MR. RUNCIMAN: I hope to be able | are frequented by men and women of to do so within a day or two. I will lose all classes of society in every part of no time. England.

MR. JOHN REDMOND: Is it not a fact that the Dublin Steam Packet Company have taken proceedings in the Court of Chancery here to restrain the steamers of the London and North-Western Railway Company from going to Carlisle Wharf, and will the Government not see their way, pending the decision in those proceedings which I understand are to be expedited in every way, to suspend their permission for the steamers to go to that wharf, by which permission the issue in the Chancery proceedings is really prejudged?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. ASQUITH, Fifeshire, E.): The clauses referred to, so far from being " solely designed for the registration of clubs, which are not conducted in good faith," have for their principal object the exclusion of such clubs from registration. There is no intention to hamper the liberties of bona fide clubs, and the Government are giving, and will continue to give, very careful consideration to all proposals which may be made for the improvement of these clauses.

MR. RUNCIMAN: I shall have to Temperance Clubs and the Licensing Bill. consult my advisers.

MR. JOHN REDMOND: Is there not another wharf at Kingstown to which the London and North-Western Railway can go for the next week or ten days before the decision of the Court of Chancery is come to? Do the Government think it fair for the decision of the Court to be prejudged by allowing the steamers to go to this wharf now?

MR. RUNCIMAN: I am sure the hon. Member knows quite well that we do not desire to prejudge the decision of the Court in this matter. I cannot answer on this very complicated question without notice.

Clubs and the Licensing Bill.

MR. WEDGWOOD: I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer if he would consider the advisability of inserting in the Licensing Bill a clause to show conclusively that temperance clubs in which no alcoholic liquor is sold will be excluded from the purview of the Bill.

MR. ASQUITH: Part IV. of the Bill deals only with clubs which are registered under the Licensing Act, 1902. Such registration is only required when it is desired that alcoholic drinks should be supplied upon the club premises, and, thus, clubs which do not seek the privilege of supplying liquor are in no way affected by the Bill.

Private Members' Privileges.

MR. JESSE COLLINGS (Birmingham, Bordesley): I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, when there are no Notices of Motions to be discussed at 8.15 on Wednesdays, it is the intention of the Government to move the adjournment of the House, thereby preventing the consideration of private Members' Bills on that night.

MR. PIKE PEASE (Darlington): On behalf of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Croydon, I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that Clauses 36 to 42 of the Licensing Bill are solely designed for the registration of clubs which, under the definition contained in Clause 28 of the Licensing Act of 1902, are not conducted in good faith, but are clubs only in name, he will withdraw the clauses referred to from the Bill, or will insert an excepting clause or proviso confining the proposed legislation to clubs not conducted in good faith, and exempting from the operation of the Act the MR. JESSE COLLINGS hoped the thousands of well-conducted clubs which right hon. Gentleman would give a

MR. ASQUITH: No, Sir; the occurrence happens so infrequently that the Government have formed no fixed intention on the subject. They would always be guided in such a case by regard to the general convenience of the House.

Irish Land Purchase.

schemes to be prepared by the licensing justices under Clause 6 of the Licensing Bill shall specify the particular licenses to be discontinued; and whether in that case steps will be taken to ensure that no Government Department owning licensed houses shall have information earlier than the general public of the houses with which it is proposed to deal.

MR. ASQUITH : Clause 7, the particular licences to be No, Sir. Under extinguished are to be selected by the been submitted to and approved by the licensing justices, after the scheme has Licensing Commission; and it is explicitly provided that the selection of licences for extinction shall be in the free and unqualified discretion of the licensing justices.

Imports of Tobacco Samples. MR. COURTHOPE (Sussex, Rye): I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether samples of American tobacco are admitted into this country upon the deposit of the duty payable;

whether, and under what circumstances, such deposit is refunded; whether similar concessions have been made in the case of Colonial tobacco from Rhodesia; and, if not, on what grounds this preferential treatment is given to the United States of America.

MR. ASQUITH: Samples of tobacco imported from the United States of

MR. O'SHEE: I beg to ask Mr. Chan-America are admitted upon deposit of cellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the losses incurred in the flotation of Land Stock and in the payment of a bonus of 12 per cent. to Irish landlords who agree to sell, he will consider the advisability of meeting a portion of the same by imposing a tax of 12 per cent. on incomes derived from the tenanted and untenanted lands of landlords who decline to sell.

the duty payable (or on bond being entered into for the amount thereof) if brought by commercial travellers of that country. The deposit is refunded (or the bond cancelled) when the samples are re-exported or placed in a bonded warehouse. The concession has been granted in of the Agreement consequence between this country and the United States, signed at London on 19th November last. The Board of Customs have intimated to the Board of Trade that they see no objection to the extension to the British Colonies of the special facilities for clearance of samples brought Licensing Reduction Schemes. by commercial travellers, if this should MR. ASHLEY : I beg to ask Mr. be considered desirable, provided that Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it like facilities are granted there to

MR. ASQUITH: I do not think the suggestion is a practicable one.

SELECTION (STANDING COMMITTEES). Sir WILLIAM BRAMPTON GURDON reported from the Committee of Selection; That they had discharged the following Members from Standing Committee A:

Reported, with an Amendment, from Mr. Carlile and Sir Francis Lowe; and Standing Committee A.

had appointed in substitution (in respect of the Agricultural Education in EleReport to lie upon the Table, and to mentary Schools Bill): Viscount Morpeth be printed. [No. 110.] and Sir Philip Magnus.

Minutes of the Proceedings of the Standing Committee to to be printed. [No. 110.]

Bill, as amended (in the Standing Committee), to be taken into consideration upon Friday, and to be printed. [Bill 185.]

Report to lie upon the Table.

TRUSTS BILL.

The Select Committee on the Trusts
Bill was nominated of :-Mr. Beale, Mr.
Clancy, Mr. Cave, Dr. Hazel, Mr. Hills,
Mr. Micklem, Mr. John O'Connor, Mr.
Radford, Mr. Rendall, Mr. Stewart-

LOCAL AUTHORITIES (ADMISSION OF Smith, and Mr. Salter.
THE PRESS) BILL.

Reported, with Amendments, from
Standing Committee A.

Report to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 111.]

Minutes of the Proceedings of the Standing Committee to be printed. [No. 111.]

Bill, as amended (by the Standing Committee), to be taken into consideration upon Friday, 26th June, and to be printed. [Bill 186.]

Ordered, "That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers, and records."

Ordered, "That Three be the quorum." -(Mr. Whiteley.)

PROSECUTION OF OFFENCES (AMEND

MENT) [EXPENSES].

Resolution reported,-" That it is expedient to authorise the payment out' of moneys provided by Parliament of the salaries and remuneration of the Director

of Public Prosecutions and assistant | tion appeared in the Votes, but then hon. directors appointed under any Act of Members had not time to read through the present session to amend the Prosecution of Offences Acts, 1879 and 1884, and of the Expenses incurred in pursuance of such Act.'

Resolution read a second time.

all those Papers in order to see if any of the Notices had reference to the business for the day, and it certainly would very much simplify matters for every Member of Parliament if there appeared on the Order Paper for the day all Resolutions and Notices which referred to the parSIR F. BANBURY (City of London) ticular business to be dealt with. The moved an Amendment to limit such hon. and learned Gentleman who pleaded salaries to £3,000. He said he regretted the other day that he was not very prothe President of the Board of Trade had ficient in Parliamentary procedure gave not remained in his seat, because the a distinct pledge [the ATTORNEYright hon. Gentleman himself moved a GENERAL dissented]-gave a distinct similar Amendment to a similar Resolu- pledge, as he would see on reference to tion four years ago, and he would like Hansard when printed that if he had to know how it was the right hon. Gen- been guilty of any error he would remedy tleman was not supporting him in the it. Yet in spite of that the very same example he himself had given. He cause of complaint existed that day and was prepared to admit that the right the Resolution he had to move did not hon. Gentleman's Amendment, although appear on the Paper; indeed, he doubted based on the same premisses, was not so if, with the exception of himself and reasonable as his own, but he wished it possibly the hon. and learned Gentleman, not to be forgotten that the Chancellor there was a Member of the House who of the Exchequer, who now led the House, had seen the Resolution. He would ask voted for that Amendment and was the Attorney-General how it was that, present through the whole debate, so having given a distinct pledge in this that he had no excuse for suggesting matter, he had not carried it out. He that he went into the lobby without had also a question to put to the Financial knowing what exactly was before the Secretary to the Treasury, who also made House and what had transpired in the a speech on the occasion he had referred course of the discussion. Indeed, the to and complained that the Home Office right hon. Gentleman on that occasion had made no estimate whatever of the actually went so far as to arraign the expenses likely to be incurred. Inciaction of the then Government. He dentally, he might say that none had noticed that the President of the Board been made in this instance. But the of Education, although in the House, Financial Secretary on the occasion in was looking the other way; perhaps question was extremely eloquent and he was regretting he had not followed talked in a most determined manner the example of his colleagues and left about the bad practices of the late Govthe House, for he also made an extremely ernment. A week ago only he asked the eloquent speech in support of that hon. Gentleman if he would kindly comAmendment, and if he had forgotten it municate to the Chancellor of the Exhe would be only too pleased to refresh chequer the feeling which existed on that his memory by reading the report from side of the House and request the right Hansard, with a copy of which he had hon. Gentleman to take steps to avoid fortified himself. But that was not a recurrence of what they considered to be all. Some ten days ago in Committee an unnecessary concealment of busion the Resolution he called the attention ness to be taken by the House. The of the Attorney-General-who, although Financial Secretary in reply to that he took no part in the debate, appeal nodded and smiled, but so far certainly voted for the Amendment as he could see there had been no other to which he had referred - to result. If hon. and right hon. Gentlethe fact that the Resolution did not appear on the Order Paper-an omission which gave rise to the debate of 8th June, 1904. It was true that the Resolu

men opposite were right in their assertion four years ago that the Government were acting wrongly, what was their position to-day? Were they going to