NOTICE OF ACCIDENTS ACT.

SIR A. K. ROLLIT (Islington, S.): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps the Board have taken, or intend to take, in order to inform themselves as to when it may be desirable or not to appoint a medical assessor in the terms of Section 3, Sub-section 1, of the Notice of Accidents Act, 1894?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (MR. J. BRYCE, Aberdeen): The Accident Returns are examined, and in cases of sufficient importance the Board of Trade appoint a competent person to hold an investigation. No inquiry has yet been held in which the appointment of a medical assessor has been found to be necessary, but each case will be considered on its merits.

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS.

MR. R. S. DONKIN (Tynemouth): I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether, in the event of a candidate seeking eleca school board, and having children who are paid officials of that board, and such children canvassing on their parents' behalf, he would be disqualified?

tion on

Section 67 of the Act of 1872, lie before Parliament expires on Thursday the 4th of April. Any question with regard to the business of the House had better be addressed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but I cannot think that it will be possible to bring on the discussion at an earlier hour than usual.

RETALIATORY TARIFFS.

MR. J. K. WINGFIELD-DIGBY (Dorset, N.): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether, in view of the unequal competition to which the British and Irish farmers are subject through the importation of large quantities of bounty-assisted cheese and butter, he will try and induce the Chancellor of the Exchequer to consider the propriety of neutralising these bounty systems by imposing Import Duties on such goods equivalent to the amount of the bounty?

*THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD oF AGRICULTURE (MR. HERBERT GARDNER, Essex, Saffron): No Sir, with the experience of other countries before our eyes, I cannot undertake to propose to my right hon. Friend that we should embark upon a policy of retaliatory tariffs. I may perhaps add, that the MR. A. H. D. ACLAND: If the hon. interesting report by Sir Joseph Crowe Gentleman refers, as I assume, to Section on the Agriculture, Bounties, and Gen34 of the Elementary Education Act of eral Trade, of France, which was de1870, the Department have no power to livered this morning, is an instructive decide any question which arises under Commentary on the cost and results of that section. The section places the a protective system, and I hope that decision under the jurisdiction of the it may receive consideration at the courts of law. hands of those agriculturists who look for assistance in the direction indicated by the hon. Member.

SCOTCH EDUCATION CODE.

*MR. J. CAMPBELL (Glasgow and MR. W. E. M. TOMLINSON (PresAberdeen Universities): I beg to ask ton): Does the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary for Scotland what is the consider that a duty designed to counterlast available day for moving vail bounties is in the nature of a proAddress relating to the Scotch Educa- tective duty?

an

tion Code; and whether, having regard *MR. HERBERT GARDNER: I to the importance of the changes made imagine that it is generally understood in the New Code regarding training of to be so. teachers, the arrangements for Queen's students, and the great inconvenience attending such discussions after midnight, the Government will provide for the discussion coming on at a reasonable hour?

SCOTCH LIGHTHOUSES.

MR. J. G. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty): I beg to ask the President of the Board of the Trade if he can state whether the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND are taking any steps to obtain the statu(Sir GEORGE TREVELYAN, Glasgow, Bridge-tory sanction of Trintity House for the ton): The period of one month during erection of a lighthouse on Tiumpan which the Code must, as prescribed by Head, so that this much-needed work

may be included in next year's Esti

mates.

MR. BRYCE: No Sir, I cannot. Proposals for new lighthhouses in Scotland do not come before me until the Trinity House have considered and decided on applications made by the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on the 19th instant.

MR. J. G. WEIR: I beg to ask the

TYPE-WRITING MACHINES FOR

MEMBERS.

MR. KILBRIDE (on behalf of the hon. Member for North Leitrim, Mr. P. A. M'Hugh): I beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works whether he has yet completed arrangements for the accommodation of Members desiring to use type-writing machines within the precincts of this House?

MR. HERBERT GLADSTONE: The

President of the Board of Trade whether the lighthouse authorities have arrived at a decision since the 21st February number of hon. Members who themselves last as to what works will be commenced use type-writing machines is very small, this year, and whether, seeing that and I am afraid I cannot set apart any room the proposed lighthouse on Flannen for their special use. But I have now Islands was approved several years made arrangements by which a staff of since, and that in consequence of the clerks, with the requisite number of dangerous character of the coast in that part workmen can only be employed for machines, will be at the service of hon. a short time during the summer, steps Members, and prepared to take work at will be taken to start operations as soon a price which has been agreed upon. as the fine weather sets in ? The room to be used specially for this will be the smaller of the rooms purpose

MR. BRYCE said: The Estimates of

the three General Lighthouse Authorities formerly occupied by the Railway Comare still under my consideration. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave missioners, access to which is obtained him on the 21st of last month, as to the on the south side of St. Stephen's Hall. impossibility of undertaking this year Work will be begun on Wednesday all the new works which have in principle next. been approved. I then told him that the proposed Lighthouse on the Flannen. Islands was one of those approved in principle.

THE RAILWAY AT ERBUSAIG.

INDIAN CIVIL SERVICE.

SiR R. TEMPLE (Surrey, Kingston): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India have submitted proposals tending MR. J. G. WEIR: I beg to ask the Pre- to ameliorate the conditions of service, sident of the Board of Trade whether he furlough, &c., of European officials, of has received a petition from the inhabitants of Erbusaig, Lochalsh, Ross-shire, the Indian police and other branches to the effect that, in the interests of the of the Civil (Uncovenanted) Service of fishing and crofting population, there India; and, if so, whether any decision. should be at least three openings in the has been come to thereon; and, if not, embankment of the new railway in that whether a speedy one may be expected? district; and whether steps have been MR. HERBERT GLADSTONE, retaken to prevent the construction of the embankment without the necessary openplying in the absence of MR. H. H. ings to the seashore ? The Government of FOWLER, said:

MR. BRYCE: I have received from India have submitted proposals respectthe Secretary for Scotland the petition ing the leave rules of the various Civil referred to by the hon. Member, and will Departments in India. These are now carefully consider the representations under the consideration of the Secretary of the petitioners whenever the working of State, but before a final decision can drawings of the railway embankment

are submitted to me by the Highland be passed on all points, a further referRailway Company, which has not yet ence to the Government of India will probably be necessary.

been done.

On the Report of £4,439,268 for the large portion, of the Imperial garrison. Vote on Account,

:

point:

"The payment of the Colony for military defence shall be £50,000 if the cost of the troops stationed there shall amount to or exceed that

sum.'

conditions of transfer were clear on that in the Straits Settlements at that time, and it distinctly refused to contribute a penny to them on the ground that they were Imperial works and not local defences at all. That took place about 1871 or 1872. Time went on, trade inThat was to say, in no case were these creased, and the Colony undoubtedly expenses to exceed £50,000, and if the was further benefited by the increased actual cost of the troops there did not trade of England to the East. In 1881, amount to that sum the colony was not the Royal Commission which sat, under to pay so much; £50,000 was to be the the presidency of Lord Carnarvon, to maximum. Although these were the inquire into the general question of terms of the transfer, the Government coaling stations, arrived at the conclufrom that day to this had steadily main- sion that Singapore would form a very tained the opinion that the Imperial important military and coaling station Government itself was not to incur any for Imperial purposes. That being so, extra expenditure on account of the Singapore was chosen as an Imperial transfer, and they based that argument, coaling station, and the Straits Settlenot on any agreement made between the ments agreed, in consideration of defences Home Government or the Indian Government and these Settlements, but simply on some correspondence which passed between the War Office and the Colonial Office. On the 28th of March,

being constructed there, to contribute £81,000 towards the cost of the actual fortifications. But it was distinctly understood at the time between the Straits Settlements and the Home Gov1866, the terms of transfer were ernment that, if they contributed the further confirmed by a letter from the £81,000 towards fortifications the War Office in a despatch to the Colonial ordinary contribution was to go on Office. On the 25th of May, 1866, the Treasury wrote to the Colonial Office, stating that Mr. Cardwell, who was then Secretary of State for War

"does not consider that the Settlements can be called upon to incur any charge that may be required for troops stationed at Singapore for for Imperial purposes."

exactly as before. That went on till the year 1890, and then it was maintained on the part of the Home Government that not only the temporary arrangement of 1882, but also the agreement under which the Settlements were transferred from the Indian Government to the Home Government came to an end. They at once proceeded to lay an enormous charge-double the

was

That showed that the sum of £50,000 was to be devoted entirely to local defences. No doubt a change occurred previous amount of the military contriowing to the opening of the Suez Canal, bution-upon the Settlements. In 1889 in consequence of which Singapore the Home Government suddenly inbecame a very important port of call for formed the Government of the Straits ships which had originally gone round Settlements that instead of a military by the Cape. The importance of Cape contribution of £50,000 a year they Town was transferred to Singapore, would for the next four years have to which became the great emporium of the find no less a sum than £100,000 in eastern trade. Although the Colony addition to the actual cost they had inmight have stood by the terms of the curred in connection with the fortificaAgreement of 1866, it fell in with a tions. When the announcement Revised Agreement, so anxious was it to made there was naturally a very strong do everything fair in the matter. It feeling of resentment in the Colony; not agreed that, up to 1890, whatever the only the unofficial members protested, cost of the Imperial troops stationed at but actually the Governor of the Colony Singapore was--whether it amounted to himself wrote home showing the inless than £50,000 or not-it would pay justice done to the Colony. The Gov£50,000 by way of military contribution. ernment at home were relentless: they But, at the same time, the Imperial said the £100,000 a year must be levied, Government asked the Colony to contri- and the official members of the Legisbute to certain Imperial works and lative Council voted the money in spite armaments which were being constructed of their own private convictions. In VOL. XXXII. [FOURTH SERIES.]

S

would have been the case if the contribution of £100,000 had gone on, Lord Ripon was not going to retard the concession beyond 1894 and 1895, and the great contention of the Home Office that this colony, unlike all other colonies, was liable to be called up to pay the total cost of this military expenditure. In fact there was no concession whatever; there was only a system of deferred payment. He thought this a mere shuffling of the question. It was most unfair to

1890-91-92, and he thought in 1893, the case did not rest there. This was the £100,000 was voted in the same only a temporary concession, and it was way, simply by the official members of only on the system of deferred payment. the Council. Owing to certain circum- Although in those two years £30,000 stances the burden was enormously less would be paid by the colony than increased. In the first place there was a heavy fall in exchange, which in itself would very largely add to the expenses. Then, again, there was the fact that in previous years, in order to meet the heavy extra expenditure, all the surplus which the Colony had accumulated during years of fairly good trade, and when the military contribution was small, had been exhausted by the extra military contribution. In 1893 the Colony was stranded with no reserve whatever, and they had to pay the heavy contribution the Straits Settlements, because it was out of their annual receipts. They had utterly impossible for the colony to put to cut down their expenditure. Educa- its finances on a sound foundation or to tion was largely checked, and even public know the scale on which they should works were altogether stopped. Fresh buy taxes if they were always to be in a taxes were imposed on the Colony, and state of uncertainty as to the military the result was that while in 1889 the contribution the Home Government was revenue of the Colony had been 4 going to force upon them every year. millions of dollars, in 1894 it had The colony offered to contribute £70,000 fallen to something like 3 million a year, which, taking into account the dollars. In 1891, so serious had the rate of exchange, represented a much circumstances of the Colony become, larger value in dollars. That, he thought, that the then Chancellor of the Ex- was a very fair offer indeed, considering chequer (Mr. Goschen) distinctly promised all the circumstances. It should be rein the House of Commons that if things membered that the complaint of the went on, and if the Revenue of the Straits Settlement was not only that Colony was reduced and this heavy this heavy charge which they were unmilitary contribution had to be still able to bear-for they had had a deficit levied, the Government at home would in three years-was put upon them; but seriously consider the matter, and see that it was almost exactly the same whether some reduction might take amount as they had to pay to India place. Lord Ripon had since then been before they were transferred to the Home approached, he did not remember whether Government. In 1866, the colony got by the Government or by the unofficial transferred from the Indian Government representatives of the Colony, and the to the Imperial Government for the purresult was that his Lordship had pro- pose of avoiding those heavy general mised to make certain concessions. He charges. There had, however, been no understood that instead of the sum of improvement in that respect. In fact, £100,000 annually they were to be re- the Straits Settlements were now actually quired to pay £80,000 for 1894, and loaded with far heavier charges under £90,000 for 1895. That at first sight the Home Government than they ever might seem to be a concession, but had to meet under the Indian Governpractically it was no concession at all. ment. But he ventured to say that in Certainly it was not a carrying out of the manner in which those heavy charges the promise made by the Chancellor of were forced upon them by the great the Exchequer in 1891. In 1891, at the grievance of the Straits Settlements rate of exchange, £100,000 meant against the Imperial Government. The 650,000 dollars, whereas at the present colony had a charter which enabled rate of exchange £90,000 meant 900,000 them to control their own finances for dollars. Therefore, the actual payment the purposes of the colony. It also had of the Colony was a great deal larger and a Legislative Council, but it seemed to heavier now than it was in 1891. But be a mere sham, because undoubtedly

Mr. R. W. Hanbury.