MË. TREVELYAN: It is expected that the Report will be laid on the Table in the course of this week.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER-LANDS ACT, 1855-FORESHORES-THE CORPORATION OF SOUTHPORT.

MR. SUMMERS asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Whether he is now in a position to state what has been the result of the employment of his good chees between the Corporation of Southport and the riparian proprietors in the matter of the Southport foreshore ?

MR. DODSON, in reply, said, he had been, and was, in communication with the Corporation and the riparian proprietors with a view to bringing about an amicable arrangement. The Correspondence would be laid on the Table tomorrow, or the next day.

NAVY—OFFICERS OF THE STEAM
RESERVE.

can state whether persons employed in Her Majesty's Dockyards are paid for public holidays; and, whether one class of artizans receive payment on such occasions, while others do not; and, if so, whether he can state the reasons for which one class is treated less favourably than the other in this respect?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN : Sir, the Dockyard Regulations lay down that work people shall be paid their full wages for the established public holidays, an exception being made in the case of “hired labourers engaged for short periods by the storekeeper, and hired persons employed in the works department." As the former class are not continuously employed, their exception from this privilege seems reasonable. The hired men in the works department have been treated on the footing of men employed by contractors, whose place they fill, and have thus been considered as not entitled to the This is, however, a matter which is to ordinary advantages of the Dockyards. be looked into in the course of the investigation now being conducted into various Dockyard questions.

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, If he can state how many Officers of the Steam Reserve are on service at the different Naval Stations, and for how many at each station respectively sleeping ac-NAVY-THE “DOTEREL” EXPLOSION. commodation is provided? MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN : MR. JOSEPH COWEN asked the Sir, this number varies in accordance Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether with the number of officers borne for the Papers referred to by his prededisposal and service in the reserve ships. cessor in office respecting the “Doterel” At present, there are 401 such officers. explosion are yet completed; and, if so, I cannot say how many of that number, when they will be laid upon the Table by the Rules of the Service, are entitled of the House along with the decision of to cabins, but at this moment there the Admiralty on the matter? are 3 at Sheerness, 52 at Chatham, 11

at Portsmouth, and 33 at Devonport provided with cabin accommodation. Those who are not accommodated afloat draw 18. 6d. a-day in lieu of provisions, and this arrangement, I believe, is satisfactory to those concerned. As I said the other day, I am not aware that any officer desirous of being accommodated on board has been refused.

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF asked if sleeping accommodation was provided?

MR. CAMPBELL - BANNERMAN: Yes, Sir.

MR. CAMPBELL - BANNERMAN:

Sir, the Papers on this subject have been prepared for presentation to Parliament; but some delay has occurred owing to the necessity of lithographing certain illustrative plates. I hope soon to be able to lay them on the Table.

INDIA-CRIMINAL CODE PROCEDURE

AMENDMENT BILL.

SIR HERBERT MAXWELL asked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether the Reports of the Debate in the Indian Legislative Council on Mr. Ilbert's Native Judicature Bill, which he hands of honourable Members in time promised on 12th May, will be in the to permit an opportunity for their consideration during the current Session?

interfere by legislation in the matter. | for arbitration so framed as to place The hon. Member is, no doubt, aware Bulgaria, irrespective of any change of that much litigation has from time to Ministry in that country, on the same time taken place to decide the rights of footing as Turkey, in respect to the fulthe brokers and the public as to the mar-filment of her Treaty obligations? ket; and, further, that the Richmond Commission to which he refers makes no recommendation or suggestion as to how the alleged abuses in the market can be abated. The importance of the market is not overstated by the hon. Member; but, notwithstanding this, it seems to involve questions of private rights, rather than rights with which the Government can interfere.

TREATY OF BERLIN-ARTICLE X.THE VARNA RAILWAY. MR. DIXON-HARTLAND asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, in view of the fact that LAW AND POLICE-ALLEGED CRUELTY Article X. of the Treaty of Berlin refers mainly to a 'payment of money justly due to the Bondholders of the Varna Railway, Her Majesty's Government will state why the claim of those bondholders should be made the subject of arbitration; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will take steps to have the case

coachman, for gross cruelty to a horse; | the inhabitants; whether he is aware and, whether he is aware that, although that the districts consists almost entirely the cruelty was fully proved against both of private houses inhabited by people in defendents, the bench of magistrates a good position of life, and of such a dismissed both cases; and, if so, whe- class as is likely to be seriously deprether there are any means by which such ciated in value by the erection of the failures of justice can be remedied? proposed school; whether the statistics that have been furnished to the Education Department show any want of school accommodation in the district; and, whether, assuming a deficiency to exist, it is not possible to obtain a site in the neighbourhood which will not be open to the objections raised against the one chosen?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT, in reply, said, he had received a letter from the magistrates on this case, in which they said that, after full consideration, they decided that the charge had not been proved against the clergyman, and accordingly they dismissed it. The summons against the coachman was withdrawn by the prosecuting parties. Looking at the circumstances, he could not see any proof that there had been a failure of justice.

LAW AND POLICE-THE LATE CALA

ance

MITY AT SUNDERLAND.

MR. MUNDELLA: Sir, the Education Department has consented to the erection of a School in Coborn Street, Bow. The site was scheduled in a Provisional Order, which passed through Parliament last year without opposition. Remonstrances were addressed to the

MR. BIGGAR asked the Secretary of Department by some of the inhabitants, State for the Home Department, How who complained that Coborn Street was many policemen were told off on Satur- inhabited by persons not likely to use day last to keep order at the perform-depreciate the value of their property; an elementary school, and that it would at Sunderland where so many but both to the east and west of Coborn lives were lost? The hon. Member said, Street there are large populations of the that the following words had apparently been left out of his Question by the elementary school class. Statistics were furnished to the Department showing a printer-namely, Whether on the same want of school accommodation in the day a number of policemen were set district, and before the Provisional Order apart to keep order at a pigeon-shooting match, and whether the Home Secre- was authorized an inquiry under the Statute was held by the Inspector, who tary did not consider that the exhibition at Sunderland was an occasion to which supported the proposal of the Board. the attention of the police ought to have In order to meet, if possible, the objections of the inhabitants of Coborn Street, been directed rather than to a pigeon

match?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT: Sir, this is a matter, as the House knows, that I can give no information upon. I have said over and over again that I have no control or authority over local police. As to the number of police that were on duty at the performance at Sunderland, that, no doubt, will be brought out in the course of the investigation which is to take place.

the Department required the School deavour to obtain some other site. The Board, before issuing notices, to enSchool Board, accordingly, last autumn, scheduled two other sites; but the local as strong as objections to both were

those against Coborn Street, and on the same ground. After consultation with Board, we allowed the erection of the Her Majesty's Inspector and the School school in Coborn Street.

ARMY HOSPITAL SERVICES INQUIRY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT BOARD -APPENDIX No. 33. SCHOOL IN COBORN STREET, BOW. MR. GUY DAWNAY asked the SeMR. RITCHIE asked the Vice Pre-cretary of State for War, with resident of the Council, Whether the Education Department have given their consent to the London School Board to erect a school in Coborn Street, Bow, notwithstanding the remonstrances which have been made by large numbers of

VOL. CCLXXX. [THIRD SERIES.]

ference to Appendix No. 33, in the Army Hospital Services Inquiry Blue Book, Whether the list of medical comforts there given, as received at Ismailia, and used on board H.M.S. "Malabar " during the voyage to Portsmouth, re

2 Z

presents the total amount consumed by | shall have full time for maturely conthe troops on board that vessel, or whe- sidering the measure before the second ther such list was supplemented, or reading is taken. could have been supplemented, from the ship's stores; and, if not, whether, in view of the fact that all such medical comforts were finished by the time the "Malabar" reached Portsmouth, with the exception of a few ounces of brandy, it is considered that five bottles of brandy and the diminutive amount of other articles given in the aforesaid list constitute a proper and sufficient store of medical comforts for the use of over 200 sick and convalescent soldiers during a three weeks' voyage?

INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENTCHARGE AGAINST OFFICERS. MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is a fact that inspectors and collectors of the Inland Revenue Department, when holding investigations into charges brought against officers, take evidence against them in their absence, so as to deprive them of the right of cross-examination or contradiction; whether evidence so obtained is made the THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON: ground for punishment by censure or Sir, the form of the Return in Ap-removal at the expense of the officers; pendix 33 is somewhat misleading. It does not represent the provision of medical comforts made at Ismailia for the voyage, but is the medical officer's account of the actual issues made to patients out of the medical comforts drawn by him from the saloon mess of the Malabar. Such medical comforts could have been supplemented from the same source to any extent the medical officer might have required. The medioal comforts shown in Appendix 33 are all which were consumed during the voyage. Although the amount may appear small, the medical officer shows in his evidence, Q. 10,133 and 10,134, that they were sufficient for the invalids under his charge, who were, for the most part, convalescents on fresh meat rations, and of whom 56 were disembarked at Malta.

ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARYSPECIAL RESIDENT MAGISTRATES

LEGISLATION.

MR. O'SHEA asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he will now introduce and have printed the Bill dealing with the higher ranks of the Royal Irish Constabulary and abolishing the Special Resident Magistrates, so that the House may have an opportunity of studying the details of that important measure before the concluding days at the end of the Session?

MR. TREVELYAN: Sir, when I see any fair hope of getting time for the discussion of this measure I will lay it on the Table of the House. On that occasion I will make a statement on the subject, and I will see that the House

Mr. Guy Dawnay

whether censure so passed is made to stand against the officer for a period of ten years, and when any subsequent report or complaint, however trifling, is made, such censure is treated as of record, and used against him; whether a representation made by an officer that he has been unjustly treated in this way is deemed an act of insubordination; whether a superior officer under this system cannot with comparative impunity bring false charges against a subordinate; and, whether he has any reason to believe that officers suffering under such injustice are constrained to submit from fear of becoming "marked men ?"

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS): Sir, in reply to the first Question of the hon. Member, I have to say that, if statements affecting an Inland Revenue officer are made in his absence, he is always given an opportunity of contradicting or explaining them, either verbally or in writing. If, after such opportunity has been given, a charge is fully substantiated against an Inland Revenue officer, censure or other punishment would naturally follow. The answer to the third Question is "No." Censure stands against an officer for one or two years only. The answer to the fourth Question is "No." I do not consider that the system, as I have described it, facilitates false charges against subordinates; nor have I reason to believe that officers are intimidated in the manner suggested in the last Question.

MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR asked whether the right hon. Gentleman would give an assurance that, in the case of proved injustice done under the existing