SUPPLY OF PORK TO THE NAVY.

of this money is to be spent in Scotland? | Is he aware that Scotland pays a larger proportion of taxation towards this expenditure than either England or Ireland?

CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.): How much of this Vote would be expended on the only Government dockyard in Ireland ?

MR. E. ROBERTSON: I can give the hon. Gentleman a reference to the pages of the Estimates, where the expenditure for Haulbowline is provided for.

MR. W. REDMOND: Would it be too much to ask the hon. Gentleman to give an undertaking that, wherever money can be spent in Ireland, some share of this Vote would be given ?

MR. E. ROBERTSON: There would be every disposition to exercise fair play and equality.

MR. J. C. FLYNN (Cork, N.): How much of the New Construction Vote would be spent at Haulbowline?

MR. E. ROBERTSON: I am not aware that any new construction is carried out at Haulbowline.

MR. W. REDMOND: Will the Government, in considering this question, bear in mind that the increased taxation imposed by the Budget of last year fell more heavily on Ireland than on other parts of the country?

No answer was given.]

MR. W. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, as the Admiralty are about to add to the number of training ships for the Royal Navy, they will arrange to station one of these ships in Belfast Lough?

MR. W. REDMOND: I beg to ask the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the estimated amount that will be spent on contracts for the supply of pork for the Navy for the ensuing year; and, whether, in distributing those contracts, he will take into consideration the claims of Cork, Waterford and Limerick, and other Irish centres.

MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON: The

estimated value of the salt pork to be purchased for Naval Service during the ensuing year is about £30,000. Tenders will be called for by advertisement,and the claims of the Irish packers will receive every consideration when placing the

contracts.

STIRLING CATTLE MARKET. *MR. M. H. SHAW-STEWART (Renfrew, E.): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture-(1) if he received a representation, dated 31st March 1893, from farmers who sell live stock at the auction market of Messrs. Speedie Brothers, Stirling, complaining of the unreliability of the automatic indicating dial attached to the cattle-weighing machine erected in said mart, in compliance with the Weighing of Cattle Act, 1891; (2) whether, during the last two years, repeated complaints have been forwarded to him regarding the loose way in which cattle are weighed by the proprietors of the auction market; (3) whether he is aware that on 30th January last the local inspector of weights and measures tested the weighing machine and found an error of 56 lbs. against the seller and in favour of the buyer, and gave the proprietors notice of the inaccuracy; and that on the 1st March the inspector again visited the market, and, on finding the machine still incorrect to the extent of 56 lbs. against the seller, he defaced his stamp of verification; and (4), the incorrect

MR. G. W. WOLFF (Belfast, E.): I beg to ask the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether it is the intention of the Admiralty to add to the present number of training ships for the Royal Navy; and, if so, whether he will consider the claims of Belfast to have one of these ships placed in Belfast Lough? MR. E. ROBERTSON: I beg to whether, seeing that answer these two questions together. machine is still used for weighing cattle, As already stated in the First Lord's he will instruct the proper authorities to Memorandum, it is proposed to station take proceedings against the owners of a training ship at Queenstown. No this weighing machine? other changes are in contemplation. It is intended that the Northampton should oF AGRICULTURE (Mr. HERBERT visit parts of Ireland, and Belfast Lough GARDNER, Essex, Saffron Walden): I would be among them. duly received the representation to

*THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD

what occasion, in the event of his being returned for more than one ward, he will have to declare for which ward he elects to sit; and, when he has so declared, how the vacancy caused will be filled.

SiR G. O. TREVELYAN: When the same person is nominated for more than one ward he can withdraw during the period allowed for withdrawal, unless the effect of withdrawal would, in the words of the Act

"be to reduce the total number of persons nominated below the number necessary to supply the vacancies to be filled."

Where a person is elected for more wards than one, he must signify, at or before the meeting of the provisional parish council, which will be held on Thursday, 11th April, his decision as to the ward which he desires to represent, and the Local Government Board will thereupon duly order a new election to fill the vacancy or vacancies thus arising.

COWES HARBOUR.

and that for many years past they have appointed the harbour-master there. Application has been made to the Board of Trade by the West Cowes Urban District Council for a Provisional Order under the General Pier and Harbour Acts for the improvement, maintenance, and regulation of Cowes Harbour; but the difficulty is that as under Section 14 of the Piers and Harbours Act of 1861 there is no power to affect any right given or reserved to any persons, by Royal Charter or by prescription, procedure by Provisional Order is not possible. If compulsory powers for the creation of a Harbour Authority are desired, the promoters must proceed by Private Bill and not by Provisional Order.

COLLECTION OF RATES IN THE
HIGHLANDS.

DR. MACGREGOR I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland if he is aware that in some districts of the Highlands the collector of rates neglects to demand payment of the rate before 20th June, which has the effect of disfranchising many of the people otherwise entitled to vote, while after this date such persons are compelled to pay but too late to be put on the register for the current year; and will he consider what remedy he can adopt to prevent the disfranchisement of voters?

SIR G. O. TREVELYAN : The Local Government Board have no knowledge of the existence of any such practise as that referred to; but if the hon. Member

of any parishes in which the custom obtains, further inquiry will be made.

SIR G. BADEN-POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale) I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that there is no constituted harbour authority having and exercising adequate legal rights and duties over the important Harbour of Cowes, Isle of Wight, and that the Corporation of Newport legally exercise control over the Medina River as far seawards as "The Folly " public house, but have no powers over, and have done nothing towards the preservation or improvement will be good enough to furnish the names of, Cowes Harbour; whether the said Corporation levies tolls in Cowes Harbour; and, if so, under what authority is this done; whether application has been made to the Board of Trade to con- MR. W. WHITELAW (Perth): I stitute a local Harbour Authority repre- beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether, sentative of the places and interests where the estate of a person domiciled involved; and what steps it is proposed in Scotland consists partly of Consols, to take with regard to such application and a title to that estate has been comTHE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD pleted by confirmation in Scotland, the OF TRADE (Mr. BRYCE, Aberdeen, S.): confirmation has to be sealed in the The Corporation of Newport claim that English Court of Probate before the they have, since the Twelfth Century, Consols can be transferred to the exunder various charters confirmed by suc- ecutor; and, if so, whether, in view of cessive kings of England, exercised juris- the fact that Consols are of an Imperial diction over the Harbour of Cowes, and character, and as much Scotch as they state that they have under these English, he will consider whether he can charters continuously collected tolls and introduce legislation dealing with the regulated the anchorage in the harbour, matter?

CONSOLS.

*MR. J. B. BALFOUR: Investments | informed that Dr. Flinn's method of in Consols and other Government funds inspection is a very thorough one, and is forming part of the National Debt of not as alleged in the question; nor are his the United Kingdom, being under the

management of the Bank of England, reports literal copies of those issued in are held to be English estate, unless the period referred to. The Local Govsuch investments have been made ernment Board will keep me informed through the National Securities Savings as to the condition of the people of Bank. If the estate of a person domiciled in Scotland consists partly of Consols, the confirmation has, therefore, to be sealed in the English Court of Probate. This is in accordance with the general rule that the authority of the Court of a country in which funds are locally situated is required before the executors can uplift or otherwise deal with them. I do not recollect of having heard this complained of as a grievance, and I doubt whether Parliament would be disposed to deal with it separately.

DISTRESS IN IRELAND.

South Mayo. If the hon. Gentleman is still of opinion that distress exists of such an acute and widespread nature as to require exceptional treatment by the establishment of relief works, and if he will be good enough to furnish the names and addresses of the various families concerned I will at once cause inquiries to be made.

MR. J. F. X. O'BRIEN asked what Mr. Flynn's qualifications for the post were?

MR. J. MORLEY really did not know, but he examined Mr. Flynn's credentials and satisfied himself that that Gentleman was thoroughly qualified to discharge the duties imposed upon him.

MR. WILLIAM REDMOND asked whether, in view of the distress in various parts of Ireland, and of strong divergence of opinion between the Local Government Board's Inspectors and the local authorities, he would take some means other than inquiry by the Local Government Board Inspectors to ascertain the extent of distress?

Of

MR. J. F. X. O'BRIEN (Mayo, S.) I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called, many times during the last few weeks, to the existence of distress in various parts of South Mayo; whether his denial of the existence of distress in Ballindine, Kilvine, Irishtown, Crossboyne, Ballyhaunis, Aughamore, and Knock is based upon the reports of Mr. Flynn, Local Government Board Inspector; whether he MR. J. MORLEY could not possibly is aware that that Gentleman's method do that. As Gentlemen from Ireland of inspection is to drive through a were aware, whenever they had brought parish along the main road, and to enter before him any special case he had made a few houses beside him, as was done in special inquiries. He could not consent the famine years, 1846-9, and that his to supersede the present officers. reports are literal copies of those issued course, it was very natural there should in that time, in most of which the exist- be differences between the Inspectors and ence of unusual distress was denied; the local authorities, because they looked and whether the Chief Secretary will at matters from different points of view. make further inquiries into the matter? MR. W. REDMOND asked if cases THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR in which the local authorities did not at IRELAND (Mr. J. MORLEY, Newcastle- all agree with the Local Government upon-Tyne): A number of representa- Board's Inspectors had not frequently tions have been made to me alleging the existence of exceptional distress in various parts of South Mayo. The information supplied to me, and upon which I based my replies to these representations, was not derived alone from the reports of Mr. Flynn, Local Government Board Inspector, but also from MR. J. MORLEY was sure the local the reports received, and conferences authorities would give a very good with, Mr. Lynch, an Inspector of many opinion from their own point of view, years' experience of this district. I am but the point of view of the Government

come under the right hon. Gentleman's notice, and whether it was not more likely that the local authorities were more intimately acquainted with all the circumstances, and better able to give a proper opinion upon the subject than the Local Government Board's Inspectors?

and of Government officials was neces- subject of careful and special investigasarily somewhat different to that of the tion by Mr. Bourke, one of the most local authorities; they could not take experienced Inspectors of the Local Government Board, and as a result of the same view that local authorities his inquiries he is of opinion that no naturally took. destitution justifying the adoption of exceptional measures of relief at present exists in the Union. In the course of his investigation he conferred with clergymen, Poor Law Guardians, and Relieving Officers, and the general opinion appeared to be that, though there were a number of poor persons in the localities referred to, there was no danger, at present, of anyone suffering from want of food, and that until the Spring work is over, there will be no lack of employment for the people. Under these circumstances, it does not seem to me that any necessity has yet arisen for undertaking relief works in the Listowel Union.

MR. E. F. VESEY KNOX (Cavan, W.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he has received a copy of a Resolution unanimously passed by the guardians of the Enniskillen Union, relating to the need of relief works in Gelgeloin and Killinagh, county Cavan; whether he is aware that, owing to the people being landowners, the Guardians cannot effectively relieve this distress; and, whether, having regard to the opposition raised to the Relief of Distress Bill, which proposes to temporarily remove this restriction, he will consider the advisability of preparing to institute relief works in this district?

MR. SEXTON asked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that the erection of the pier at Ballyhigue, though sanctioned, had not yet been commenced.

MR. J. MORLEY said, he was not aware, but he would inquire.

MR. J. C. FLYNN asked whether Mr. Bourke, who also visited North Cork, had made any Report about that district, or any suggestion for relieving the distress there?

MR. J. MORLEY: The Resolution referred to has been received. Careful inquiries have been instituted by the Local Government Board into the condition of the poorer classes in the divisions named in the question, and the Inspector's Report appears to show that some of the people are in poor circumstances, and suffered last year from the partial failure of the potato crop. The MR. J. MORLEY replied that it was Union is very well circumstanced, with quite true that Mr. Bourke had visited low poor rates, and there are only 20 Kanturk Union. The Relieving Officers persons in receipt of outdoor relief, out had assured him that no persons in the of a total population of over 36,000. It Union suffered from want of food, and therefore appears that the resources of that they did not expect that people the Poor Law are sufficient to deal with would be reduced to any great straits. any cases of distress likely to arise in this Union.

MR. T. SEXTON (Kerry, N.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been drawn to the destitution prevailing in Ballincloher and Lixnaw, Lisselton Cross and Ballyegan, and other districts in North Kerry; what has been the result of the recent special inspection by a member of the Local Government Board; and, whether any relief works have been yet proceeded with in North Kerry?

MR. J. G. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that relief work, sanctioned by the Government at Meenaveen, in the parish of Glencolumbkill, county Donegal, was stopped by the action of the local landlords, who object to the construction of a road leading to a limestone quarry at Creeveen ; whether, seeing that the opening up of this quarry was earnestly requested by the inhabitants, and would confer a great boon on the Musgrave tenantry, he will MR. J. MORLEY: I have received order it to be recommenced; is he aware several representations alleging the exist- that the local landlords allowed all preence of abnormal destitution in the parations to be made for the institution localities mentioned in the question. The of the relief work thus sanctioned by the condition of the poorer classes in the Government, and gave no notice or inListowel Union has recently formed the timation of their objection until the work