killed; and, whether the explosion took | authorities of the Congo State informaplace on a Babcock water tube boiler in- tion as to whether these towns have tended for, or actually on board, a torpedo really been destroyed? boat destroyer building under contract for the Admiralty? SIR EDWARD GREY : I understand a Report has already been published THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMI- stating that they have been destroyed. RALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON, CAPTAIN BETHELL asked whether Dundee): I presume that the question that was only a Press report or refers to an accident which happened official Report. an on the 1st instant at the Fairfield Com- SIR EDWARD GREY: If the hon. pany's Works, Glasgow. The Admiralty Member will give me notice I will see if has called upon the Fairfield Company we have got any further information. for a statement of the facts, and they have promised to send us a copy of their En- LABOURERS (IRELAND) ACTS. gineer Manager's Report. In the mean- MR. MICHAEL AUSTIN (Limerick, time our Engineer Overseer on the spot W.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary has reported that the accident occurred to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland when when steam was being raised in a Bab- he intends to introduce his promised cock-Wilson boiler. A plug used for Bill amending the Labourers (Ireland) stopping one of the holes from which Acts ? tubes had been drawn for trial purposes, blew out at a low pressure (about 70 pounds), scalding six men, one of whom has since died. This boiler is intended for a torpedo boat destroyer, building for the Admiralty by the Fairfield Company, provided only it is found satisfactory on the experimental trials on shore. This is all the information I have received at present. On receipt of the Fairfield Report I shall be glad to communicate its substance to hon. Members. SLAVE TRADERS ON THE CONGO. CAPTAIN BETHELL (York, W.R., Holderness) I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Arab slave traders on the upper sources of the Congo have been conquered and destroyed, and their two principal towns, Nyangwa and Kasooge, razed to the ground; and, what measures have been or are to be taken by Her Majesty's Consul at Zanzibar to prevent Tippoo Tib, the great slave trader, from carrying on his traffic in slaves? CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that many Boards of Guardians in Ireland have postponed proceeding with further schemes of cottages pending the promised Amendment of the Labourers' Cottages (Ireland) Acts; and whether, in view of the urgent necessity that exists for the adoption of these schemes, he will take the earliest opportunity of introducing the proposed Bill? MR. J. MORLEY: I may say that a Bill amending the Labourers' Cottages (Ireland) Acts has been framed, and that when a suitable opportunity presents itself I shall introduce it. MR. M. AUSTIN: Will the right hon. Gentleman explain a little further what he means by "suitable opportunity"? MR. J. MORLEY: I will say possible opportunity. INDIAN CANTONMENTS. *MR. CROSFIELD: On behalf of SIR EDWARD GREY: It appears the hon. Member for the Holmfirth from the reports published in Brussels Division (Mr. H. J. Wilson), I beg to ask that the forces of the Congo State have the Secretary of State for India if he conquered the Arab slave traders and will lay upon the Table the Cantonment destroyed their towns, but we have no Acts Amendment Act recently passed further means of information. Tippoo by the Government of India, together Tib is now in Zanzibar. There is no with any rules adopted in pursuance of reason to believe that he is attempting the Act, and any Resolution of the Govto engage in the slave trade in any terri-ernment of India relating thereto ? tory under British control. MR. GEORGE RUSSELL: A copy CAPTAIN BETHELL asked whether it of the Cantonments Acts Amendment would not be possible to get from the Act has been received, but the rules framed under the Act and the resolu- of the Board of Agriculture if his attentions of the Government of India re- has been called to the fact that the Gerlating thereto are not expected to reach man Government has recently prohibited this country till about the end of May. the importation of live stock for breeding The Secretary of State has no objection purposes from this country, on the to laying the papers on the Table of the House. ground that foot-and-mouth disease exists here; and, whether, seeing that no case of foot-and-mouth disease has occurred in the United Kingdom for *MR. CROSFIELD: On behalf of Mr. H. J. WILSON, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, if he will several months, he will take steps to call lay upon the Table a copy of a Bill the attention of the German Governrecently introduced in the Bengal Legis- ment to the freedom of this country from lative Council by Sir John Lambert, con- foot-and-mouth disease, with the view of ferring additional powers on the Calcutta removing the erroneous impression which Police! appears to exist? MR. GEORGE RUSSELL: The Secretary of State is not aware that any Bill has been introduced. TOWN BANK GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ADJUTANCY IN THE YEOMANRY. *THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD oF AGRICULTURE (Mr. HERBERT GARDNER, Essex, Saffron Walden): I took steps early last month to bring to the notice of the German Government the fact that there now is no reason whatever to suppose that foot-and-mouth MR. WILLIAM SMITH (Lanca- disease exists in the United Kingdom, shire, N., North Lonsdale): I beg to ask the restrictions rendered necessary by the Parliamentary Charity Commissioner reason of the outbreaks which occurred with regard to the inquiry which was towards the close of last year having held by Mr. Hope in April 1893, into been withdrawn as from the 15th the present position of Town Bank January last. I trust that the result Grammar School, Ulverstone, and the may be to lead the German Government further inquiry by Mr. Coon in Novem- to remove any prohibition against the ber 1894, when a scheme was presented importation of animals into Germany which had been drawn by representa- from the United Kingdom. tives of the principal public bodies in Ulverstone, and which scheme had been approved by the inhabitants generally, MR. H. KIMBER (Wandsworth): will he explain why the Commissioners I beg to ask the Secretary of State for have hitherto failed to either approve of War if he will state what are the qualisuch scheme or issue a scheme of their fications necessary for the adjutancy of own; whether they are aware of the a Yeomanry regiment, and why an officer great inconvenience this delay causes to serving in such regiment and possessing the inhabitants who are under the neces- the requisite qualifications should not be sity of sending their children daily to appointed to the adjutaney, so as to schools at the neighbouring town of avoid, as far as possible, the practice of Barrow-in-Furness; and when the Com- seconding officers from a regular cavalry missioners intend to issue a scheme? regiment while there are officers in the THE PARLIAMENTARY Yeomanry who have served in the CHARITY COMMISSIONER (Mr. Regulars, and who are qualified and F. S. STEVENSON, Suffolk, Eye): The willing to take the adjutancy, and in Commissioners have sent, for the con- this way save the half-pay of the officers sideration of the Governors, a draft of a so seconded? Scheme prepared by them upon con- MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: sideration of the Report made to them It is essential that the Adjutant of a in the matter by their Assistant Com- corps of Yeomanry should be in full missioner in December last. GERMANY AND BRITISH LIVE STOCK. touch with the Regular Cavalry, so as to be able to carry out the latest changes in drill and organisation. The Royal Warrant therefore requires that the appointment shall be conferred on a major or captain on full pay of a Cavalry 926 Regiment. The system, which applies MR. J. MORLEY said, he did not equally to the Militia and Volunteers, think the description a good one, but he has been found most beneficial in its knew, from conversation with these two effect, and there is no intention of alter- gentlemen, that they had taken every ing it. possible means all the means that rational men could devise to ascertain the position of the district. He should have an opportunity of seeing these gentlemen before many days were over, and he would see if any further inquiries could be made. RELIEF WORKS IN IRELAND. MR. J. G. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to a resolution unanimously passed by the Board of Guardians of the Glenties Union, on the 29th March, urgently pressing on the Government the necessity of opening relief works in the district, complaining that inquiries into the condition of the people had not been made by any Local Government Board Inspector, stating that the poor rate in some districts already amounts to 6s. in the pound, and likewise stating that comparatively few people in the Union have taken advantage of the Seed Act this year, owing to the fact that the seed supplied in 1880 cost 8s. 6d. per hundredweight, never came to maturity, and put the Union to an expenditure of £4,000; and whether steps will be taken for the immediate commencement of relief works in this district? MR. J. MORLEY: I have received the Resolution in question. The condition of the people in the various parts of this Union has been frequently inquired into, and works have been established in several divisions of the Union. There is only one division out of 27 in the Union in which the poor rate is 5s. 10d.; in the others the rate averages about 3s. The Guardians propose to distribute only a very small quantity of seed potatoes, the principal reason for this being, I think, that they were unable to collect a large proportion of former seed loans. The Local Government Board have asked the Guardians to reconsider the matter, and pointed out that the small occupiers ought to be given the facilities provided by the Act for cropping their lands. MR. MACNEILL asked whether the right hon. Gentleman did not know, not as a matter of opinion, but as a matter of fact, that the inspectors should consult the priests of the locality? MR. J. MORLEY said, these two gentlemen did consult the priests, and he had given instructions that in all cases they were to do so. THE ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS. MR. CYRIL DODD (Essex, Maldon): I beg to ask the Comptroller of the Household, as an Ecclesiastical Commissioner, whether he is aware that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners own most of the land of the village of Thorverton, Devon; whether Messrs. Clutton, as agents of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, have acted under the instructions of the Commissioners in declining to let to the Council of that parish land they desire to take for allotments under The Local Government Act, 1894, and whether such refusal is upon the ground that some of the proposed tenants are not labourers, but persons such as the village baker, carpenter, postmaster, and the like; and, whether he will call the attention of the Commissioners to the fact that the Act imposes no such restriction to the labouring classes as is suggested in regard to the hiring of land? MR. LEVESON-GOWER (Stokeupon-Trent): In the parish of Thorverton, in which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners are large landowners, the wants of the labouring population in the matter of MR. MACNEILL asked whether the allotments have been fully met. Nearly right hon. Gentleman was aware that nine acres have been set apart for this there was great dissatisfaction in the purpose, and there are also a number of district in reference to the cursory and small holdings. The present applicants imperfect system of inspection, and that are tradesmen in the village who ask for it had been denounced as an expensive some small pasture fields in the valley one, and that the inspectors, owing to now occupied by farmers, together with their flying visits, were called the "tan- hill arable farms. The Commissioners dem-driven inspectors"? are not prepared to deprive their farm tenants of land which is specially valu- injured within the German area; whether able to them merely for the advantage of he anticipates any serious destitution in those engaged in other kinds of business. either sphere; and, if so, whether he is MR. DODD asked the hon. Gentle- taking any steps to prevent the increase man whether he was aware that the in the Slave Trade to the coast hiring sections of the Act contained no plantations and to the islands limitation, and that they did not incor- likely to result from such destitution ; porate the old Allotment Act, and that, whether he is aware that natives wanting therefore, they appeared to be entitled to work dare not go to Pemba or the other its provision. islands for fear of being enslaved; and, whether he will take the opportunity of abolishing the status of slavery in the islands, so as to make it possible for destitute natives to seek work there without the danger of being ensnared into slavery? MR. LEVESON-GOWER said that subject had already been dealt with by the President of the Local Government Board in answer to the hon. Member for Epsom. MR. DODD asked whether the hon. Gentleman could take the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown upon the subject, because many of them were of opinion that there was no limitation. MR. LEVESON-GOWER said the hon. Member had better put a question of that kind to the Law Officers. FEMALE FACTORY INSPECTORS. MR. M. AUSTIN: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the districts covered by the present four female inspectors under the Factory Acts? MR. ASQUITH: The female inspectors visit all parts of the United Kingdom to make such enquiries as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector considers desirable. They are not permanently attached to particular districts. I may add that Miss Abraham has recently visited different places in Ireland, and Miss Dean is at present making inquiries in the North of Ireland. MR. M'GILLIGAN: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant Catholic magistrates in the electoral of Ireland if he can state the number of *MR. W. P. BYLES (York, W. R., divisions of Lattoone, Rogagh, and Shipley) asked, whether the appointment Garrison, county Fermanagh; is he of four lady inspectors had not been aware that a list of names of Catholic greatly to the public advantage, and gentlemen in different districts in County whether the right hon. Gentleman could not recommend the extension of their number? MR. ASQUITH said, he thought their appointment had been a great public advantage, and he should be very glad to see the number increased. SLAVERY IN EAST AFRICA. Fermanagh, recommended by leading and trustworthy persons, have been submitted to the Lord Chancellor as suitable and necessary appointments to the magistracy; and, if he can state whether such appointments will be made; and, if so, when? MR. J. MORLEY: The Lord Chancellor informs me he has no record of the MR. PARKER SMITH (Lanark, religious persuasions of magistrates by Partick): I beg to ask the Under Secre- electoral divisions. He has placed a tary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether considerable number of gentlemen in the any of the districts injured by the recent Commission in the County Fermanagh, swarms of locusts in Eastern Equatorial and has now under consideration the Africa are within the British sphere of claims of several others who have been influence, and what are the districts recommended to him for appointment. Mr. Leveson-Gower. FERMANAGH. to the Treasury could answer the hon. Gentleman. LABOURERS' DWELLINGS IN COUNTY | the Military Authorities. The only exception of which I am aware is the recent *MR. P. M'GILLIGAN (Fermanagh, case in the Cork district, and in that S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to instance the interference of the General the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether Officer Commanding was in the direction he is aware that at the inquiry recently of procuring good articles at a moderate instituted by the Local Government price within the district itself. As to Board relative to the housing of the the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs, I have no labourers in Lisnaskea Union, county information, but perhaps the Secretary Fermanagh, consequent on the refusal of the guardians to act on the representations sent in from time to time from the THE SECRETARY TO THE TREAratepayers of various divisions to adopt SURY (Sir JOHN HIBBERT, Oldham): the provisions of the Labourers Act, Mr. As regards the 2nd paragraph of the Murphy, solicitor, Clones, who appeared hon. Member's question, the assessment for the labourers, drew attention to the to Income Tax on the Army and Navy fact that some of the labourers, and Stores is made in the same manner as on especially one, Mr. Jones, who had attended had been threatened by their employers, and received intimations to look out for other houses, and that there had been a marked diminution in attendance of labourers at later stages of the inquiry; and whether steps will be taken in future to protect labourers who attend these inquiries from such treatment? MR. J. MORLEY: The Local Government Board have not yet received their Inspector's report of the proceedings at this inquiry, but they will refer the question to him for his observations. Complaints have been made in other cases that notices to quit had been served on applicants for cottages by their employers, but I hardly think the matter is one which comes within the control of the Local Government Board. ARMY CANTEEN SUPPLIES IN IRELAND. other traders, that is, on the actual profits on an average of three years; the rate at which the duty is charged is, of course, the current rate in force. I know nothing of the Report alluded to in the 3rd paragraph. MR. F. A. O'KEEFFE (Limerick): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, having regard to the statement that the recent order issued by the Commanding Officer of the Cork Military District regulating the supply of goods to the canteens in the south of Ireland would only continue for one month, whether, on the expiration of that period, tenders will be invited for the supply of the various necessary articles, as heretofore the custom in the garrison towns of Ireland? MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: The present arrangement is of a tentative character, and renewable month by month. I should be disposed to wait until we find how it succeeds before coming to any decision regarding it. MR. W. FIELD: I beg to ask the Secretary for War (1) whether he is aware that any portion of the supplies and POLICE IN COUNTY TIPPERARY. groceries and other canteen requisites MR. F. MANDEVILLE (Tipperary, for the troops stationed in Ireland are S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to supplied by the Army and Navy Stores; the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he has (2) whether, upon a total sale of £7,500,000 received an influentially signed memorial in those Stores, the Income Tax is from the people of the parish of Cullen, levied on a lower scale than that taken county Tipperary, asking not to suppress from retail traders; and (3) whether he is the police station there, for the ratein a position to state when the promised payers consider its position to be the Report on this matter will be issued ? most conveniently central in their dis*MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: trict; and if he will arrange to have the I have no knowledge of the fact alleged in Cullen Police Station kept on, the first paragraph, Canteen Committees of the less useful police stations suppressed generally being left to procure their instead of it? supplies according to their own discretion without any interference from and one MR. J. MORLEY: The Memorial referred to has been received. Owing to |