Ordered to be brought in by Mr. T. W. Russell and Mr. Chaplin. difference, and will be a serious loss of income; and then, in addition to that, there is the loss of the value of the reversion that would accrue to the estate. Therefore I venture to ask the Government whether it is not possible to give rather more generous terms in the purchase of this estate than they would do in the case of a private individual. : Presented, and read the first time; Referred to the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills, and to be printed. [Bill No. 228.] LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL "To confirm certain Provisional Orders of the Local Government Board relating to Dewsbury, Haworth, Leeds, and Stourbridge." Ordered to be brought in by Mr. T. W. Russell and Mr. Chaplin. Presented, and read the first time; LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 13) BILL. MR. COLLINGS (Birmingham, Bordesley) I hardly understand my honourable Friend to oppose this Bill, which is for the compulsory acquisition of land for the purpose of the police service. There is no practical objection, I under stand, on the part of the trustees to the Government acquiring this land-it is merely a question of the price to be paid for it. I take it that my honourable Friend wishes the House to insert some clause by which that price should Referred to the Examiners of Petitions be settled. But my honourable for Private Bills, and to be printed. [Bill Friend is, of course, aware that No. 229.] all questions of price and compensation are settled under a section of the Lands Clauses Act. Before the court which is provided for by that section every argument that can be advanced on the one side or the other may be advanced. My honourable Friend can himself attend, and state in the witnessbox the reason why the price should be as high as he wishes it to be; but I think he will see, as the Committee did upstairs, that it will be impossible for this House, without the information before it which would enable it to settle what the price should be, to enter upon the consideration of a question of that character. That will be left to the court, which will take into consideration all the arguments that can be brought before it, and will decide the question as to what is a fair price to be paid by the Receiver General. I hope, therefore, that my honourable Friend will be satisfied with the explanation I have given, and not prolong this discussion. LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL "To confirm certain Provisional Orders of the Local Government Board relating to the borough of Ashton-under-Lyne, and the urban district of Dukinfield, and to the city of Chester." Mr. Spicer. "To confirm certain Provisional Orders of the Local Government Board relating to Cheltenham (2), Fulwood, Salford, and Worthing, and to the Hanley, Stoke, and Fenton Joint Hospital District." Ordered to be brought in by Mr. T. W. Russell and Mr. Chaplin. Presented, and read the first time; Referred to the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills, and to be printed. [Bill No. 230.] LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVISIONAL To confirm certain Provisional Orders of the Local Government Board relating to the parish of Lambeth and to the Newhaven and St. Olave's unions." DOGS REGULATION BILL. Against From Burry Port; to lie upon the Table. EAST INDIA (CONTAGIOUS DISEASES). Against State Regulation: From Bath, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Hastings; to lie upon the Table. GROCERS' LICENCES (SCOTLAND) ABOLITION BILL. In favour From Bellshill, Greengairs, Bothwell, Kames, Clydebank, Dundee, Kirkfieldbank, Broughty Ferry, and Edinburgh; to lie upon the Table. PRIVATE BILL PROCEDURE (SCOTLAND) : BILL. In favour From Partick; to lie upon the Table. SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS (IRELAND) BILL. In favour From Bellville; to lie upon the Table. SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON SUNDAY BILL. In favour: From Stithians, Redruth, Portreath, Sheffield (2), Mount Hawke, ampton, Anvil Corner, New Marske, Burrows, Bolingey, South Downs, NorthLeicester, Four Lanes, Aldeburgh, Wolverhampton, Manaton, Leicestershire, Rodmell (2), Tamerton, Eves, Over Wyresdale, Lancaster, Pool, Buckhorn, Holsworthy (2), Brampton, Marhamchurch, Tunbridge Wells, Durham, Willington, Waterhouses, St. Helens, Parton, Hastings (2), Durham (2), Ashwater, Piercebridge, Chesterfield, Old Chesterton, Ledbury, Darlington (2), Brilley, Glasgow, Newport, Bromyard, Ivegill, ELECTRIC LIGHTING PROVISIONAL |W.): I am unable to ascertain the exact ORDERS. Copy ordered, "of Memorandum stating the nature of the proposals contained in the Provisional Orders included in the Electric Lighting Provisional Orders (No. 12) Bill." (Mr. Ritchie,) Copy presented accordingly; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 212.] ELECTRIC ENERGY (GENERATING STATIONS AND SUPPLY). Report from Joint Committee, with minutes of evidence, brought up, and read. Report to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 213.] TENURE OF DWELLING HOUSES Address for "Copies of Reports to the present time by Her Majesty's representatives abroad upon the system of tenure of dwelling houses in the countries in which they reside (in continuation of Commercial, No. 36, 1884)."-(Mr. Field.) QUESTIONS. OLD EXCISE OFFICE, BROAD STREET. MR. HAZELL (Leicester): I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, at what date the Old Excise Office in Broad Street was closed, and whether the land was sold at that time or subsequently; and, if so, to whom and for how much; whether he knows of any reason why the annuity of £500 in respect of that property was not redeemed or conveyed to the purchaser at the same time; and whether this annuity, which has now been paid for over 130 years, can now be commuted? THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir M. HICKS BEACH, Bristol, VOL. LVIII. [FOURTH SERIES.] date at which the Old Excise Office in Broad Street was closed. The chief office of the Inland Revenue has been at Somerset House since October 1852. The property was sold in May, 1853, for a sum, including interest, of £108,318 7s. 4d., but I do not know who was the purchaser. The annuity to which the honourable Member refers, which is paid under the Act 8 Geo. III., c. 32, was not a charge upon the property, but on the Revenue of Excise. It could only be commuted by arrangement with the parties to whom it is paid, and I do not know whether any proposal for commutation was made at the time when the property was sold. ARCHITECT TO THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. MR. HAZELL: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, in reference to the Architect to the Education Department, what amount he annually receives in fees from public departments in addition to his three salaries amounting in all to £1,105; whether he is also allowed to carry on private practice; and whether it is intended, as vacancies occur, to abolish the system of payment partly by salary and partly by fees in this and similar appointments? THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. W. HANBURY, Preston): The architect does not in fact receive any fees from public departments in addition to the three salaries specifientitled to an allowance of three guineas cally provided in the, Estimates. He is a day when employed in the inspection of sites and buildings for the Reformaand £30 is annually provided for that tory and Industrial Schools Department, purpose in Class III., Vote 8, of the Civil Service Estimates. But the architect has not yet been called upon to perform the duty and has not drawn the allowance. I am informed that the footnote to the Estimate for the Education Department, which states that he is occasionally employed by the Charity Commissioners, is no longer accurate, and ought to have been omitted. The architect is allowed to carry on private prac- that the sanitary condition of the village tice. I cannot give any general under- of Kirkton is so defective that, unless taking that payments partly by salary active measures are at once taken, he is and partly by fees will be abolished in strongly of opinion that a destructive all such appointments when vacancies outbreak of typhus fever or diphtheria, occur. Whether an inclusive or a re- such as has already occurred in Skye and taining salary is to be preferred must the Outer Islands, is to be apprehended; depend upon the special circumstances in and will he say what steps the local each case. authorities propose to take in order to avert this danger? PERPETUAL PENSIONS. THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. GRAHAM MURRAY, Buteshire): The local medical officer reported as stated in 1897. I MR. HAZELL: I beg to ask Mr. Chan-am informed that the chief source of cellor of the Exchequer whether all per- danger to the public health has already cellor of the Exchequer whether all per- been removed, and that arrangements petual pensions have now been com what muted; and, if not, how many and which have been made on an extensive scale of them remained uncommuted; and for improving the sanitary conditions of Kirkton. The sanitary inspector hopes is their total annual value; and whether there is any reason why the to find the works completed at the time of his next inspection. I may add that process of commutation should not now the total number of deaths in the disbe carried to a conclusion? trict in 1897 was 13, and the average age at death was 83; there was infant mortality, and one individual, a pauper, reached the age of 105. THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: Full details of all perpetual pensions and other charges were laid before the Select Committee, which inquired into the question in 1887. The only commutations since effected, and reported to the House by Treasury Minute, have been the payments to the Duke of St. Alban's, Lord Downshire, Lord Exmouth, and the Heritable Usher for Scotland. The payments in respect of copyright compensation to the Scottish Universities have also ceased to be made, being merged in the annual vote of £42,000 to those institutions. The reason why the process of commutation has not been carried to a conclusion is that the Treasury are practically precluded by the action of the House from offering more than 27 years' purchase, and such an offer is not attractive in view of the fact that it needs a good many more years' purchase to establish the equivalent of Government securities. SANITARY CONDITION OF KIRKTON, INVERNESS-SHIRE. STORNOWAY AND STROME FERRY MAILS. MR. WEIR: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he will state how often during the months of April, May, June, July, August, and September, 1897, the steamer carrying Her Majesty's mails between Stornoway and Strome Ferry was late in her arrival at Stornoway and Strome Ferry respectively, and how often the delay exceeded half an hour at each place; and will he state the maximum delay on any one occasion? MR. HANBURY: During the months of April, May, June, July, August, and September, 1897, the steamer carrying the mails between Stornoway and Strome Ferry arrived late at Stornoway 114 times, the delay exceeding half an hour 59 times. In the same period the MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty): I train was late 157 times, and it is probeg to ask the Lord Advocate whether bable, therefore, that this unpunctuality he is aware that in the report of the was chiefly due to the train and not to medical officer of health for Inverness-the steamer. At Strome Ferry the shire for 1897 the medical officer states steamer was late 34 times, the delay Financial Secretary to the Treasury. |