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made to the friendly societies.

doubt that a communication will be each case should be considered on its own merits. We are ready to advise where *THE SECRETARY TO THE TREA- the circumstances are brought to our SURY (Sir JOHN HIBBERT, Oldham): notice. I wish to say, in answer to my hon. Friend opposite, that the Treasury is about to introduce a Bill to amend the Friendly Societies Act, which will contain some of the recommendations of the Royal Commission.

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES IN INDIA.

MR. W. S. CAINE (Bradford, E.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India (1) what steps, if any, have been taken by the various local governments and administrations in India with respect to the recommendations of the Viceroy in Council, under date 17th August, 1882, relating to discipline and moral training in schools and colleges in

MR. WALTER LONG: May I ask does it include such an alteration in the Act of 1870 as will enable juvenile societies to be merged in adult societies? *SIR JOHN HIBBERT: Yes. MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN India; and (2) whether he will call for (Worcestershire, E.): Can the right hon. a Return showing in what respects the Gentleman give any intimation of the several suggestions and desires of the time when he will be able to state Viceroy in Council, contained in the definitely the measures the Government above-mentioned document, especially intend to take? the desire that each Local Government

MR. SHAW LEFEVRE: Not at and administration should, either by the present. appointment of a committee, or by MR. JOHN BURNS (Battersea): employing selected individuals who need May I ask the right hon. Gentleman not be officials, or by the offer of suitwhether, whatever his Department may able prizes, effect a revision of readers in contemplate in connection with friendly the Government schools in a direction societies, he will see that those societies indicated, have been carried out, and have ample notice of what the Depart- with what results ? ment intend to do?

THE UNDER SECRETARY

OF

MR. SHAW LEFEVRE: Most STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTcertainly.

VILLAGE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

IN SCOTLAND.

MENT (Mr. GEORGE RUSSELL, North Beds), answering in the absence of Mr. HENRY FOWLER : The Secretary of State is not in a position to give a comSIR JAMES FERGUSSON: I beg plete reply to the first branch of this to ask the Secretary for Scotland question, but he will have no objection whether the Scotch Education Depart- to call for a Return showing what has ment has decided as to the legality of school boards granting allowances for the board in villages of children residing at distances too great to enable them to attend school from home; and whether, if such allowances are held to be illegal, Her Majesty's Government will consider how children so situated can be provided with education?

been done in the matter of revising the text-books, or to carry out any of the other suggestions of the Government of India as to which my hon. Friend specially desires information.

MYSTERIOUS DEATH IN BALLO LOCH,

FIFE.

MR. HERBERT PAUL: On behalf THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND of the hon. Member for West Fife (Mr. (Sir GEORGE TREVELYAN, Glasgow, BIRRELL), I beg to ask the Secretary for Bridgeton): The Scotch Education De- Scotland, whether his attention has been partment have been advised that there called to the mysterious death of a man is nothing in the Education Acts which whose body was recently found in Ballo enables School Boards to grant allow- Loch, Fife, and to the delay of the ances for board under any circumstances, county Procurator Fiscal in the matter, except under the Blind and Deaf Mute and to the delay of that official to hold a Children Act, 1890. The cases where public court of inquiry into the case, and children reside so far from school as to to his not ordering a post-mortem make their attendance impossible are examination of the deceased; and rare, and the Department holds that whether it is his intention to propose Mr. Shaw Lefevre.

any alteration of the present method of for retirement; and whether, and when, inquiry into sudden and violent deaths the period of extension was notified to in Scotland? the Officer concerned.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. CAMPBELL - BANNERMAN, Stirling Burghs): The services of Surgeon Major General Giraud have not been extended beyond the maximum age laid down by Regulation for retirement. The age laid down by the Royal Warrant

General is 62 when the interests of
the public service would be materially
advanced by his retention to that age;
and it was deemed advisable to retain
Dr. Giraud's services at Netley till he
reached that age. He was verbally
informed of this at the time it was so
decided.

THE MOMBASA AND UGANDA
RAILWAY.

*THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR, Clackmannan and Kinross): The body was found in Ballo Loch on Sunday the 24th of March. Information was at once given to the police; and on the following day the Procurator Fiscal directed Dr. Hay, of Leslie, to make an examination of the body, which was for retirement of a Surgeon Major immediately done. Dr. Hay reported that there was nothing to suggest that the death was due to violence, and that the whole appearances showed that it was due to drowning. As the body was still unidentified on Tuesday the 26th, the Procurator Fiscal telegraphed to Dr. Hay authorising him to make a postmortem examination; but on the same day the body was identified by the father of the deceased, who objected to a post-mortem examination being made, SIR ALBERT ROLLIT: I beg to as he was quite satisfied that death was ask the Under Secretary of State for the caused by drowning, and that there were Colonies, having regard to the terms of no grounds for suspicion. Dr. Hay the Report of Sir Gerald Portal and again expressed himself as fully satisfied what has since occurred, what are the with respect to the cause of death, and intentions of the Government with the body was accordingly handed over to reference to the construction of the the relatives for burial. In the mean- Mombasa and Uganda Railways? time the Procurator Fiscal made full THE UNDER SECRETARY OF inquiry in regard to the movements of STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS the deceased since he left Edinburgh (Sir EDWARD GREY, Northumberland, on the 19th of March. As the result Berwick): The question of the Railway of the whole investigation there is no in East Africa is under the consideration ground for suspecting violence or foul of Her Majesty's Government, but I am play. There is no authority, according not able at present to make any stateto the law or practice of Scotland, for ment on the subject. holding a public inquiry in such a case; but I consider that the Procurator Fiscal should have gone as soon possible to the place where the body was, and personally made such investigation as he could there. Except as regards the class of cases to which the Fatal Accidents Inquiry (Scotland) Bill relates, there is no intention to propose any alteration of the present law and practice of Scotland in regard to inquiries into sudden or violent deaths.

as

CADASTRAL SURVEYS IN INDIA.

MR. H. T. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN (Kent, Faversham): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Government of Bengal obtained the consent of the Behar Planters' Association to the Bill for the maintenance of the Record of Rights, and for recovering the costs of Cadastral Surveys, imposing on the land of Bengal heavy additional taxation, on the express pledge of the Government that the Patwari Regulation SURGEON MAJOR-GENERAL GIRAUD. of 1817 should be abolished; whether SIR ALBERT ROLLIT (Islington, the Secretary of State in a subsequent S.) I beg to ask the Secretary of State despatch encouraged the expectation of for War, whether, and for what specified abolition; whether the Government of period, the services of Surgeon Major- Bengal, at the last moment, when the General C. H. Giraud, Principal Medical Bill came from the Select Committee to Officer at Netley, has been extended be passed into law by the Legislative beyond the age laid down by Regulation Council, admitted the promise, but stated

that they had amply redeemed it by their | he is prepared to furnish the House with endeavours to get the Regulation re- a Return of all elementary school pealed, but stated that the Government teachers, male and female, who are at of India had decided against repeal, and present occupied in the work of educathat, consequently, they had struck out tion, and have attained the ages of 60 the repealing Clause; whether the Maha- and 65 respectively? rajah of Durbhanga, as an elected member of the Council, thereon declared that this would be generally regarded as a breach of faith on the part of the Government; and, whether the Secretary of State will either veto the Bill, or instruct the Government of India to permit the Government of Bengal to fulfil their promise?

THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. A. H. D. ACLAND York, W.R., Holderness): A Return including this information, for all certificated teachers employed in elementary public schools during the year ended 31st August 1890, was furnished on the Motion of the hon. Baronet the Member for Kingston, in 1891, when the School MR. GEORGE RUSSELL: It was Board for London Superannuation Bill stated by the Bengal Government that a was under consideration by a Select part of their scheme was to repeal the Committee of this House, of which the Patwari Regulation; but the Secretary hon. Baronet was Chairman. The of State for India is not aware that an figures of this Return, which will also express pledge was given that it should be found more fully analysed in Appenbe repealed. The Secretary of State, in dix 10 to the Report of the Select ComJuly 1894, assented to the proposal for mittee, were used as the basis of the repeal. The Report of the Bengal calculations made by the Departmental Council proceedings of the 9th March, Committee in its recent investigations when the Bill was discussed and referred into the general question of teachers' to a Select Committee, has not yet superannuation, and that Committee did reached the Secretary of State; so he is not find it necessary to ask that a fresh unable to verify the quotations from Return should be prepared. Such a speeches made at that debate. But, so Return would involve a great deal of far as he is aware, the Select Committee labour, and I hardly think it is neces have not yet reported on the Bill. The sary at present; but if the hon. Member Secretary of State is unable to say what still wishes to press for it, it can be action he will take until he receives the furnished. Act in its final shape, and the discussions of the Bengal Council thereon.

CHITRAL.

MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether, in view of the fact that the present Ruler of Chitral, Amirul-Mulk, secured his present position by murdering his brother, it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to support Amir-ul-Mulk as Ruler of

Chitral?

MR. H. S. FOSTER (Suffolk, Lowestoft) I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he proposes, during the present Session, to introduce any measure for the superannuation of teachers in the public elementary schools, in accordance with the recommendations of the Departmental Committee appointed by him, with the concurrence of the Treasury, to consider the question?

MR. ACLAND: This is a very large MR. GEORGE RUSSELL: As the question which involves a very large question of the policy to be pursued in sum of money, and requires very careful Chitral is under the consideration of consideration; but the Government are Her Majesty's Government, the Secre- not without hopes of being able to deal tary of State must request the hon. with it in the course of this Member to postpone his question for the Session. present.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS.

MR. E. H. HULSE (Salisbury): I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education if Mr. H. T. Knatchbull-Hugessen.

CIVIL SERVICE APPOINTMENTS.

MR. HERBERT PAUL: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whe ther he can state the number of nusuccessful candidates at the last examina

It is con

tion for the First Division of the Civil | special reference to slaves. Service to whom appointments have sidered that the interests of Zanzibar been offered; whether it is intended to and the good treatment of the porters give any further appointments to un- employed are protected by the present successful candidates; and whether he regulations. has considered the advisability of adopting the alternative course of promoting clerks from the Second Division to such appointments?

*SIR JOHN HIBBERT: The term "unsuccessful candidates" is misleading. The recent examination was held in order to fill eight existing vacancies and others that might occur during the next six months. Two such have occurred. No candidate has been, or will be, offered an appointment who has not shown himself to be fully qualified, nor has any one been appointed who has not graduated in Honours at the University. Although it is not proposed to depart from the established principle that admission to the First Division shall be by competitive examination, the Treasury is always ready to consider a recommendation from the head of a Department for the promotion of a Second Division clerk of exceptional ability and qualifications to fill such a vacancy in his Department.

PATENTS.

MR. A. C. MORTON (Peterborough): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade in view of the fact that there are in and out of this country 1,339,062 old and new patents up to 1st January 1894, can he state whether there are abstract indexes of all these patents, complete and fully classified, available to the public to consult in London, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Dublin, or other large business centres; and whether, short of a costly trial at law, any English patent under our present system of issue is definitely known to be valid and free from old matter from one or more of the foregoing patents?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. J. BRYCE, Aberdeen, S.): Printed weekly and annual indexes of all British patents are regularly supplied to libraries in the cities referred to by the hon. Member, and also to 31 other business centres. It is well known that the grant of a patent carries with

EMPLOYMENT OF SLAVES BY BRITISH it no guarantee of validity.

SUBJECTS.

MR. THOMAS BAYLEY (Derbyshire, Chesterfield): I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether a contract has been entered into with an English firm at Zanzibar to convey a Government steamer from the Coast to the Victoria Nyanza Lake; whether the contractor is allowed to employ Zanzibar slaves to carry portions of the steamer and the necessary fittings; and whether the edict originating in Sir Gerald Portal's warning that the employment of slaves by British subjects in those caravans encourages the slave trade, has recently been made void; if so, for what cause?

MR. A. C. MORTON: I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the all-round average lifetime of patents in this country for the year 1892 was only about four years ten months and two weeks; whether he will state what it was for the years 1893 and 1894 respectively, together with the number of patents voided for each year; and whether he will forewarn, or safeguard, the public from taking out patents, under the belief that all patents live 14 years, by instructing patent agents acting in connection with the Patent Office to state spicuously, yearly, on all their advertisements, books, or other publications, what the all-round average lifetime of patents has been for the preceding year?

SIR E. GREY: A launch has been bought from an English firm, who have contracted to deliver it on the Victoria MR. J. BRYCE: I am aware that the Nyanza. The contractor will have to average lifetime of a patent in this councomply with the existing regulations of try is about five years. In 1893 and 1894 the Zanzibar Government for the en- it was about four years and eight gagement of porters, so far as they are months. The number of patents which recruited at Zanzibar. The chief origin lapsed in 1893 was 9,302; and in 1894, of the edict alluded to was the scarcity 9,925. The Board have no power to of labour in Zanzibar, and it had no instruct members of the profession of

patent agents to make any statement on by the Nenagh Board of Guardians and the subject. I believe that, as a rule, the Dispensary Committee; but that, inventors are aware that the life of a after a month's delay, the Local Governpatent depends on the payment of ment Board wrote to the Committee of renewal fees. There is a statement to the Dispensary not to pay him, on the this effect on every patent issued. plea of his being dismissed over 17 years since, by a sealed order, from a Dispensary for refusing to prosecute extremely poor patients for not complying with the Vaccination Act; and, whether he will look into the matter? MR. J. MORLEY: The facts, I am informed, are substantially as stated in Having regard, however,

MR. JOHN BURNS: Arising out of that question, I would like to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, considering the way in which Members of Parliament are badgered by patentees, and the advantage that would accrue from publicity being given to the answer he has made to the hon. Mem- the question. ber's question, he will consider the ad- to the fact that the gentleman referred visability of publishing it in The to was the only medical man available Labour Gazette and The Board of when the permanent doctor took ill, and Trade Journal ? that his services were urgently required in some cases, the Board have reconsidered the matter and authorised payment for the temporary services rendered by him.

MR. J. BRYCE: I thought the points were perfectly well understood, but I will consider the suggestion of my hon. Friend.

THE ORDNANCE STORE DEPARTMENT.

DISTRESS IN IRELAND. MR. WILLIAM REDMOND: I beg MR. ELLIOTT LEES (Birkenhead) : to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his atten- War, whether it is the fact that 62 tion has been called to the distress regimental officers serving in the Ordnance existing in Glencoe, in the Belmullet Store Department have been ordered to Union, and Derry, in the Ballina Union; rejoin their regiments on the termination and whether it is the intention of the of their appointments; whether he is Government to take any steps to provide aware that, when the Army Service employment for the people in these Corps was formed out of the Comdistricts?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. JOHN MORLEY, Newcastle-upon-Tyne): There are a few families in the division of Glencoe for whom it may be necessary to afford relief by employment on a relief work, and such a work will be opened in this neighbourhood on May 1. As regards the Derry division, a most careful inspection was recently made of the district, and the Local Government Board inform me that the circumstances of the people there are not such as to render necessary, at present, the opening of relief works.

MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE NENAGH

UNION, IRELAND.

MR. WILLIAM REDMOND I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that Dr. M. J. Calahan, who was called on at night to attend four urgent cases in and about Nenagh, on 6th March 1895, when no other medical man was available, and was appointed

Mr. J. Bryce.

missariat and Transport Staff, the regimental officers serving with the Commissariat and Transport Staff were given the option of continuing their service in the Army Service Corps; whether his attention has been drawn to the promise given by the Surveyor General of the Ordnance, in the House of Commons, on 2nd August 1879, that the Ordnance Store officers would receive treatment "on all fours" with the Commissariat and Transport Staff; and, whether the War Office contemplate the appointment of Artillery officers at enhanced rates of pay over the heads of the present senior officers in the Ordnance Store Department?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: Regimental officers now serving in the Ordnance Store Department will rejoin their regiments on completion of the periods of service in terms of their engagements. Only such officers as were selected from the Commissariat and Transport Staff for service in the Army Service Corps were given the option of

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