will propose such alterations to the usual procedure as will extend their opportunities?

I do not know what alterations my hon. Friend has in his mind. I am not aware of any practicable course that the Government could take to give effect to his suggestion.

Will the right hon. Gentleman assure us that if he takes away any facilities from private Members he will give them back as much as he takes away?

That is too large an undertaking.