pay.

that they would be called out for a short period of training, and that during that time they would, as a matter of course, receive the full pay and allowances received by Militia regiments. It appears, however, that it was impossible to make an arrangement for this, and the arrangement that was at last come to was that they should give 78 half day's work, and that for those 78 half days the officers should receive half Subsequently a very strong appeal was made by the officers of the regiment that they should be allowed for a time to draw full pay. The reason given was that there were large initial expenses in raising the regiment connected with uniform, band, and so on, and that as the regiment was raised from the beginning the officers would have to give a great deal more time than the half time proposed when the regiment was first raised. The Secretary of State, after due consideration, made this concession for the year, and allowed the officers to draw full pay. Another appeal was made at the end of the first year, when the Secretary of State was again begged to extend the time for another year and allow these officers to receive full pay. That concession was allowed for another year; but at that time it was on the distinct understanding that at the end of that period the 78 half days should be given for half pay. My Lords, I think that these concessions on the part of the Secretary of State were certainly amply justified by the conduct of the officers themselves. They applied themselves with great zeal and energy to making their regiment as efficient as they could, and, as the noble Earl has already said, when they were paraded for inspection before His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, His Royal Highness was able to express his unqualified satisfaction at the efficiency of the regiment and the soldierlike appearance of the men upon parade. Again another appeal was made, and the Secretary of State took the whole matter very carefully into his consideration. The proposal then made was that the regiment should form a camp for ten days, during which time the officers were to receive not only full pay, but messing allowance, and that the number of days should be

reduced from 78 to 56. Apparently this has never been carried out. I do not know quite what the local difficulties may be in the Island, but there seem to be difficulties in the way, and the regiment has never yet been called out for permanent training. If they were, no doubt the arrangement would be easy to carry out; but the difficulties, whatever they are, lie in Malta. Under these circumstances there has been no other alternative but to revert to the original arrangement of the 78 half days for half pay, and that is how the matter stands now. Therefore, so far from there being any reduction in the pay of the officers, all that has now been done is really to revert to the original arrangement made at the beginning. I hope the noble Earl will be satisfied with that answer.

EARL DE LA WARR: Did I correctly understand that the terms were 78 days' training for 78 days' pay?

EARL BROWNLOW: Seventyeight half days. I may mention that the time for drill on those days has been fixed by His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief at three hours, which cannot be called a full day.

to

QUESTIONS.

FLINTSHIRE MAGISTRATES.

MR. S. SMITH (Flintshire): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the attention of the Government has been drawn a recent Correspondence between the Rhyl Liberal Club and the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Flint on the subject of the appointment of Magistrates in Flintshire; whether he is aware that very great dissatisfaction exists at the small number of Liberals who are placed on the Bench-namely, some ten only out of a total of 90 Magistrates; whether he is aware that there is only one Protestant Nonconformist on the Bench, while fully twothirds of the population of the county are Nonconformists, and whether he is aware that there are a considerable number of Nonconformists resident in the county who are qualified, legally and otherwise, for appointment as

Magistrates; whether he is aware that only a very few of the Magistrates can speak Welsh, and that the need of an interpreter is often required, and whether the Government will use the needful pressure to induce the Lord Lieutenant to take steps that all Political Parties shall be fully represented on the Bench in proportion to their numbers, and thus remove a cause of bitterness which exists on the subject throughout the county?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS, Birmingham, E.): I have received a Copy of the Correspondence. The Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire informs me that he is unable to ascertain the proportion between Conservative and Liberal appointments to the Bench made by him, as his appointments have never been influenced by political considerations. He believes that few of the Magistrates speak Welsh; but that in a large portion of Flintshire no Welsh is spoken, and that in the Weishspeaking districts interpreters always to be obtained, and in no case has there been a failure of justice owing to want of knowledge of Welsh on the Bench. In the Rhyl district the Lord Lieutenant has recently appointed three Magistrates, two of whom are Welsh-speaking gentlemen. It is no part of my duty to interfere with the discretion of the Lord Lieutenant in selecting suitable persons to be placed on the Commission of the Peace.

are

MR. S. SMITH: The right hon. Gentleman has not answered my question as to whether there is only one Protestant Nonconformist on the Bench?

MR. MATTHEWS: I have no information as to the religion of any of the Magistrates.

THE PROBATION OF FIRST OFFENDERS ACT, 1887. MR. S. SMITH: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue an official Circular to Magistrates, Recorders, and Chairmen of Quarter Sessions, inviting their further consideration of the provisions of "The Probation of First Offenders Act, 1887," especially in view of the statement made by Her Majesty's Commis

sioners of Prisons for England and Wales in their last Report that, in at least some districts, the local prison Governors are "not aware of the Act having been applied at all," and in view also of the figures in the latest "Judicial Statistics," showing that more than half of all the persons proceeded against summarily in the year were of "previous good character," whilst another large proportion had "nothing known against them?"

MR. MATTHEWS: I propose to issue a Circular calling attention to Section 16 of the Summary Jurisdiction

Act, and to the Probation of First Offenders Act.

UNCLASSED TEACHERS IN IRISH
NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

MR. MAC NEILL (Donegal, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland how many unclassed teachers have been appointed to national schools in Ireland during the years 1888, 1889, 1890, and 1891 respectively; and under what circumstances can the manager of a school appoint an unclassed teacher of whose qualifications he is satisfied?

FOR

*THE CHIEF SECRETARY IRELAND (Mr. JACKSON, Leeds, N.): The Commissioners of National Education report that in the years named the numbers of unclassed teachers appointed have been as follows:-1888, 48; 1889, 23; 1890, 18; 1891, 18. Several of these teachers had previously been monitors. Appointments of this nature are considered by the Commissioners where a person possessing the qualifications of a classed teacher cannot be found to fill an occurring vacancy, but conditional on his immediately passing a preliminary entrance examination for provisional classification in the third class. For his continued recognition he is required to pass the general examination next happening.

OFFICIALS EMPLOYED ON THE INDIAN CENSUS.

MR. MAC NEILL: I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India how many Europeans, Eurasians, and Indians were officially employed in connection with the taking of the recent Census in India?

*THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. CURZON, Lancashire, Southport): The Secretary of State has no information on the subject.

MR. MAC NEILL: May I ask can the Secretary of State procure information on the subject?

*MR. CURZON: We are expecting later on a detailed Report upon the Census; but if the information desired by the hon. Member is not contained therein, I do not think there will be any advantage in asking for it.

THE "CHARGE TAKER" AT THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, DUBLIN. MR. P. O'BRIEN (Monaghan, N.): I beg to ask the Postmaster General if he will cause inquiry to be made into the way the recently appointed "charge taker," Mr. A. Taplin, in the General Post Office, Dublin, was selected for the position, and whether due regard was had to the claims, on the grounds of service and fitness for the position, of other employés; whether this officer has charge of the male and female domestic servants of the department; and whether he can state the grounds for the dismissal of six of the female servants since Taplin took charge, the religion of the servants dismissed, and of those who were appointed to their places?

THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Sir J. FERGUSSON, Manchester, N.E.): Altogether four candidates applied for the situation, and Mr. Taplin was selected by the Postmaster General as being by far the best qualified for the duties to be performed. The charwomen of the department are under his control. There are no male domestic servants. The charwomen are not established servants, nor are all of them regularly employed, some of them being paid by the job. Eight (not six) of these persons have left since Mr. Taplin became charge taker. Of these eight, two left in consequence of age; one left in conquence of illness; one resigned; and four were dismissed for drunkenness and general misconduct. Neither of those who have left nor of those who have succeeded them is the religion known; nor is it the practice of the department to inquire.

THE GENERAL POST OFFICE,

DUBLIN.

MR. P. O'BRIEN: I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he can state the grounds upon which a candidate named E. C. Conlan, who twice presented himself for preliminary examination for the office of sorting clerk in the General Post Office, Dublin, in 1892, was each time rejected?

SIR J. FERGUSSON: The grounds were, not being tall enough and not being sufficiently educated.

WEST INDIAN SUGAR.

MR. WATT (Glasgow, Camlachie): I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Secretary of State will take into consideration, with regard to any permanent reductions in duties proposed upon articles imported into the West Indian Colonies from the United States, the fact that although the United States, under the M'Kinley Tariff, have agreed to admit West Indian sugars duty free, they have granted a bonus equivalent to the former scale of duties to home producers; and whether alterations in the existing Customs tariffs of the Colonies will necessitate higher duties on all articles exported from the United Kingdom to these Colonies?

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Baron H. de WORMS, Liverpool, East Toxteth): In entering into the arrangement with the United States Government, under which the duties imposed in certain West Indian Colonies on various articles imported chiefly, though not exclusively, from the United States have been reduced, Her Majesty's Government took into consideration the fact that a bounty is granted in the United States to home producers of sugar. Alterations in the existing Customs tariffs of the Colonies will not necessitate higher duties on all articles exported from the United Kingdom to these Colonies.

MR. SUMMERS (Huddersfield): Can the right hon. Gentleman say when Papers on the subject will be laid on the Table?

BARON H. DE WORMS: They are in preparation.

SUPPLY OF REGIMENTAL STORES. MR. P. O'BRIEN: I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he will inquire if regiments stationed in Ireland are largely supplied with groceries and other dry goods, obtainable in Ireland, from the Army and Navy Stores, London; whether any, and, if so, how many, of the officers of regiments stationed in Ireland are shareholders and have other financial interests in the Army and Navy Stores; whether it has come to his knowledge that any officers so interested in the Army and Navy Stores have used their influence in their regiments to procure orders for Army supply from that establishment to the injury of Irish traders, who are taxed to support the British Army; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?

*THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY To THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. BRODRICK, Surrey, Guildford): This matter was very carefully considered in 1890. I can only repeat what has been said by the Secretary of State. No complaints have been received on the subject. The canteens supplying groceries to the troops are managed by the regimental committees, who act independently of the War Office, and are free to obtain their supplies from whatsoever source they think fit.

DEBTS OF VOLUNTEER REGIMENTS.

MR. ISAACS (Newington, Walworth): I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office if his attention has been called to an unreported case of " Herbert & Co. v. Silver," judgment in which was given by the Hon. Mr. Justice Day on the 19th January last at Guildhall Sittings of the Queen's Bench Division, and in which the learned Judge directed the jury that each member of the Finance Committee of a Volunteer Regiment was personally liable for debts of the regiment; and, if so, whether he is prepared to issue a Regulation under the powers contained in "The Volunteer Act, 1863," Section 16, by which the liability of the members of the Finance Committee should he limited to the amount of the public funds at the disposal of the commanding officer, in whom all the property of the regi

ment is vested by Section 25 of the said Act, or otherwise, to obviate the possibility, under the authority of the said case, of individual members of the Finance Committee being personally sued for regimental debts?

*MR. BRODRICK: It is not the duty of the Finance Committee of a Volunteer corps to give orders on behalf of the regiment; if it does so, it renders itself liable for the expense of such orders. Regulations now under consideration will make it quite clear where the responsibility for orders, given on behalf of the regiment, rests.

THE COST OF UNIFORMS OF

HIGHLAND REGIMENTS.

COLONEL NOLAN (Galway, N.): I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office what is the entire cost entailed on the Estimates by dressing Highland regiments in their national costume?

*MR. BRODRICK: The clothing of the Scottish regiments of the Line and of the Militia costs about £15,000 a year more than the clothing of the same number of ordinary Infantry regi

ments.

*MR.

JACKSON: The Commissioners of National Education report that the teacher mentioned was dismissed by the manager of the school on 31st December, 1891. In communicating the dismissal to the Board, the manager stated that he had determined the service of the teacher in consequence of repeated acts of insubordination, together with other displeasing features of his conduct. Certain complaints had been previously made by the manager against the teacher. The Commissioners had them inquired into by their Inspector, and, having considered his Report, decided that the case did not demand further action on their part. They duly notified their decision to the manager on 17th December.

THE WEARING OF THE SHAMROCK. SIR T. ESMONDE (Dublin Co., S.): I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the Sergeant Major of the Carlow Militia is correctly reported, when ordering the men to remove their shamrocks from their caps on St. Patrick's Day, to have told them "to throw away those tufts of grass;" and, if so, whether he will be repri

HAM, CAMBRIDGESHIRE. MR. BRAND (Cambridge, Wisbech): I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he will take into consideration the claims of Little Downham, in Cambridgeshire, for a postal telegraph office, in so much as this parish has a population of 2,000 people, and has no telegraph office or second delivery of letters?

SIR J. FERGUSSON: The hon. Member has, I find, been informed that the office could only be established under a certain guarantee.

DISMISSAL OF THE BALLYSCALLY

NATIONAL SCHOOL TEACHER. MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland what were the circumstances attending the dismissal of Mr. A. Gallagher, national school teacher, Ballyscally, County Tyrone; and when the Commissioners of Education propose to make public their decision on the Inspector's Report made in November last?

observation?

*MR. BRODRICK : As the hon. Baronet is aware from recent discussions, no soldier is allowed to wear any decoration on parade, except with the permission of his commanding officer. My right hon. Friend (Mr. Stanhope) has, I think, satisfied the House that he has no desire to run counter to the national sentiment in this matter, but as the order, under the circumstances, was perfectly proper, he has not felt it necessary to inquire as to the exact terms in which it was given.

MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.): Will the hon. Gentleman say how this statement can be reconciled with the fact that men of the Welsh Fusiliers are allowed to wear the leek on parade on St. David's Day?

I think my

*MR. BRODRICK: answer covers that point. With the permission of the commanding officer this or any other emblem may be worn. It is not alleged that in the present instance such permission was sought, and