CARRIAGE OF GAME.

Bill "to prohibit sending of game by general carriers in certain seasons."

Ordered to be brought in by Mr. William Redmond, Mr. Joseph A. Pease, Mr. Parnell, Mr. Grant Lawson, Captain Sinclair, Sir Thomas Esmonde, and Mr. Horace Plunkett; Presented, and read the first time; to be read a second time upon Wednesday, 18th May, and to be printed. [Bill 203.]

PREFERENTIAL PAYMENTS IN BANKRUPTCY (IRELAND) BILL.

MARKET HARBOROUGH GAS BILL.

[H.L.]

Also a Bill intituled "An Act to provide for the transfer of the undertaking of the Market Harborough Gas Company, Limited, to the Market Harborough Urban District Council; and to confer further powers on the said Council, with respect to the supply of gas; and for other purposes."

DUNDEE CORPORATION TRAMWAYS
BILL. [H.L.]

And also a Bill intituled An Act to empower the Lord Provost, Magis"To amend the Law relating to Pre-trates, and Council of the City and ferential Payments in Bankruptcy in Royal Burgh of Dundee to work and use Ireland." the tramways within the burgh; and for other purposes."

LIQUOR TRAFFIC LOCAL VETO (SCOTLAND) BILL.

In favour: From Stirling; to lie the Table.

upon

PUBLIC HEALTH ACTS AMENDMENT
BILL.

In favour: From Blackburn, Wolverhampton, and Reading; to lie upon the Table.

SALE OF

INTOXICATING

(IRELAND) BILL.

LIQUORS

In favour: From Great Yarmouth and Glasgow; to lie upon the Table.

SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS
(IRELAND) BILL AND SALE OF
INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON SUNDAY
BILL.

In favour: From Stirling and Aber

LOCAL GOVERNMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT deen; to lie upon the Table.

(1894) AMENDMENT BILL.

In favour: From Caithness; to lie upon the Table.

MIDWIVES' REGISTRATION BILL.
In favour From Dodworth, Tipton,
Weymouth, Grantham, and Govan; to
lie upon the Table.

STRENGTH OF THE ARMY.

mand; and whether he will consider the COLONEL LONG (Worcestershire, Eve-advisability of making the dress of all sham): I beg to ask the Under Scere- ranks when on active service as uniform tary of State for War how many below as possible? establishment the cavalry, the horse and field artillery, the garrison artillery, the guards, and the infantry, serving at home respectively, were, on the 1st January, 1898, and on the 1st April, 1898?

MR. BRODRICK: The Secretary of State for India will inquire if the subject has been under the consideration of the Indian Government, and, if so, what decision has been arrived at. As regards the troops on the British establishment, officers and men have the same head-dress; and, at 200 yards distance, the uniform of an officer is scarcely distinguishable (except for the sword) from that of a private.

CASTLEBLAYNEY POOR RATE.

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. ST. JOHN BRODRICK, Surrey, Guildford,): The honourable Member no doubt desires a comparison of the condition of the Army on 1st April, 1898, with that on 1st January. The discharges from the colours at this time of year, owing to the return of troopships referred to the Indian service. CAPTAIN NORTON: My Question only from India, are particularly heavy, and a decrease usually takes place. The inflow in these three months of 1898 was 12,960, the outflow being 12,606; the inflow in the three months of 1897 was 9,401, and the outflow was 12,215. The cavalry gained 15, as against a loss of 200 last year. The horse and field artillery gained 10, as against a loss of 296 last year. The mountain and garrison artillery gained 118, as against a loss of 226 last year. The foot guards gained 227, whereas last year they gained 100. The infantry of the line lost 244 this year, but last year they lost 1,968. Over the whole Army this year there has been a net gain of 354, as compared with a loss of 2,814 in January to April, 1897. Of the men who have come in this year, 2,038 were reservists returning to the colours, leaving a net gain by recruiting alone of 1,521 in three months.

MILITARY HEAD-DRESS IN WAR-TIME. CAPTAIN NORTON (Newington, W.): I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether it has been brought to his notice that one of the chief causes of the large proportion

MR. J. DALY (Monaghan, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a copy of a resolution pased by the Castleblayney Board of Guardians, stating that, owing to agricultural depression, the guardians in 1896 struck an insufficient poor rate of 4d. in the pound, and leaving the union, on the 29th September, 1897, £1,250 in debt; and whether he can state if it is the intention of the Government to take advantage of the year 1896 as the standard year under the Local Government Bill, owing to the insufficient poor rate struck in that year in Ireland by boards of guardians?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD W. BALFOUR, Leeds, Central): I have already very fully explained to the honourable Member the reasons for the selection of 1896-7 as the standard year, and must refer him to my previous answers on the subject.

of British officers in native regiments TRANSMISSION OF SEAMEN'S WAGES

killed and wounded during the recent frontier war in India is stated to have been the difference which exists between the head-dress worn by these officers and that of the native officers, non-commissioned officers, and men under their com

FROM FOREIGN PORTS.

SIn G. S. BADEN-POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any decision has been arrived at, and, if so, what decision, as to giving British

seamen, discharged in the ports of Ant- | authorities in England by the Local werp, Hamburg, and Rotterdam, the Government Act of 1888, and the sum same facilities for the free transmission required during each of these years to home of the wages they have earned as meet the grants in aid in respect of which they enjoy in the United Kingdom? the local licences were transferred.