full day's work. He is allowed uniform, I will permit the Inter - Departmental two-thirds pay for six months during Committee which is considering the sickness, with medical attendance free of question of the Military_Contribution charge wherever there is an official doctor, from Singapore, Hong Kong, &c., to a fortnight's annual leave, relief from receive evidence from the taxpayers of duty on alternate Sundays, and extra pay those Colonies; whether he can state for Sunday work. He is not, however, the exact terms of the question or queseligible for good conduct stripes or pen- tions submitted to the Committee for sion. An auxiliary postman is a post- its consideration; or, in the alternative, man who performs short duties only, and state if the Committee, in assessing the does not give his whole time to the ser- contributions, will be required to ascervice. Auxiliaries have no claim to pen-tain what amount each Colony is able to sion, and are not entitled to good-conduct pay for such purpose, without intefering stripes and the other privileges which with its own general progress, necessary are reserved for the regular or full-duty public works, education, &c.; who are staff. Auxiliary town and rural post- the members of the Committee; and to men are supplied with uniform clothing, whom should communications be adand all those town postmen who perform dressed? a double duty, occupying them from MR. SYDNEY BUXTON: When four to six hours on week days, are re- the Military Contribution of a Colony lieved from duty on alternate Sundays. has to be referred for Report to a ComAuxiliary rural postmen are relieved mittee consisting of representatives of from duty, as a rule, on every alternate the Treasury, the War Office, and the Sunday, when their daily walk amounts to as much as 12 miles or their hours of attendance are such as prevent them from attending divine service. LAND PURCHASE IN IRELAND. MR. KILBRIDE: On behalf of Mr. D. Sheehy, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether tenants who are not present tenants are entitled to receive advances from the Land Purchase Commission for the purchase of their holdings; and whether, in the case of a future tenant applying for such an advance, the landlord may, in order to enable him to obtain it, establish him as a present tenant, and thereby admit numbers of persons not qualified to take advantage of the Land Purchase Acts to the prejudice of those for whose benefit the Act was passed? MR. J. MORLEY: Any tenant in occupation of a holding under a contract of tenancy may enter into an agreement to purchase his holding under the Land Purchase Acts. No question, therefore, arises as to whether the applicant is a leaseholder or a "present" or "future" tenant. COLONIAL MILITARY CONTRI- MR. HENNIKER HEATON: I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government Mr. Arnold Morley. Colonial Office, the Colonial Governments supply, through the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the most ample and exhaustive statement of their views on the question, and also the views of the Colonial public as expressed in the local press, in Memorials, and in public meetings. In addition, the Committee has before it the arguments adduced by the Colonial Associations in this country. It is not considered desirable that the Committee should receive the private views of individual Colonists except through the usual official channels. The Committee is required to review the whole of the facts and statements bearing on the question, including the financial condition and prospects of the Colony concerned, and to submit its conclusions to the Government, which finally decides upon the change, if any, which should be made in the contribution. All communications on the subject should be addressed to the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies. GAS CYLINDERS. MR. F. A. NEWDIGATE (Warwickshire, Nuneaton): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the explosion of a gas cylinder charged with chlorate of potash, which recently occurred at Fenchurch Street Station, causing the death of John Holbrook ; and whether steps can be taken to have cylinders that are used for such purposes properly tested and duly stamped, so that their strength may be known by the users? MR. ASQUITH: I have inquired into this matter, and am advised that scientific opinion differs as to whether the bursting of these cylinders is due to the pressure of oxygen upon an imperfectly welded steel tube, or to traces of impure substances present in the oxygen. I propose to refer this matter for the opinion of two or three distinguished experts on such matters. ARMENIA. THE NILE VALLEY. MR. H. LABOUCHERE (Northampton): I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign affairs-(1) whether he will lay upon the table of the House all or any Papers in which Her Majesty's Government conveyed to the French Government the intimation that the Valley of the Nile between the Lakes and the Southern Frontier of Egypt is within the sphere of British influence; (2) whether, if this information was conveyed to the French Government, he will lay upon the Table of the House the reply (if any) of that Government to MR. L. P. HAYDEN: On behalf of that intimation; (3) whether he can the hon. Member for North Galway state what is the Western Frontier of (Colonel J. P. NOLAN) I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign this sphere of influence; (4) whether the Affairs if our Ambassador at Constanti- de facto Government of the Soudan (by nople has demanded, or will be instructed such term being understood that portion to demand, from the Porte, a nominal of the Soudan under the sway of the roll of all officers and men who were Mahdi) is recognised by Her Majesty's stationed at or near the scene of the Government as a Government, or whealleged butcheries of the Armenian ther those comprising it are deemed women and children; and if the Porte will be requested to take steps to prevent the escape of such officers and men until their individual responsibility can be more fully investigated? rebels to the Khedive of Egypt; (5) and whether he is aware that a large portion of the Valley of the Nile between the Lakes and the Southern Frontier of Egypt is within the dominions of the Sultan of Turkey, and whether that Sovereign admits that this country has any rights, territorial or otherwise, over it? MR. C. E. SCHWANN (Manchester, N.): Before answering the question, may I ask the hon. Baronet whether the Government will not instruct our Ambassador at Constantinople, and also our] SIR E. GREY: The points referred Delegate with the Sassoon Commission to in the first two paragraphs, and our to searchingly inquire whether the in- position with regard to them, have been structions sent to the officers who the subject of discussion with the French directed and controlled the horrible Government last year. The discussions occurrences referred to in the question did not emanate direct from the Porte, as the correspondents in Armenia of various well-informed journals appear to assert no later than to-day! did not reach a definite conclusion, but they have not been broken off, and no Papers with regard to them can be laid at present. The Western limit of the British sphere of influence is defined in SIR EDWARD GREY: I have not Article 1 of the Agreement with received the statement to which my Germany of July 1, 1890. Her hon. Friend refers, nor did I know he Majesty's Government cannot recognise was going to ask a question. I must ask the Government of the Mahdi, or of his him to put the question on the Paper. successor, as in any way ousting or disIn answer to the question on the Paper, paraging the rights of Egypt in those I have to say that the Ambassadors at territories. In answer to the last paraConstantinople are kept constantly graph, I must refer the hon Member to informed of the proceedings of the Com- Page 4 of Africa No. 4, 1894, where it is mission, and I can only repeat that they declared that Her Majesty's Government will spare no effort to secure, through do not ignore the claims of Turkey the delegates, that the inquiry is effec- and Egypt in the basin of the Upper tive and the results of it satisfactory. VOL. XXXII. [FOURTH SERIES.] Nile. : NEW INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL AT LEEDS. | a charge of assault brought by the Queen MR. E. F. VESEY KNOX (Cavan, at the prosecution of Patrick M'Laughlin W.) I beg to ask the Secretary of State against Francis M'Laughlin and Michael for the Home Department, whether his M'Laughlin, was called in and profesattention has been called to the proposal sionally employed to attend Patrick of the Leeds School Board to erect a M'Laughlin, the prosecutor; that the girls' Industrial School at the expense of defendants were obliged to pay Dr. the ratepayers 15 miles from Leeds, and Dillon £2 for a certificate that the life at the same time to refuse to pay for any of the prosecutor was not in danger further children to Catholic Industrial before they got out on bail; that Dr. Schools, and to remove those Leeds Dillon afterwards, on the 1st August, Catholic children who are now in attended as a magistrate at Rooskey Catholic Industrial Schools to the new Petty Sessions, in the county of RosIndustrial Schools; whether he is aware common, at the hearing of the said that the site proposed for the School complaint and adjudicated upon it. Board's school is four miles distant from notwithstanding the protest of the from the nearest Catholic Church; what solicitor for the defence that he should will be the provision made for the religi- not do so, being an interested party who ous teaching at the proposed school of had been in prefessional attendance for children belonging to those denomina- a reward upon the prosecutor; and that tions which do not consider the School Dr. Dillon refused to leave the Bench, Board religion satisfactory; and, whe- and took an active interest in the ther he will refuse to sanction the pro- proceedings, saying that he did not care ject unless provision is made for the for the protest of the solicitor, and liberty of belief of children drawn from adjudicated with the other magistrates the large Catholic population of Leeds? MR. ASQUITH: I have carefully considered this proposal, which was discussed in all its aspects at an interview between the members of the School Board and myself last week. Both sides were represented, and their conflicting views were ably and thoroughly presented. The statement in the second paragraph appears to be inaccurate. I am informed that the distance has been measured, and has been proved to be not more than 13 miles. After weighing the arguments which were addressed to me I have come to the conclusion that I ought to sanction the proposal of the School Board, which is supported by 14 out of 15 members. From the assurance MR. J. MORLEY: I believe there given to me, I am satisfied that proper was such a question last year; but I provision will be made for giving Roman cannot carry all the questions in my Catholic teaching to the Roman Catholic mind. The Lord Chancellor in August children, but I shall take care that the interests of the Roman Catholic population concerned are amply safeguarded. THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF STOKES- MR. L. P. HAYDEN (Roscommon, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he is aware that Dr. Dillon, medical officer of Stokestown Union, and recently appointed to the Commission of the Peace for the county of Roscommon, in in the case, when the defendants were fined £4 and costs! and, whether, seeing that the Chief Secretary has stated that it would be improper for a magistrate to adjudicate in a case in which he had been professionally engaged, and promised to bring the matter under the notice of the Lord Chancellor, he has done so, and what is the result? MR. M. BODKIN (Roscommon, N.): Before the right hon. Gentleman answers the question, I wish to ask whether the same question was not asked last year; and whether a question containing imputations on the same medical gentleman was put last Friday and found to be utterly without foundation? last had a correspondence with Dr. DOVER. THE PROPOSED_HARBOUR WORKS AT in both the tender and the contract, and, whether he can explain how this has occurred. MR. A. C. MORTON (Peterborough): I beg to ask the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, whether it is the intention of the Government to proceed with the proposed harbour works at Dover at once; and, if so, when will they submit their scheme to Parliament ? MR. A. B. FORWOOD (Lancashire, Ormskirk) asked whether there would be any objection to refer the plans and designs of the new harbour works, which would cost something like £9,000,000, to the consideration of a Select Committee ? MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON: The *SIR JOHN HIBBERT: I do not think I have anything to add to my reply to my hon. Friend's question on Thursday last. It is quite true that the precise words do not appear in both the tender and the contract, but the sense and the intention are exactly the same in both. Both tender and contract say that the contractor— shall be at liberty to obtain his reports from such sources as he may think most convenient.' As regards sub-letting, the tender Dover Harbour is not included (subject, of course, to the foregoing in the Bill as it stands at present; but provision), says full explanations as to the works proposed will be given when the Bill comes on for discussion. new MR. T. GIBSON BOWLES: Can the hon. Gentleman tell me when the Bill will come on for discussion? THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: I hope to bring it in on Tuesday week. THE CASE OF GEORGE NEWMAN. MR. VESEY KNOX: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has yet come to any decision in the case of George Newman; and, whether, having regard to this and similar cases, the Government will aid in the passing of the Bill to establish a Court of Criminal Appeal? MR. ASQUITH: I am in communication with the learned Judge who presided at Newman's trial, upon this case, which is at present under his consideration. I have always been, and am, in favour of the establishment of a Court of Criminal Appeal; and without pledging myself or the Government to the details of the Bill to which my hon. Friend refers, I may say that we should be glad to give to its promoters such assistance as is in our power. THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES "The contractor shall not underlet any work to be done under this contract wit out the written consent of the ontroller." The contract merely specifies in more legal words precisely the same conditions as are provided for in the tender. CAPTAIN NORTON: Arising out of that answer, I have to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will be good enough to peruse the two documents I have in my hand, one being a tender in which the words alleged do not occur, the other being a contract under which this firm is now operating, in which the words do occur. I further wish to ask him if he comes to the conclusion that he has been grossly misled-for nobody doubts the uprightness, courtesy, and sympathy of the right hon. Gentlemanwhether he will take immediate steps to have this matter thoroughly and fully investigated, so that those public officials who introduced into a public document, after it passed this House, certain words altering the entire tenour of the contract, and thus brought disgrace on the best and greatest public service, may be summarily dealt with? *MR. SPEAKER: Order, order. *SIR JOHN HIBBERT: I must protest against the language used. I am not in the least afraid of having this question ventilated and discussed in this House, and I am surprised if the hon. CAPTAIN NORTON: I beg to ask Gentleman thought that the mode in the Secretary to the Treasury, whether which this question has been treated his attention has been further drawn to deserved such language that he did not the contract for publishing Parliamen- bring it forward on the Vote on Account tary Debates, and to the fact that the when it was before the House on Friday. words "connected with the composition, I venture to say that any impartial printing, and binding" do not appear person looking at the tender and the CAPTAIN NORTON: I wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is not the fact that this contract would have been undertaken by other contractors at some £500 less had those words not been introduced. In contract would say that, though they MR. T. GIBSON BOWLES: Before are not in exactly the same words, they the right hon. Gentleman answers that, are exactly the same in intention. I ask him whether he has not observed There would have been no necessity for a remarkable improvement in the reports since the new arrangement was made? a special contract being entered into *SIR J. HIBBERT: In answer to my with Messrs. Waterlow had it not been hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy, that the Treasury, for the purpose of I do not think I used the words he has protecting themselves, inserted a clause quoted, The Treasury were not aware with the condition that they might have that Messrs. Waterlow would make the power at the end of one year or two arrangements for the reporting with years to terminate the contract. The Times newspaper. I never used the word contract, but I said that there had been no sub-letting, but that what had been done with regard to the reporting had been done by arrangement between The Times and Messrs. Waterlow. reply to my hon. Friend opposite, I may *SIR J. HIBBERT : That is not say that, under the present system, correct. I am sorry to say there has instead of having the services of seven been a great amount of exaggeration gentlemen reporting in the gallery, we and mis-statement on this question in have under the new arrangement, the several public papers. Any tenderer services of 16 gentlemen who report could have tendered in exactly the same for The Times newspaper, and I venture way as Messrs. Waterlow, as all had the to say the reports now furnished are same tenders presented to them, and as correct, as rapid, and quite as good there would have been no contract as, if not better than, any which have necessary if it had not been for the been furnished previously. insertion of the condition I have read. I know that the whole of these state ments are directed against the arrangements which are made by Messrs. Waterlow for the reporting, which is done by The Times staff. Now I may tell my hon. Friend that, in addition to Messrs. Waterlow, there were further tenderers who applied to The Times proprietors to enable them to utilise the staff of that newspaper. That shows that there was no advantage given to Messrs. Waterlow, and if the tender of any other firm had been accepted they would practically have had the chance of utilising The Times staff exactly in the same way as Messrs. Waterlow. MR. J. H. DALZIEL (Kirkcaldy Burghs): After the statement the right hon. Gentleman has just read I would ask him whether he is aware that two of the principal firms out of five tendering absolutely deny that view of the case. I would ask him, further, whether he is correctly reported in The Times newspaper of February 15, to have stated as follows: "The Treasury were not aware of the fact that the present contractors intended to sublet part of the contract. To do so is quite contrary to the contract." Sir John Hibbert. MR. DALZIEL: May I ask him, in view of his statement, which is a denial of the truth of The Times report, whether the right hon. Gentleman disputes the accuracy of The Times? *SIR J. HIBBERT: What I dispute is, that I used those words. I have always said that I was not aware that it was intended to make such an arrangement, and I always said in answer to my hon. Friend, that there had been no subletting, but that there had been an arrangement between The Times and Messrs. Waterlow as to the reporting. MR. G. C. T. BARTLEY: Arising out of the remarks of the right hon. Gentleman as to this question not being brought on when the Vote on Account was under discussion, may I ask whether it is not the fact that the Vote on Account was closured? *SIR J. HIBBERT: It was closured at Twelve minutes to Seven o'clock. MR. BARTLEY: But it was closured. MR. BARTLEY: The fact remains that it was closured. MR. W. FIELD: May I ask the right hon. Gentleman, are we to under. |