1155 Railway Companies and the {COMMONS} Conveyance of Volunteers. 1156 MEDICAL PROVISION AT THE BATTLE if so, if he will state the cause of this

deaths are obtainable on application at the cost of 1s. (instead of 3s. 7d.), similar privileges can be afforded to dependants of fatally injured workmen claiming compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1897, in cases where evidence may be required as to deaths, marriages, or births of children?

the announcement, and in consequence a communication was addressed to the railway companies. Several of the companies have withdrawn from their decision; one company-the South Eastern -has made its withdrawal subject to the condition that no Volunteers are to be conveyed on the Saturday preceding the Bank Holiday in August; no official reply has yet been received from the Great THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR Western Railway or the London and THE HOME DEPARTMENT: The fees North Western. The War Office would for certificates of birth, marriage, and regard the maintenance of the decision death are fixed by Statute, and to give by these companies as seriously interfer-effect to the honourable Member's proing with the efficiency of the Volunteers. posal would require legislation. I am

afraid I am not in a position to undertake to introduce a Bill-at all events, without further consideration.

ESTATE DUTY.

ROBBERIES IN THE EUSTON ROAD. CAPTAIN JESSEL (St. Pancras, S.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION AND THE has been drawn to the fact that a gentle man was robbed and assaulted in the Euston Road in broad daylight on 27th May; whether he is aware that the Vestry of St. Pancras have applied for extra police protection for the district; and whether steps have been taken to comply with the request?

MR. AIRD: I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether or not the compensation awarded to the dependants of a fatally injured workman, under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1897, is. liable to estate duty; and, where no other property is left, will it be necessary that probate or letters of administration should be taken out?

EX

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE CHEQUER (Sir M. HICKS BEACH, Bristol, W.): The Board of Inland Revenue do not regard money awarded as compensation to the representatives of a deceased workman under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1897, as passing on his death for the purposes of estate duty. So far as they are concerned, it will not be necessary that probate or letters of administration should be taken out where

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir M. W. RIDLEY, Lancashire, Blackpool): Yes, my attention has been drawn to this robbery, which appears, however, to have been effected with little violence. An application for increased police protection was received some months ago from the vestry, but after full inquiry into the condition of the parish. I felt unable to accede to it. Crime and disorderly conduct in the streets have much decreased of late years, and the district does not compare unfavourably in these respects the deceased has left no other property. with other districts of a similar character in the Metropolis.

FEES FOR CERTIFICATES OF BIRTHS

AND DEATHS.

MR. AIRD (Paddington, N.): I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, seeing that under the Friendly Societies Acts certificates of births and

LOANS TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES. MR. RANKIN (Herefordshire, Leominster): I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the legislation of last year (60 and 61 Vic., c. 29), by which the time of repayment of loans contracted by local Focr law authorities was extended to a:

1159 The Customs and the

{COMMONS} Crew of H.M.S.“ Orlando." 1160

term not exceeding 60 years, the Govern- | siderable time in the Navy to join the ment have any intention of conferring Army, because they are then at an undesimilar advantages on county councils sirable age. Furthermore, the pensions and other local authorities? of men who have served a considerable time in the Navy would be charged on THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL the Army Vote, and it is not reasonable GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. CHAP-that this should be so when a man has LIN, Lincolnshire, Sleaford): I do not find served a large portion of his time in the that any representations have received, either from county councils or other local authorities, showing that there is any general desire for an extension of the period for the repayment of loans contracted by them. If any such representations are made they will receive my consideration.

been

NAVAL AND MILITARY PENSIONS.

MR. JEFFREYS: I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that men who have served in the Army and then joined the Navy or Marines are allowed to count their military service towards the pension they receive on retiring from the Navy or Marines; whether men who have served in the Navy or Marines and then joined the Army are not allowed to count their former service towards a pension on retirement from the Army; and what reason is there for making such a differ ence in the pension regulations of the two Services?

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO

THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. POWELL WILLIAMS, Birmingham, S.): Army ser vice does not reckon towards naval pen. sion except in the case of men who joined the Navy before 1st January, 1885. Ser vice in the Navy or Royal Marines, in the case of men who joined the Army before 1st October, 1880, wholely, and in other cases up to a limit of four years, reckons towards Army pension.

MR. JEFFREYS: Will the honourable Gentleman answer the last paragraph and say what is the reason for making a difference in the pension regulations of

the two Services?

MR. POWELL WILLIAMS: There is little difference, as my honourable Friend sees, in the regulations as they apply to the two Services. It is not desirable to encourage men who have served a conMr. Rankin.

Navy.

THE CUSTOMS AND THE CREW OF
H.M.S. ORLANDO.

ADMIRAL FIELD (Sussex, Eastbourne):
I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer whether he will cause inquiry to
be made of the Customs authorities as
to why the seamen recently paid off at
Portsmouth from H.M.S. Orlando, on her
return from the Australian station, were
subjected to the delay of having their
bags and kits publicly searched on the
railway station platform when about to
proceed on leave with passes to their
homes, instead of its being carried out
in the dockyard, where the men could
have been paraded for the purpose
abreast of their ship if so desired; and
whether he will give instructions which
shall prevent the men of the Fleet who
have been serving their country abroad
from being subjected to such treatment

in future?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EX

CHEQUER: Inquiries have been made through the Board of Customs into the circumstances attending the examination of the baggage of the seamen of H.M.S. Orlando on the recent occasion of their being paid off at Portsmouth, from which it appears that none of the bags and kits belonging to these seamen were publicly searched on the railway station platform, but that the examination took place on board or alongside of the vessel in the dockyard. About 30 small hand packages were examined at the railway station, but this examination was not made publicly on the platform, but, as usual, in one of the waiting-rooms, which the Customs authorities of the port have permission to use for such purposes. No delay was caused by this slight examination at the railway station.

ADMIRAL FIELD: I beg to ask the nical instruction is distributed on the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the basis of rateable value, the proportion Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to be received by the boroughs will be will make a representation to the Cus increased. I am advised that the Act toms authorities with a view to the dis- does not require that it should be discontinuance by them of the system tributed according to rateable value, and recently adopted of searching the bags that the basis of distribution rests with and kits of seamen, on paying off from the county council. The subject of the any of Her Majesty's ships, on the public allocation of the grant is under the conplatforms of railway stations; whether sideration of the Technical Instruction the Lords Commissioners of the Admi- Committee of the county council, and it ralty will point out that such treatment is a matter on which I have no power to is deeply resented by man-of-war's men, give instructions or to take any action. and whether their Lordships will offer to give instructions to facilitate all neces sary searching of luggage in the dockyards or on board the ships of war, so as to avoid this exercise of authority under the existing law; and whether their Lordships are aware that the seamen recently paid off from the flagship Orlando were thus treated on arrival at the railway station to proceed by train to their homes from Portsmouth, although the search could have been better carried out on the dockyard jetty?

KHYBER PASS.

MR. J. H. ROBERTS (Denbighshire, State for India whether he will state W.): I beg to ask the Secretary of

what is the estimated cost of the reconstruction of the forts in the Khyber Pass, and what is the probable cost of the proposed construction of fortified posts in the Lundi Kotal, at the western extre

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMI-mity of the Pass, together with the proRALTY (Mr. G. J. GOSCHEN, St. George's, Hanover Square): I think the reply just given by my right honourable Friend practically answers this Question also.

TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION IN

LANCASHIRE.

posed strengthening of Kila Drash, on the Chitral Road; and whether this renewed permanent outlay beyond the frontier of Her Majesty's Indian Posses sions is in accordance with the dispatches of the Government of India laid before Parliament in February last?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord G. HAMILTON, Middlesex, Ealing): Nothing has yet been settled as MR. RUTHERFORD (Lancashire, to the reconstruction of the fortified Darwen): I beg to ask the Presi- posts in the Khyber or the post at Kila dent of the Local Government Board Drash. Any necessary outlay on these whether he is aware that the boroughs posts would not be inconsistent with the within the administrative county of Lan-policy laid down in my dispatch of the cashire do not receive by 53 per cent. 28th January last. their rateable proportion of the money under the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Act, 1890, devoted to technical instruction from the Lancashire County Council; and whether he will take steps to ensure that all boroughs within counties are paid or credited with their proper shares of the grant in proportion to their rateable values in accordance with the Act?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD: I am aware that it has been stated that if the grant received by the county council for tech

MILITARY STORES FOR INDIA.

MR. J. H. ROBERTS: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether, in cases where, at the instance of the War Office or any other British authorities, ordnance or any other military stores that may have been superseded or become obsolete in the use of the British army have been transferred or supplied

was

to the Indian armies, the Director Gene | ber, 1897, relating to the Report by the ral of Stores at the India Office has full local Comptroller General on the finances discretion as to accepting or taking over of the Hyderabad States, will be shortly such disused or discarded stores; laid before Parliament? whether the auditor of the accounts of THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR the Secretary of State in Council has full opportunity of testing the valuation at INDIA: The present Resident which such disused British stores appointed to his post in March, 1892, taken over for issue to the Indian and, subject to the pleasure of the armies; and whether the auditor at the Governor-General, may continue to hold India Office in his Annual Report to Parliament specifies any irregularities which may arise in connection with the taking over of such stores charged to the

Indian Government?

are

it until, under the rules, he retires from the service. In the interest of the public service I do not think it advisable to make any statement as to the relations between British Residents and the Native Princes with whom they have to deal, nor do I propose to present any are papers on the affairs of Hyderabad. the

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA: In cases such as described in the first clause of honourable Member's Question the Secretary of State for India in Council has a complete discretion as to accepting or refusing disused stores. The Director General of Stores is his officer, and, as a rule, his repre sentative in matters of this kind. The auditor has, to guide him in testing the valuation of such stores, all the papers at the disposal of the India Office; he cannot have access to any

other papers except by the permission of the head of the department to which they belong. He invariably draws attention, in his annual Report, to any irregularities in this or in other matters which he may have noticed.

BRITISH RESIDENT AT THE NIZAM'S

COURT.

MR. J. H. ROBERTS: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will state for what length of time the present British Resident at the Court of His Highness the Nizam, Mr. Plowden, has held that post; at what date will his tenure of office terminate; whether last year the relations between the Residency and the Nizam were strained; whether any of the recent orders relating thereto, presented by the Government of India, will be presented to Parliament; and whether a copy of the Resolution, recently presented by the Council of the Umras, appointed by the Nizam in Octo Mr. J. H. Roberts.

KENTISH VOLUNTEERS AT

SHORNCLIFFE.

MR. HARDY (Kent, Ashford): I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether three battalions of Volunteers, namely, the 1st Cinque Ports Rifles and the 1st and 2nd East Kent Battalions, were recently encamped in brigade at Shorncliffe; whether any

of either the regular or brigadier auxiliary forces was appointed to command these battalions; whether they were during the whole period of their training given any opportunities of being exercised in brigade or allowed to take any share in any garrison duties, or visited even by any member of the garri son staff; whether he is aware that these battalions, even in the recent very wet and stormy weather, though encamped on Government land, were strictly forbidden to dig any trenches round their tents; and whether, with a view to the efficiency of the Volunteer Force, he will take steps to prevent such treatment of Volunteers in future?

MR. BRODRICK: The three Volunteer battalions referred to were encamped at Shorncliffe from the 27th May to the 4th June. They were encamped with the regular forces, and were under the tem porary command of the senior officer present, owing to the death of MajorGeneral Wood, who commanded at Shorncliffe. They could have been exercised in brigade at any time by the senior