PETITIONS. ALIENS BILL. In favour: From Kilmarnock and Govan; to lie upon the Table. SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS (IRELAND) BILL AND SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON SUNDAY BILL. In favour: From St. Andrews; to lie upon the Table. CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN IRELAND. Against From Rothesay; to lie upon the Table. DOGS REGULATION BILL. For alteration: From Forfar; to lie upon the Table. EAST INDIA (CONTAGIOUS DISEASES). Against State Regulation: From Sudbury and Leeds; to lie upon the Table. GROCERS' LICENCES (SCOTLAND) In favour From St. Andrews, Anderston, Thornhill, Stirling, Edinburgh, Cupar, Port Bannantyne, Stornoway, Greenock, and Sandwick; to lie upon the Table. SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON SUNDAY BILL. In favour From Putney, Perranporth, Callestick, Chiswick, Runcorn, Chelsea (3), Horncastle, Heywood, Hartlepool (4), Lavenham, Burnley, Dulwich, Accrington, Canonbury, Newport (Mon.), York, Silverwell, Eastergate, Tupsley, Hereford, St. Agnes, Darlington, Plymouth, Penge, Melbourne, Stirling, Sawbridgeworth, Ware, Halifax, Victoria, Burley, Rawdon, Yeadon, Guiseley, Chippenham, Ilkeston, Tudhoe Colliery, Teignmouth, Glasgow, Westgate-on-Sea, and Sherburn Hill; to lie upon the Table. In favour: From Ashton-under-Lyne VACCINATION BILL. For alteration: From Dewsbury; to and Horncastle; to lie upon the Table. lie upon the Table. hard labour and 24 strokes with the birch rod, was received into Derby prison on the following day, was certified imbecile on the 11th April, 1896, and removed to Mickleover Asylum on the 14th April, 1896; by whom was this sentence imposed; was the corporal punishment actually inflicted; and, if so, when and where; and, if the corporal punishment was not inflicted, by whose authority and under what circumstances was it remitted? THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir M. W. RIDLEY, Lancashire, Blackpool): The sentence was passed by the Derbyshire Quarter Sessions. The birching was not inflicted, as he was seen on reception to be of weak intellect, and was removed immediately, as stated in the Question, to a lunatic asylum. OVERCROWDING IN THE ISLAND OF LEWIS. MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty): I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether he is aware that the Report of the Sanitary Inspector for Ross and Cromarty, recently issued, shows that the evils arising from overcrowding in certain parts of the Island of Lewis, as described in the Report of the Lewis District Committee submitted to the county council on the 31st July, 1897, still prevails; and will the Secretary for Scotland, with a view to a mitigation of the evil, consider the expediency of taking measures to acquire land in the vicinity of the more congested townships, so that the people may be afforded opportunities for migration? THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. Graham MURRAY, Buteshire): The Report in question also brings out that, whilst overcrowding continues, sanitary matters in Lewis are slowly improving, and that the Lewis District Committee has done much good work since coming into existence. As regards the last part of the Question, the circumstances of the district referred to will be fully considered, along with all others, by the Congested Districts Board. POLLUTION OF THE RIVER NETHY. in accordance with the rules of the union; and what steps he took, if any, to ascer tain if those complaining in the case of the United Ladies' Tailors and Mantle Makers' Association were bona fide mem MR. WEIR: I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether the sewage from certain lodges and farms discharges into the River Nethy, just above the village of Causer, in the Badenoch district of Inver-bers of that union? ness-shire; and whether it is the fact that the people of Causer take their water supply from the River Nethy for both drinking and domestic purposes? MR. GRAHAM MURRAY: I am informed by the Local Government Board, who have been in communication with the county medical officer and county sanitary inspector, (1) that no sewage is discharged directly into the River Nethy from lodges or farms just above Causer, and (2) that none of the inhabitants of Causer have occasion to use river water for drinking or domestic purposes, there being well water procurable within a reasonable distance. ISSUE OF LICENCES AT GARVE. MR. WEIR: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that, although the people of Lochluichart, Rossshire, can obtain dog and gun licences at Garve, licences for vehicles can only be obtained at Dingwall, nearly 20 miles away; and can he arrange for licences for vehicles to be issued at Garve? THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY, Preston): Arrangements have now been made for the issue of carriage licences, as well as dog and gun licences, at the Post Office at Garve. POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK AND TRADES UNION ACCOUNTS. MR. HANBURY: The title of a trade union having an account with the Post Office Savings Bank to withdraw its funds through its duly-elected trustees is recognised by the Postmaster General. But the Postmaster General may, in his discretion, require proofs to his satisfaction and of their authority to withdraw the of the identity of the trustees applying, objection, as was the case in the present money. When, therefore, any substantial instance, is raised to the title of the trustees, it becomes a dispute within the Savings Bank Acts, and the Postmaster until the objection is removed. In General does not recognise the trustees accordance with practice, it was left to the trustees of the United Ladies' Tailors and Mantle Makers' Association to remove the objections which had been raised by certain of the members, and when these objections were removed, the request of the trustees for the withdrawal of the money was complied with. The dissentients called at the Central Savings Bank and satisfied the authorities in person that they were members of the associa tion. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN PARK- MR. PICKERSGILL: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, during the year ended 31st March, 1897, the number of cases of corporal punishment inflicted in Parkhurst Prison (where weak-minded prisoners are congregated) was considerMR. STEADMAN (Tower Hamlets, ably greater in proportion to the prison Stepney): I beg to ask the Secretary to population than either at Dartmoor or at the Treasury, as representing the Post-Portland; will he state what master General, if there is any regula- the offences in respect of which corporal tion in the Post Office Savings Bank for punishment was inflicted at Parkhurst; preventing a trade union from withdraw- who was the director by whose order ing part of its funds from that Depart- these sentences were imposed; and was ment after the withdrawal notice has any individual prisoner at Parkhurst corbeen signed by the three trustees elected porally punished more than once? were THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT: It is true that for that particular year the proportion was higher, but in the following year, when there were only two cases, it was only a little higher than at Dartmoor, and was lower than at Portland. The offence in four cases was gross insubordination, in the remaining two assault. Two prisoners were corporally punished twice. I may add that none of the men punished were weak-minded, and in only one case was the cat used. FIELD BATTERY EQUIPMENTS. MAJOR RASCH (Essex, S.E.): I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the 65th Field Battery, now armed with 15-pounder gun equip ment, is to draw 5-inch howitzer equipment instead; and whether he will consider the advisability of raising as a howitzer battery one of the five new field batteries, instead of rendering the 65 Field Battery inefficient by learning a new drill with howitzers, while the new batteries will be attempting to render themselves efficient with the 15-pounder gun equipment? THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. W. ST. JOHN BRODRICK): The 65th Field Battery is to draw 5-inch howitzer equipment. As it is not probable that any of the five new batteries will be completed before the end of the year, and as it is considered desirable for service reasons to complete with trained men as soon as possible the howitzer brigade division, the third service field battery at Hilsea (the other two being already howitzer batteries) has been detailed for this duty. MR. HANBURY: The royalty has been reduced as from the 1st of April this year from d. to d. per message. PHOSPHORUS POISONING. MR. PICKERSGILL: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will inquire into the case of a young woman named Tye, living at 47, Beaufoy Road, Plaistow, who, 12 months. ago, while working at the match factory of Messrs. Bryant and May, was attacked by phosphorus poisoning, and has since been attended by Mr. Cornelius Garnan, the medical officer of the firm, or by his son, Dr. Bernard Garnan; and if the notices required by the Factory Act have not been given in this case, will he take steps to enforce the law? I beg also to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will inquire into the case of Ellen Cotter, living at 10, Branley Cottages, St. Leonard's Road, Bromley, E., who, in August last, while working at the match factory of Messrs. Bryant and May, was attacked by phosphorus poisoning, and has since been attended by Mr. Cornelius Garnan, the medical officer of Messrs. Bryant and May, and his son, Dr. Bernard Garnan; and, if the notices required by law have not been given in this case, will he take steps to prosecute the parties in default? THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT: These cases are among those which I mentioned in my answer yesterday, and in which I have ordered a prosecution. ROYALTY ON THE DISTRICT MR. THORNTON (Clapham): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Trea sury whether it has been found feasible to reduce the royalty upon each message sent by the District Messenger Service within the metropolitan area? IRISH NATIONAL TEACHERS. MR. PATRICK ALOYSIUS M'HUGH (Leitrim, N.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state to the House why the standard numbers of Irish national teachers now in first division of first class are not abolished, as in the other classes; and how many of the 150 teachers now in first division of first class are between the ages of 55 and 60 years, and how many between 60 and 65 | glad to learn that the matter is now years? THE CHIEF SECRETARY ΤΟ THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND (Mr. G. W. BALFOUR, Leeds, Central): The pension establishment of the first division of the first class of national school teachers consists of 150 male and 130 female teachers. Of the males, 26 are between the ages of 55 and 60, and seven between 60 and 65. Of the females, 12 are between 55 and 60, the latter age being the period fixed for the compulsory retirement of females. As regards the first paragraph, the Trea sury considered that the rule restricting simultaneous contributions to first of first pensions from the 150 male and 130 female teachers should be maintained, while preserving their rights to existing teachers of the first division of the first class, thus lightening the charge on the Pension Fund, and, at the same time, obviating any reasonable ground for disappointment to present expectations. settled, a deputation of the workmen having given the manager the notice he required, and that the two checkweighmen have entered on their duties. RABIES IN HAMPSHIRE. MR. W. H. MYERS (Winchester): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agrioulture if he will state how many cases of rabies have occurred during the past six months in the county of Hants; and if he will consider the advisability of withdrawing the Muzzling Order within that area? THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. W. H. LONG, Liverpool, West Derby): No case of rabies has actually been reported from Hampshire since the 18th September last, but there were cases close to the border of the county on the 31st October and 28th November. I am keeping the representations made to me carefully in view, and if there is no reappearance of disease I hope to be able to allow some relaxation of the Hampshire Muzzling Orders at no very distant date. SOCIAL LEMOCRATIC PROSECUTION AT OXFORD. MR. M. DAVITT (Mayo, S.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made any further inquiry into the prosecution and |