HOUSE OF COMMONS. Monday, 27th April, 1908. 66 Local Government Provisional Orders (No. 2) Bill.-" To confirm certain Provisional Orders of the Local Government Board relating to Bridlington, Fulwood, The House met at a quarter before Romford, and Weymouth and Melcombe Three of the Clock. PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS. Draycott Gas Bill; Gosport Gas Bill; Humber Commercial Railway and Dock Bill; Leeds Corporation Bill; Leicester Corporation Bill; Motherwell Burgh Extension, &c., Bill.-Read the third time, and passed. North Eastern Railway Bill (King's Consent signified).-Bill read the third time, and passed. Wishaw Burgh Electricity, &c., Bill.Read the third time, and passed. Dundalk Urban District Council Bill.As amended, considered; to be read the third time. Regis," presented by Dr. Macnamara ; supported by Mr. Burns; read the first time; to be referred to the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills, and to be printed. [Bill 194.] Edinburgh Corporation (Tramways,&c.) Order Confirmation Bill.-"To confirm a Provisional Order under The Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act, 1899, relating to Edinburgh Corporation Tramways, &c.," presented by Mr. Sinclair; read the first time; and ordered (under Section 9 of the Act) to be read a second time upon Tuesday, 5th May, and to be printed. [Bill 195.] PETITIONS. COAL MINES (EIGHT HOURS) (No. 2) Petitions in favour: From Algernon Audenshaw Urban District Council Bill [Lords]; Camberwell and other Metropolitan Borough Councils (Super-cester); annuation) Bill [Lords]; Fishguard and Colliery; Ferniegair Colliery; Forley Rosslare Railways and Harbours Bill Colliery, Tollcross; Hartshead Branch, [Lords]; Merthyr Tydfil Corporation Bill [Lords].-Read a second time, and committed. Pontypridd Water Bill [Lords].-Read a second time, and committed. Briton Ferry Urban District Council Bill [Lords] (by Order).-Read a second time, and committed. Local Government Provisional Orders (No. 1) Bill." To confirm certain Pro York; Hepscott Colliery; Gateside; ELEMENTARY EDUCATION (ENGLAND LICENSING BILL. visional Orders of the Local Government Board relating to Bath, Little Lever, Stanhope, Stratford-on-Avon (Rural), Stratton and Bude, and the Hemel Petitions against: From Ash; BeaconsHempstead Joint Hospital District," field; Bridlington; Carmarthen; Crewpresented by Dr. Macnamara; supported kerne; Driffield; East Horsley; Helperby Mr. Burns; read the first time; to thorpe; High Wycombe; Isle of Thanet ; Princes Risborough ; be referred to the Examiners of Petitions Marlow (two); for Private Bills, and to be printed. [Bill Rotherham (two); Salisbury; Thraps193.] ton; Wallingford; Weaverthorpe; Wells; 2 Q VOL. CLXXXVII. [FOURTH SERIES.] West Wiltshire; Whiston; and Wold bridge; Uphill; Vale of Leven; Valley: Newton; to lie upon the Table. LICENSING BILL. Petitions for alteration: From Beeston; and Bradford (Yorks); to lie upon the Table. LICENSING BILL. Velmgwin; Warminster; Waterside; LIQUOR TRAFFIC (LOCAL OPTION) (SCOTLAND) BILL. Petitions in favour: From Alexandria; Cadzow Oak; Cathcart; Falkirk; Glasgow; Kingussie; and Linlithgow and Falkirk; to lie upon the Table. SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON SUNDAY BILL. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS (RECESS). Petitions in favour: From Abbeydale; Abergwili; Alvaston; Arnold; Ashtonunder-Lyne (five); Ash Vale; Auchencairn; Barking; Barrington; Barrowon-Soar; Battlefield; Bearsden; Bedford (three); Beeston; Birkdale (two); Petitions in favour: From Brixham; Blackpool (four); Blyth (two); Bodto lie Deptford; and East London; wrog; Bonhill; Bonkle; Bovey Tracey; Deptford; Bradford; Bradford-on-Avon; Bridling- upon the Table. ton (two); Brockley; Broadstairs; Bryndu; ⚫ Brynsiencynr; Cambois (three); Castle Donington; Charlesworth; Cheddar Valley; Chelsea; Chisworth; Clevelys; Clydebank; Coalville; Coatdyke; Combe Martin; The following Papers, presented by Convil Elvet (two); Cowgate; Cross- Command of His Majesty during the hill; Crouch Hill (two); Dalbeattie; Easter Recess, were delivered to the Dalmuir; Dartmouth (two); Dawlish; Librarian of the House of Commons Delting; Derby; Derbyshire; Devon- during the Recess, pursuant to the port; East Ham; Edinburgh (eight); Standing Order of 14th August, 1896 :-Falkirk (four); Ferry; Filey; Firth; Fishguard; Glasgow (five); Glencairn; Army (Militia Units).-Copy of Return Glenelg Gomersal (two); Great Yar- showing the Establishment of each mouth (two); Greenwich; Hackney; Unit of Militia in the United Kingdom Hamilton; Harrow Road; Heckmond- and the numbers present, absent, and wike; Helensburgh (two); Highbridge; wanting to complete, at the Training Holloway Road; Holm; Holyhead; of 1907. Huddersfield; Iver; Kentish Town; Kingswood; Kirkham; Kirkintillock (four); Lanark ; Lancaster (ten); Langholm (three); Leicester (three); Lerwick; Linlithgow and Falkirk; Llanarthney; Llanybyther; Lochend and Education (Scotland).-Copy of ReguNew Abbey London (two); Lough-lations as to Grants to Secondary Schools borough; Maidenhead (two); Manor in Scotland, 1908. ; Park (two); Marsden; Melbourne ; Cancer Research (Colonies).Copy of further Correspondence relating to the Cancer Research Scheme. Melksham (two); Melton Mowbray Irish Universities Bill, 1908.-Copy (two); Milford; Morecambe; Morpeth; of Preliminary Draft of the Articles New Barnet; Newborough; Newbridge; of a Charter for the University to have Newcastle Emlyn; Newcastle-upon-Tyne its seat in Belfast. (two); Newnham; North Ronaldshay (four); North Shields; Nottingham Irish Universities Bill, 1908.-Copy (six); Penrhoslligwy; Pollokshaws; of Preliminary Draft of the Articles Pontyberem (four); Poulton le Fylde; of a Charter for the University to have Renton (three); St. Annes on Sea (two); its seat in Dublin. St. Clears; St. Helens (three); St. James; Salford (four); Seer Green; Mines and Quarries.-Copy of Reports Sheffield; Shepshed; Shire Moor; of His Majesty's Inspectors of Mines Department under the Coal Mines Regu- | for the year 1907 [by Command]; lation Acts, 1887 to 1896, the Metal- lie upon the Table. liferous Mines Regulation Acts, 1872 and 1875, and the Quarries Act, 1894, BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. SPEAKER laid upon the Table:Manual of Procedure in the Public Business of the House of Commons, 1908 [2nd edition]. NEW WRIT. New Writ for the Borough of Wolverhampton (East Division), in the room. of the right hon. Sir Henry Hartley Fowler, G.C.S.I. (Chiltern Hundreds).(Mr. Whiteley.) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CIRCULATED WITH THE VOTES. Imprisonment at St. Petersburg of Mr. Tchayskovsky. MR. YOXALL (Nottingham, W.): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he can take any action in the case of Nicholas Tchayskovsky, a distinguished man of science of Russian birth (but resident in this country for more than twenty years, and several of whose family are British subjects), confined since 24th November, 1907, in the fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul, at St. Petersburg, without charge preferred against him; whether his attention has been drawn to a memorial speaking of the position in the esteem of all who knew him, of whatever shade of politics or creed, which Mr. Tchayskovsky has won for himself during the thirty years residence in England and the United States; whether he is aware that a petition of similar weight has been adopted in the United States, and that the eminent medical men, Professors Bechtereff and Volkhoff, report that Mr. Tchayskovsky's life is endangered by his internment, he being of an advanced age and suffering from heart disease; and whether, under the circumstances, anything can be done by the Foreign Office on behalf of British subjects who are relatives of this distinguished man to secure that he may be released on bail while awaiting trial. (Answered by Secretary Sir Edward the Archer Street post office in WestGrey.) I understand that Mr. Tchay- bourne Grove is in need of being rebuilt; skovsky is charged with being implicated whether plans for the purpose are yet in revolutionary proceedings. He is not completed, and possession of the neces a British subject, and there is, therefore, sary land obtained; and when the buildno ground on which diplomatic action ing operations are likely to be com can be taken by His Majesty's Govern- menced. ment. Railway Crossing at Garryduff. MR. JOHN O'DONNELL (Mayo, S.): To ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether he is aware that there is a crossing over the Great Southern and Western Railway in the townland of Garryduff, electoral division of Ballindine, Claremorris Union, and that the people of Garryduff, Woodstock, Carrowconnor, Levase, Cullane, Burris, Baleboy, Crimline, and Rockforth have to cross the line at this point; that there is no other convenient way for the vehicular "traffic coming from and going to these places; that it is in close proximity to a wood and a sharp curve, which add to the danger; that recently when crossing the line a cart was caught by a passenger train and smashed to pieces, serious loss of life having being narrowly averted; and, seeing that the Claremorris District Council and the Mayo County Council forwarded representations to the Board of Trade for the necessity of having a gate lodge erected at the spot, with a gatekeeper in charge, with a view to saving life and property, whether efforts will be made to compel the railway company to take prompt steps to safeguard the lives of the numbers of people who have to pass there at all hours of the day and night. (Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) The crossing in question does not appear to be one of a public carriage road, and the railway company are, therefore, under no statutory obligation to employ a gatekeeper to supervise the traffic over the crossing. The Board of Trade have no jurisdiction, but they have called the company's attention to to the matter, and have received a reply to the effect that the crossing is not considered a dangerous one. (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) It is not proposed to rebuild this office; but plans for enlarging and improving it have been prepared and are under consideration. Legal difficulties have de layed the completion of the purchase of the necessary additional land, but I hope that a settlement will be reached before long. Transmission of Press Telegrams. MR. JOWETT (Bradford, W.): To ask the Postmaster-General whether a Departmental Committee has reported that the existing arrangements of the telegraph service are now inadequate to provide for the increasing hurry and earlier publication of provincial newspapers; whether, as a consequence, the Committee has recommended joint private wires from a London agency to the offices of provincial newspapers, staffed by operators unattached to the Post Office; whether the Committee considers that there is no general objection to the taking away from the hands of the Postmaster-General of the work of transmitting news from London to the provinces; and whether, in view of the possibility of the Postmaster-General permitting a great extension of the system of sub-contracting in the telegraph service, a Select Committee of this House may be appointed to consider the present position of the telegraph service. To ask the Postmaster-General whether he is in a position to inform the House if he has completed any arrange ments with newspaper proprietors or news agencies for taking over the transmission of news messages in accordance with the recommendations of a Departmental Committee; and whether he proposes to insert in the conditions that all telegraph operators employed in the transmission of messages Archer Street Post Office, W. over wires loaned to private companies MR. STANGER (Kensington, N.): by the Post Office shall be paid the Suggested Tax on Traction Engines, etc. MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.): To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that damage is done by traction engines and heavy locomotives to roads which have to be kept in constant repair by the local authorities, he will consider the advisability of recommending the imposition of a tax upon such conveyances and thereby relieve the ratepayers from the burden now imposed on them. (Answered by Mr. Asquith.) Yes, Sir. I have received a copy of the Resolution in question through my right hon. friend the Chief Secretary, and, like all other (Answered by Mr. Asquith.) The sug representations on the subject of taxa- gestion is one which shall not fail to retion, it will receive careful consideration.ceive due consideration in connection with the reform of local taxation generally, which, as the hon. Member is probably aware, is engaging the attention of the Government. Dog Dealers and Dog Licences. MR. DICKINSON (St. Pancras, N.): To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Dog Tax as at present levied falls with undue severity. upon dealers in dogs, inasmuch as they have to pay upon the maximum number of dogs that may, at any one time, be kept for the purposes of sale; and whether he can see his way to amend the law so as to allow of such dealers being taxed upon some less onerous and more equitable system. (Answered by Mr. Asquith.) The law and practice in the matter is as stated in he Question; but I do not see that any ardship arises, nor does there appear to ne to be any sufficient reason for altering he system. Friendly Societies and Income-Tax. MR. T. R. BETHELL (Essex, Maldon): To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer of the arrangement made with building The Duke of York's School. MR. HORNIMAN (Chelsea): To ask the Secretary of State for War from what source the capital expended on the present site and buildings of the Duke of York's School, Chelsea, was derived; whence came the capital for the purchase of the new site near Dover and the buildings now being erected there, and by what board or authority was the money allotted and expended; and what authority will control the disposal of the present site and buildings at Chelsea, and the disposal of balance should the same be sold. any (Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) It appears from the records which are readily available that the moneys for the acquisition of the site and the provision of the present buildings were derived partly from public funds and partly from |