SIR E. GREY: We are informed that to the Spanish Post Office calling attenthe Supreme Court dismissed the final tion to the defective communication beappeal, and that the British Police tween this country and Gibraltar by Officer was starting in charge of Balfour railway through Spain, and since that on board the Tartar Prince. I desire to time the British Post Office has done its take this opportunity of expressing satis- best to induce the Spanish Postal faction, which I am sure will be shared Administration to bring about an imby the House, at the friendly conduct of provement in the service, but I regret the Argentine Government in fulfilling to say without success. The hon. Memthe Treaty obligations which now exist ber is doubtless aware that I have no between the two Governments. power to enforce alterations of postal services in foreign countries; but this matter shall not be lost sight of, and I will not fail to take advantage of the first favourable opportunity to again urge an improvement.

SUB-POSTMASTERS.

MR. C. COLSTON (Gloucester, Thornbury): I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether such requisites as string, bag wax, blotting paper, red and black inks, lights and firing for office

use

-the latter of which are important items in bad weather, and also where there is an early arrival of mails-have to be provided from the private purse of sub-postmasters, or whether they are supplied by the General Post Office?

PAYMENT OF JURORS (IRELAND)
BILL.

MR. J. ROSS (Londonderry): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that the Jurors' Association in Ireland, the Irish newspapers of all classes of opinion, MR. ARNOLD MORLEY: The and several of the Grand Juries have exarticles mentioned by the hon. Member pressed their strong approval of the are, as a rule, provided by sub-post- Payment of Jurors (Ireland) Bill, and masters out of their official emoluments. whether, under these circumstances, the At the great majority of small sub-post Opposition of the Government to the offices, which are carried on in shops and measure will be withdrawn? other places of private business, the amount of these articles required for official use is so trifling that the expense is hardly appreciable. At some of the larger offices, where more is required, an allowance is made to the sub-postmaster to enable him to provide the necessary stores. At all offices where there is an early arrival of mails, a special allow ance is granted to the sub-postmasters on that account.

ENGLISH MAILS IN SPAIN.

MR. C. BILL (Staffordshire, Leek): I beg to ask the Postmaster General

MR. J. MORLEY stated that no representations appeared to have been received in favour of the present Bill, but Resolutions were received in 1892 by the Irish Government of that day in favour of the payment of jurors. The case was one of magnitude, both on the question of principle and on account of the financial considerations involved, and it was desirable that it should receive careful consideration.

MR. ROSS asked whether the right hon. Gentleman had not seen that Irish newspapers of all shades of opinion backed up this Bill?

whether he is aware of the inconvenience MR. J. MORLEY: Well, no, Sir. I caused to the whole community of do not think that I have seen that Irish Gibraltar by the very unsatisfactory newspapers of all shades of opinion have arrangements made for the transit of the backed up this Bill, but still I do know English mails through Spain; and, it is supported by hon. Gentlemen in whether, considering the large amount of this House representing all Parties in correspondence involved, amounting in Ireland. the case of letters only to about 10,000 a week, he will take steps to secure from the Spanish Postal Authorities a more rapid and regular forwarding of the mails.

MR. ARNOLD MORLEY: So long ago as June 1893 a letter was addressed

MR. ROSS pressed the right hon. Gentleman to say whether the Government could not see their way to introduce a Bill dealing with the whole question?

MR. J. MORLEY: No; I do not think this Session it will be possible.

VENEZUELA.

quarter of an ounce, seeing that only 1d. SIR G. BADEN-POWELL (Liver- is charged for an unstamped newspaper weighing nearly two ounces?

MR. ARNOLD MORLEY: I am not

pool, Kirkdale): I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether the Venezuelan Government prepared to recommend that the question of reducing the surcharge referred to should be reconsidered. As I have already told the hon Member, unstamped postcards are treated as letters, according to the practice throughout the Postal Union, and are charged with the same postage as unpaid letters under the authority of a Treasury Warrant of 24th August 1894.

has yet replied to the demand for explanations of the conduct of Venezuelan Forces in hauling down the British flag on British territory, making prisoners of British police officers, and forcibly conducting them out of British into Venezuelan territory; and, if so, can he now state the nature of that reply?

SIR EDWARD GREY: No communication has yet been received from the Venezuelan Government.

FIRE AT TUAM.

CASTLEREA AND BALLAGHADERREEN

RAILWAY.

MR. L. P. HAYDEN (Roscommon,

MR. L. P. HAYDEN: On behalf of S.): I beg to ask the Secretary to the the hon. Member for North Galway, Treasury, if he would explain in what Colonel NOLAN, I beg to ask the Presi- respect, if funds were available, a dent of the Board of Trade, is he aware gnarantee from the Treasury would be that on the 2nd of April various tele- illegal in the case of the proposed line of grams were received in Galway from the railway from Castlerea to BallaghaTuam Town Commissioners and others, derreen, whilst it has been found to be asking that the Galway fire engines legal in the case of the Ballinrobe and should be forwarded speedily to extin- Claremorris, Loughrea and Attymas, guish a serious fire at Tuan; and that and Mitchelstown and Fermoy Railways; application was made to the Midland in what respect do these latter lines Great Western Railway for a special train to carry the Galway engines to Tuam but was refused; and, if the Rail way Commissioners will inquire into the reasons for such a refusal }

MR. BRYCE: I have communicated with the Company, and learn that it is not the case that the Company's officials, either at Galway or Dublin, refused to send forward fire engines to Tuam. I am informed that the Station Master at Galway agreed, if required, to run an engine to Athenry, and further, that the Chairman of the Company provided an engine and carriages to take a portion of the Dublin Fire Brigade and engine to Tuam if required to do so.

differ in construction from the heavy main lines in connection with which they have been built; and, whether, in order to clear up any legal doubts upon the matter and allay anxiety as to the legality of the guarantee in reference to the three lines mentioned, he will submit a case to the Irish Law Officers or other counsel, asking their opinion on the several orders made regarding them, as well as upon the alleged illegality of the line now proposed to be constructed?

SIR JOHN HIBBERT: The Orders in Council of the three lines specified in this Question as being analagous to the Ballaghaderreen line, prescribe that the weight shall not exceed eight tons on any pair of wheels, that the maximum UNSTAMPED POSTCARDS. speed where the line is more than 30 MR. HENNIKER HEATON: I beg feet from the centre of the public road to ask the Postmaster General, under shall not exceed 25 miles an hour, and what authority, statutory or other, the that in other cases it shall be less. Such fine levied on the delivery of an un- limitations would be at variance with stamped postcard amounts to four times the stated requirements of the Midland the deficient postage, and in the case of an unstamped, or insufficiently stamped, letter, to only twice the deficient postage? and whether he will again consider the propriety of reducing the charge of 2d. for an unstampted postcard weighing a

Great Western Railway Company for the
proposed Ballaghaderreen line. The lines
in question differ from the heavy main
lines in various respects, such as having
steeper gradients, sharper curves, and
lighter ballasting.
I do not see any

{COMMONS} necessity for submitting a case to the Law Officers, as suggested by the hon. Member.

the last meeting should be postponed until the chairman of the Parish Council is elected and the overseers are appointed. I am advised that the term of

THE BALLAGHADERREEN AND CASTLE- office of the vice chairman would not ex REA RAILWAY.

pire at the annual meeting, unless he was only appointed up to that date.

MR. J. ROUND (Essex, N.E.): I

War if he is able to state what steps have been taken to provide a drill shed for the 1st Essex Volunteer Artillery at Harwich?

MR. T. CURRAN (Sligo, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a memorial adopted by the 1ST ESSEX VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY. priests of the Sligo Deanery of the diocese of Achonry, protesting against beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Treasury guaranteeing the proposed railway from Ballaghaderreen to Castlerea, on the ground that it would injuriously affect the interests of the Collooney and Claremorris Railway, for *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: which the Treasury and the Grand This corps has till recently been allowed Juries of Sligo and Mayo have given to use a shed the property of the Governguarantees; and, whether he can state ment; but that shed has been pulled that the Treasury have finally and abso-down and replaced by another. lutely refused to entertain the proposal new shed is fully occupied by the garriwith regard to the projected line from son armament; and there is no room in Ballaghaderreen to Castlerea? it for the Volunteers. Arrangements

The

MR. J. MORLEY: My attention has have, however, been made, under which been drawn to the representations re- it is hoped that a shed will be ready for ferred to in the question. As regards them soon after Whitsuntide, till which the second paragraph, I stated in reply time the corps have made local arrangeto a question addressed to me on Tues-ments for the use of a shed. day last that there are no funds at the disposal of the Treasury available for fresh guarantees, and that even if they had, the proposed project is not one to which they could legally contribute under that Act.

PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS.

THR OFFICE OF WOODS AND
FORESTS.

MR. A. C. MORTON: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Department of the Woods and Forests make a charge of £3 for copying documents which can be done for 13s. 10d. by a first-class law stationer; and, whether he will have the charges made by the Department reduced?

MR.J.H.JOHNSTONE (Sussex, Horsham): I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if, at the annual meeting of the Parish Council, the election of chairman and appointment of overseers, being the first SIR JOHN HIBBERT : I underbusiness under Part II. Rule (3), of the stand that the documents to which my First Schedule to The Local Government hon. Friend refers were not open to Act, 1894, the reading and signing of public inspection, and that copies were the Minutes of the last meeting are to supplied to a private person purely as an be postponed until the chairman is act of favour. The charge in question elected and the overseers appointed; covered, not merely copying the docuand, if the term of office of a vice chair-ments, but searching for and examining man, elected at the first meeting of a the Papers, and copying a plan, and I parish council, expires at the annual believe that for similar service an ordimeeting. nary solicitor's fee would not be less than £5 5s.

MR. SHAW LEFEVRE: I have no authority to determine the points raised MR. A. C. MORTON asked the right in the question, but it appears to me hon. Gentleman whether he was aware that it is not necessary that at the that besides the £3 referred to, a further annual meeting of a Parish Council the charge of 3s. 4d. was charged for reading and signing of the Minutes of searches ?

Sir John Hibbert.

*SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean): I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there URBAN DISTRICT COUNCILS. will be a special Vote for the payment to MR. R. LEAKE (Lancashire, S.E., be made to the Imperial British East Radcliffe): I beg to ask the President Africa Company, or what opportunity of the Local Government Board, whether will be given the House to discuss the the public can legally demand admittance wisdom of making such payment withto the general and special meetings of out regard to the outstanding claims urban District Councils?

difficulty has been found in obtaining to anybody that a man in Mr. Justice definite information as to the particular Bewley's position could have made any firms and contracts referred to. For such remark. I think any Gentleman this reason I shall be very glad to receive who heard me will be aware that I said, a statement of specific cases; but I am not Mr. Justice Bewley, but the late afraid I cannot receive a deputation on Mr. Justice Keogh. the subject.

THE COURSE OF BUSINESS.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: (1) This can only be done in concert with the Government of MR. GOSCHEN asked whether it was Turkey, and at present there are diffi- to be understood that the Naval Works culties in the way of carrying out such Bill would be taken as the first Order toan arrangement. To the second ques-morrow? tion the answer is £115,000; and to the third the answer is that the sum is invested in Consols.

THE CHANCELLOR OF
CHEQUER: Yes.

THE EX. MR. J. HOZIER (Lanarkshire, S.), MR. R. PIERPOINT (Warrington) referring to the second and third items asked whether any negotiations were in the Orders of the Day-Crofters' taking place as to the devotion of the Holdings (Scotland) Bill and Local Gomoney which was retained presumably vernment (Scotland) Bill respectively for the Sinking Fund? -asked whether the Crofters' Bill was

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EX- to have precedence of the Scottish CHEQUER: We are very anxious to Local Government Bill? apply it at once to the Sinking Fund, but, as I mentioned, there are at the present moment difficulties in the way.

MR. JUSTICE BEWLEY.

MR. A. H. SMITH-BARRY (Hunts, S.) asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he was correctly reported in The Times of the 3rd instant as having said that Mr. Justice Bewley described the Irish landlords as "the most heartless, thriftless, and indefensible landocracy in the world"; and, if so, whether he would be so good as to give the reference to the evidence which contains the passage referred to?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: Yes, Sir; the order of Scotch business has been put down in concert with the Secretary for Scotland, and I think the intention is to take them in the order in which they stand on the Paper.

MR. HOZIER: And will it be so in the future?

THE CHANCELLOR OF
THE EX-
CHEQUER: I assume so.

MR. J. G. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty) asked whether, if the Crofters' Bill was not taken to-night, it would be taken as the first Order to-morrow ?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: I bave already said that the Naval Works Bill will be the first Order to-morrow.

MR. J. MORLEY: I am very glad that the hon. Member has put that Question. My attention has been drawn to the misprint in the report of that MR. WEIR: Will the right hon. remark of mine. I need not say that Gentleman take care that the Crofters' it must have been perfectly incredible Bill is introduced before Easter? Chancellor of the Exchequer.