whether he will state the amount of the annual saving effected in the Irish administration; and whether he proposes to keep an account of the savings as well as the expenditure, so that the money due to Ireland shall not be lost sight of. (Answered by Mr. Austen Chamberlain.) As the Estimates for Irish Services are not yet completely closed, it is impossible to say at present what reduction will be shown in the estimated expenditure in 1904-5. The Annual Financial Relations Returns afford a comparative record of the cost of Irish Services in successive years. Inspection of Boarded-out Pauper Sanitary Inspectors' Certificates. SIR WALTER FOSTER (Derbyshire, Ilkeston): To ask the President of the Local Government Board if he can state the number of persons seeking certificates of competency as sanitary inspectors who have been examined in each year by the Board of Examinations constituted by the Local Government Board under Section 108 of The Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and the number to whom certificates of competency have been granted in each year. (Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) I am informed that the numbers follows: Number of Year. Applicants for 18 21 27 70 69 are as Officers_in_Indian Native RegimentsRank other than Military. COLONEL DENNY (Kilmarnock Burghs): To ask the Secretary of State for India if officers in the Indian Army serving in Native regiments hold any rank except that granted by the Sovereign, and notified in the Military Gazette; and, if so, who confers this rank, and under what authority. (Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) The answer is in the negative. Public Libraries in Ireland. MR. BOLAND (Kerry, S.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state how many rural district councils in Ireland have availed themselves of the Public Libraries Act of 1902, and will he give their names. This (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) information will be procured from the local authorities and communicated to the hon. Member as soon as possible. Certificates for Trained Nurses in Ireland. MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny): To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will give the names of the institutions in Ireland considered competent by the Local Government Board to give certificates for trained nurses within the meaning of the first portion of the Nursing Order; the names of the institutions in Ireland considered competent to give certificates for qualified nurses within the meaning of the second portion of said Order; and the position of nurses (who have been in the service of boards of guardians previous to the said Orders and whose service had been satisfactory) as to promotion to other offices, increase in salaries, or appointment to posts in other unions. (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) There is no official record kept of institutions fulfilling the requirements of Articles 2 (a) and 2 (b) of the Order in question. The claims of a particular hospital or institution are only considered as the necessity arises in connection with the necessity arises in connection with the registration of a nurse cr upon the application of the authorities of the hospital. Hence there may be and doubtless are hospitals which would be held by the Board to be competent to certify nurses as trained or qualified should the occasion for making inquiry Nurses whose employment in union hospitals had been sanctioned by the Board prior to the issue of the Order have not been disturbed in office; their rights have been carefully preserved to them. In no case has promotion or increase of salary been refused to any such nurse on the ground that she did not possess the qualifications prescribed by the Order. arise. Building of Technical Schools in Ireland. MR. FFRENCH: To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Agricultural and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act provides no funds for building purposes; and whether, in view of the danger of technical instruction coming to a standstill, or the local bodies ceasing to provide it, he will introduce a Bill providing funds for the building and (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) I discussed this matter with the deputation that waited on me in Dublin on the 11th January, and have no further statement to make at present. Collection of County Rates in Ireland. MR. FFRENCH: To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Wexford County Council passed a resolution Board to alter the dates for closing the requesting the Irish Local Government collection of county rates from the 31st March and 30th September to 1st May and 1st November, and that the Local Government Board refused to do so owing to the existing state of the law; and if so, whether, for the convenience of both ratepayers and collectors, he would undertake to bring about the proposed alteration either by legislation or other wise. financial half-years are fixed by the (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The Local Government Act, 1898, and the Orders made thereunder, and the Board has no power to vary these dates. The present arrangements involve no hardship on the ratepayers, and the collection of the rates has been characterised by remarkable punctuality. It is not proposed to introduce legislation with the object suggested in the Question. Irish Land Act. MR. FFRENCH: To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will consider the advisability of inserting a clause in the Bill which he proposes to introduce to amend the Irish Land Act, 1903, bringing tenants of agricultural farms, holding under grants in perpetuity (not being grants under the provisions of the Renewable Leasehold Conversion Act) dated subsequent to the 1st January, 1861, within the scope of the Act. (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The classes of tenants described in the Question, if in occupation of their holdings, are within the scope of the Land Purchase Acts. I am not aware that any amendment of the law in this respect is re Belfast Revaluation. MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Commissioner of Valuation in Ireland undertook to hear the views of appellants against the Belfast revaluation in person before publishing his revised appeal list; that he invited some of the public bodies to appoint representatives to meet him, and interviewed some classes of Belfast merchants and also delegates from a ratepayers' committee; and, if so, will he explain why the Commissioner did not hear the Belfast publicans, whose valuations have been increased from £27,000 to £63,000. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER, Belfast, W.): The Stobs Estate, 3,615 acres in extent, has been purchased. As regards the purchase of certain adjoining lands, the negotiations now proceeding have not reached a stage at which any disclosure in regard to their nature or the extent of the land (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The concerned would be expedient. I regret, Commissioner undertook to arrange there ore, that I am not in a position to interviews with the leading mercantile give the hon. and learned Member the inand other public bodies, as well as with formation which he desires to obtain. I individuals whose valuations were may add that at present no arrangements seriously affected by the revaluation. are being made for leasing any property In September, 1901, he met a deputation in this neighbourhood. of the Belfast licensed vintners, and in November, 1903, a leading member of that body, who put forward very clearly the views of the licensed vintners. Indian Officers. COLONEL DENNY: To ask the Secretary of State for War whether Paragraph 5 of the Royal Warrant of the 17th January, 1861, which provides that officers of the staff corps holding military appointments will take military command according to their Army rank, is still applicable to officers of the Indian Army. (Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) The answer is in the affirmative. COLONEL DENNY: To ask the Secretary of State for War whether Section 71 of the Army Act, which prohibits a combatant officer being subjected to the command of another of inferior rank, is applicable to officers of the Indian Army serving with Native regiments. (Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) The answer is in the affirmative. QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. Military Camp in Roxburghshire. The Irish Militia. MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been directed to the Official Minutes of Lord Wolseley, dated 3rd November, 1897, contained in the Appendices to the Report Volume of the War Commission, p. 247, in which he stated that the War Office could not afford to explain in Parliament or make otherwise public, the fact that Irish Militia are brought to England to whether, having regard to the different draw the teeth of possible rebellion; and reasons already given by the War Office authorities relative to the transference of Irish Militia to this country, he has any, and, if so, what, explanation of Lord Wolseley's Minute. MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER: I understand that the opinion expressed by Lord Wolseley was a personal one, and I have no knowledge of the reasons which led him to entertain the view he expressed in 1897. I have no reason to believe that Irish soldiers will prove traitors to their King or false to their military oath. The admirable and faithful performance of their duty by Irishmen in the service. of the Crown adds to the improbability of any such action. As a matter of Certificates for Trained Nurses in Ireland. MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny): To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will give the names of the institutions in Ireland considered competent by the Local Government Board to give certificates for trained nurses within the meaning of the first portion of the Nursing Order; the names of the institutions in Ireland considered competent to give certificates for qualified nurses within the meaning of the second portion of said Order; and the position of nurses (who have been in the service of boards of guardians previous to the said Orders and whose service had been satisfactory) as to promotion to other offices, increase in salaries, or appointment to posts in other unions. (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) There is no official record kept of institutions fulfilling the requirements of Articles 2 (a) and 2 (b) of the Order in question. The claims of a particular hospital or institution are only considered as the necessity arises in connection with the necessity arises in connection with the registration of a nurse cr upon the application of the authorities of the hospital. Hence there may be and doubtless are hospitals which would be held by the Board to be competent to certify nurses as trained or qualified should the occasion for making inquiry Nurses whose employment in union hospitals had been sanctioned by the Board prior to the issue of the Order have not been disturbed in office; their rights have been carefully preserved to them. In no case has promotion or increase of salary been refused to any such nurse on the ground that she did not possess the qualifications prescribed by the Order. arise. Building of Technical Schools in Ireland. MR. FFRENCH: To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Agricultural and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act provides no funds for building purposes; and whether, in view of the danger of technical instruction coming to a standstill, or the local bodies ceasing to provide it, he will introduce a Bill providing funds for the building and (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) I discussed this matter with the deputation that waited on me in Dublin on the 11th January, and have no further statement to make at present. Collection of County Rates in Ireland. MR. FFRENCH: To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Wexford County Council passed a resolution Board to alter the dates for closing the requesting the Irish Local Government collection of county rates from the 31st March and 30th September to 1st May and 1st November, and that the Local Government Board refused to do so owing to the existing state of the law; and if so, whether, for the convenience of both ratepayers and collectors, he would undertake to bring about the proposed alteration either by legislation or otherwise. financial half-years are fixed by the (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The Local Government Act, 1898, and the Orders made thereunder, and the Board has no power to vary these dates. The present arrangements involve no hardship on the ratepayers, and the collection of the rates has been characterised by remarkable punctuality. It is not proposed to introduce legislation with the object suggested in the Question. Irish Land Act. MR. FFRENCH: To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will consider the advisability of inserting a clause in the Bill which he proposes to introduce to amend the Irish Land Act, 1903, bringing tenants of agricultural farms, holding under grants in perpetuity (not being grants under the provisions of the Renewable Leasehold Conversion Act) dated subsequent to the 1st January, 1861, within the scope of the Act. (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The classes of tenants described in the Question, if in occupation of their holdings, are within the scope of the Land Purchase Acts. I am not aware that any amendment of the law in this respect is re Belfast Bevaluation. MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Commissioner of Valuation in Ireland undertook to hear the views of appellants against the Belfast revaluation in person before publishing his revised appeal list; that he invited some of the public bodies to appoint representatives to meet him, and interviewed some classes of Belfast merchants and also delegates from a ratepayers' committee; and, if so, will he explain why the Commissioner did not hear the Belfast publicans, whose valuations have been increased from £27,000 to £63,000. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. ARNOLD FORSTER, Belfast, W } The Stobs Estate, 3,615 acres in extant, has been purchased. As regards the pur chase of certain adjoining lands, the nego tiations now proceeding have not reached a stage at which any disclosure in regard to their nature or the extent of the land (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The concerned would be expedient. I regret, Commissioner undertook to arrange there ore, that I am not in a position to interviews with the leading mercantile give the hon. and learned Member the in and other public bodies, as well as with formation which he desires to obtain. 1 individuals whose valuations were may add that at present no arrangements seriously affected by the revaluation. are being made for leasing any property In September, 1901, he met a deputation in this neighbourhood. of the Belfast licensed vintners, and in November, 1903, a leading member of that body, who put forward very clearly the views of the licensed vintners. The Irish Militia MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been directed to the fetal Minutes of Lord Wony, dated 3rd November, 1897, stated in the Appendices to the Report Youme of the War Commission, p. 24, & work te stated that the War Ollie vand un afford to explain in Path make otherwise public, the incr land what is the negotiation |