Brixham; Gloucester; Juniper Green; South Petherton; Bampton and HuntPenryn; Widdrington; Bolton (eight); sham; Dumfries (two); Annan; SanMiddlesbrough; Chelston; Mitchell; quhar; Topsham; Whalley Range; St. Stephens; Padstow; Withill; Fence Houses; Thornaby on Tees; Grampound Road; St. Austell; St. Withington; Dearham; Gotham; Mid Dennis ; Pendleton; Kennington; Cheshire; Stirling; and Durham; to Jordanhill; Alloa; Tillicoultry; Isling- lie upon the Table. ton; South Molton; Greetland; Elland; Sandbach; Salford Dock; Salford (two); NADAN, SIVASULRAMANIA. Exmouth; Axminster; Hove Edge; Petition of Sivasulramania Nadan, for Stourbridge; Brighouse; Malvern; redress of grievances; to lie upon the Whiteinch; Halifax; Marnhull; Aln- Table. wick; Warrington; Chardstock; Leominster; St. Blazey; Sauchie; Haltonle-Gate; Dublin; Llanidan; Partick; RAMCHANDA, GANESH. Petition from Ganesh Ramchanda, for Dreghorn ; Stevenston; Devonport; inquiry into his case; to lie upon the London Auxiliary of the United King- Table. dom Alliance (two); Newcastle (four); Coleorton; Wansbeck; West Hartlepool (two); Cwmbran; Bournemouth (two); Winton; Christchurch; Muir RATING OF GROUND RENTS AND VALUES. Petition from St. Pancras, for legisla kirk; Troon (two); Dalmellington; tion; to lie upon the Table. SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON SUNDAY. Shiney Row ; Birkenhead (three); Petitions for prohibition; from BawAlva; Rishton; Kelty; Markinch; try; Taunton; Glastonbury; and YeoBuckhaven; South Wingfield; Peak vil; to lie upon the Table. Dale; Bugsworth; Haggs; Grangemouth; Larbert; Laurieston; Lennoxtown; Carron; Blackbraes; Bonnybridge; Kilsyth; Milngarvie; Ivybridge; Clapham Park; Putney; Bradford (three); Salford; Hetton-leHole; New Lambton; Midhurst ; RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC. SOUTH AFRICA. Copy presented, of Further Correspond vaal and Orange River Colony [by Command]; to lie upon the Table. BARBADOS. Copy presented, of Prison Rule relating COUNTY COURTS, ENGLAND (FEES). Dundee (two); Lochee; Stockport; ence relating to the Affairs of the Trans- dated 30th December, 1903, regulating Copy presented, of Treasury Order, Court Fees in County Courts [by Act]; to lie upon the Table. Paper laid upon the Table by the INQUIRY INTO CHARITIES (COUNTY Further Return, relative thereto [ordered 14th February, 1900; Mr. Grant Lawson]; to be printed. [No. 19.] SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE (IRELAND). Copy ordered, "of Account of the Receipts and Payments of the Accountant General of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Ireland, in respect of the Funds of Suitors in the said Court, including therein Funds to the credit of Lunacy Accounts, in the year to the 30th day of September, 1903; together with a Statement of Liabilities and Assets, and particulars of Securities in Court, on the 30th day of September, 1903." (Mr. Victor Cavendish.) CIVIL CONTINGENCIES FUND, 1902-3. Copy ordered, "of Accounts of the Civil Contingencies Fund, 1902-3, showing (1) the Receipts and Payments in connection with the Fund in the year ended the 31st day of March, 1903; (2) the distribution of the Capital of the Fund at the commencement and close of the year, together with Copy of Correspondence with the Comptroller and Auditor-General thereon."-(Mr. Victor Cavendish.) NATIONAL GALLERY (REPORT). Copy ordered, "of the Report of the Directors of the National Gallery for the year 1903, with Appendices." (Mr. Victor Cavendish.) PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCIES (ELECTORS, &c.) (UNITED KINGDOM). Address for "Return showing, with regard to each Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom, the total number and, as far as possible, the number in each class of Electors on the register now in force; and also showing the Population and Inhabited Houses in each Constituency (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 34, of Session 1903)." (Sir Charles Dilke.) TRADE AND NAVIGATION. Copy ordered, "of Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom for each month during the year 1904."-(Mr. Gerald Balfour.) ALIEN IMMIGRATION. Return ordered, "of the number of Aliens that arrived from the Continent Distress in Ireland-Distribution of MR. JAMES O'KELLY (Roscommon, N.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the failure of the crops, and the consequent distress in the West of Ireland, he will bring in a Bill enabling district councils to purchase and distribute seed potatoes among the small tenant farmers. (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) It is unfortunately true that there has been a shortage in the yield of the crops in parts of Ireland due to the unfavourable climatic conditions that prevailed in the latter months of the past season, but it is not apprehended that the shortage is such as to lead to the occurrence of anything approaching exceptional distress. Although the potato crop was rather below the average it was by no means a failure, and I am advised by the Local Government Board that there are not sufficient grounds for introducing legislation with the object mentioned. Compulsory Purchase in West of Ireland. MR. JAMES O'KELLY: To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the terms demanded by landlords in the West of Ireland for the sale of their estates, and their effect on the resettlement of the people on the land in Connaught, he will bring in a Bill conferring compulsory powers of purchase on the Congested District Board and on the Estates Commissioners. (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The same question is raised in the Amendment to the Address standing in the name of the hon. Member for North Leitrim. I would prefer to postpone my reply until that Amendment is reached. Chinese Labour in South Africa. MR. BROADHURST (Leicester): To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can inform the House as to the progress of the efforts made to import Chinese workmen into the Transvaal Colony; whether the Government have been consulted in the matter; and, if so, what decision, if any, the Government have come to regarding these proposals of the mine-owners. (Answered by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton.) I must refer the hon. Member to the Papers which are being published to-day. Lord Curzon and the Governor-General of Shiraz. Majesty's Government; and can Papers be laid containing the Correspondence on the subject interchanged with the Persian Government as well as with Lord Curzon and His Majesty's Minister in Persia. (Answered by Earl Percy.) The form of ceremonial originally arranged between the Persian Government and His Majesty's Minister at Teheran was subsequently modified by the former in certain particulars before the Viceroy's arrival at Bushire. The desire and intention expressed by His Majesty the Shah of showing courtesy and hospitality to the Viceroy was unhappily frustrated owing to the arrangements locally made. His Majesty's Government share the regret of the Persian Government at an untoward incident which is now closed, and with regard to which it is therefore undesirable and unnecessary to lay any Papers. NEW MEMBER SWORN. John Johnson, esquire, for the Borough of Gateshead. BALLOT FOR BILLS AND MOTIONS. Ordered, That no Bills, other than Government Bills, be introduced in anticipation of the ballot, and that all Members who desire to ballot, whether for Bills, or Motions for Tuesday, 9th February, and Tuesday, 16th February, and Wednesday, 10th February, and Wednesday, 17th February, do hand in their names at the Table during the sitting of the House on the first or second day of the session, and that a copy of such Notices be handed in, at the latest, during the sitting of the House on the third day of the session. That the ballot for the precedence of the said Bills and Motions be taken on the third day on which the House sits, at a convenient time and place, to be appointed by Mr. Speaker, and that the presentation of Bills on the fourth sitting day be taken as soon after Twelve o'clock as Mr. Speaker may deem convenient.(Mr. Secretary Akers-Douglas.) MR. GIBSON BOWLES: To ask the First Lord of the Treasury can any information be given respecting the recent incident at Bushire which induced Lord Curzon to leave that port without exchanging visits with the Persian Prince, Governor-General of Shiraz, who had arrived at Bushire to welcome him; had the form of ceremonial been arranged at Teheran between His Majesty's Minister and the Persian Governinent, and did Lord Curzon subCITY OF LONDON WRIT. sequently insist on such ceremonial being Order read, for resuming Adjourne:1 modified; has the course adopted by Debate on Question [2nd February], Lord Curzon been approved by His "That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a New Writ for the electing of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the City of London, in the room of the hon. Alban George Henry Gibbs, who, since his election for the said City, has undertaken a contract, with the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, for the public service.”—(Sir A. AclandHood.) Question again proposed. Debate resumed. under the provision he had quotedThere was no more difficult question to decide in law than the one affecting the relations of principal and agents. Even Messrs. Gibbs had considerable doubt as to their actual position, and Mr. Vicary Gibbs in one of his speeches said he did not know whether he was a contractor or not. He (Mr. MacNeill) had written a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer warning him that in accepting the resignation of Mr. Gibbs he would, under the circumstances, be exceeding his discretion in the matter of the Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds. He could not trace a single instance in which a Member of the House MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, of Commons, having entered into a S.) said he had placed on the Paper contract with a Government Department, notice of an Amendment which was had been allowed to resign without in accordance with precedent, its object the House exercising its own jurisbeing to secure the appointment of a Select Committee of seven Members to consider whether Messrs. Vicary and Alban Gibbs were disqualified from sitting or voting as Members of the House under the Statute 22 Geo. 3, cap. 45. This Amendment was similar to the one moved in 1869 in the case of Sir Sydney Waterlow, who had given notice to the Speaker that he was a contractor to the Government. On that occasion the House did not accept the mere allegation of his contractorship as a matter about which there was no dispute, but it exercised its own discretion in the matter. Now he was making nc imputation whatever on the Messrs. Gibbs; they were doing, no doubt, what they thought was right and proper. But the statute referred to in his Amendment was very specific. It said that no person, directly or indirectly, undertaking or enjoying the whole or any part of any contract made with the Commissioners of the Treasury, or generally on account of the public service, was disqualified from being elected to Parliament all such time he held such contract or any share thereof or received any benefit or emoluments arising therefrom. What had occurred in this case was that Messrs. Gibbs acted as brokers on behalf of the Chilian Government and executed a contract for the sale of *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR two warships to the British Government. THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. It was a very great question whether AKERS-DOUGLAS, Kent, St. Augustine's) such a proceeding made them contractors said the hon. Member who had raised diction to find out whether he was a contractor or not. It was not enough for a man to write to Mr. Speaker saying "I am a contractor "; the question was one of the law and not of fact; it was an inference to be drawn from a long series of Acts. This was not a mere dilettante matter of Parliamentary formality, it was a question of the rights of the House, because it was necessary that transactions of a pecuniary nature between the Government and private Members should be brought under the cognisance of the House. He submitted it was absolutely necessary for the protection of the rights of Parliament that the House should itself decide whether or not Messrs. Gibbs were in the position of contractors. He begged to move. Amendment proposed "To leave out from the word 'That,' to the end of the Question, and add the words a Select Committee of seven Members be appointed to consider whether Mr. Vicary Gibbs and Mr. Alban Gibbs are disqualified from sitting or voting as Members of this House under the Statute 22 Geo. 3, c. 45, and to report their opinion thereon.'"-(Mr. Swift MacNeill.) Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question." case. No questions were coming before Parliament, Question put, and agreed to. Main Question put, and agreed to. this question had told them that the House ought to decide whether or not these gentlemen were contractors; but he had to maintain that the precedents cited by the hon. Member-those of Sir Sydney Waterlow and Baron Rothschild -were not analogous to the present The question that arose in the case of Baron Rothschild was whether he was qualified to retain his seat in the House because he had contracted for a Government loan, and whether such a proceeding amounted to a contract within the meaning of the Act. The Committee to whom the question was referred decided that he was not a contractor within the meaning of the Act, and that he was therefore qualified to retain his seat, and that decision was afterwards made clear by statute. In the case of Sir Sydney Waterlow there was a petition against his election in 1868 on the ground that he held a Government contract, but the petition was withdrawn, and the hon. Member sat during an autumn session. In the following year, however, the question was again raised, a Committee was appointed, and they reported that Sir Sydney Waterlow was disqualified, and that his seat was vacant. In both those cases there was a doubt whether any disqualification had occurred, and the Members, by retaining Henry Gibbs, who, since his election for their seats, must be held to have disputed the said City, has undertaken a contract, their disqualification. In other words, they were fighting against proposed disqualification, and desired to continue their membership of the House. That fact distinguished those cases from the present ones. In the present case two gentlemen, who were lately Members of the House, had admitted to the Speaker that they had accepted a contract, and that they were disqualified from sitting in the House, and in the usual course, a Motion had been made for the issue of new Writs to fill the vacancies caused by the forfeiture of their seats. They were anxious to resume the places which they had forfeited by accepting the contract. As had been stated by the hon. Member for South Donegal, there was no question of imputation against them; they had acted in perfect good faith and in a manner which reflected very great credit upon them. It must be remembered, too, that very grave Hood.) Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the City of London, in the room of the hon. Alban George with the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, for the public service. COUNTY OF HERTFORD (MID OR ST. ALBANS DIV S【ON) (WRIT). Order read, for resuming Adjourned Debate on Question [2nd February], "That Mr. Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the County of Hertford (Mid or St. Albans Division) in the room of the hon. Vicary Gibbs, who, since his election for the said County, has undertaken a contract, with the Commissioners for executing the Office. of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, for the public service."—(Sir A. Acland |