any part thereof, together with the Re- sex, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Buckingports on those endowments of the Com- hamshire, and Oxfordshire); and as the missioners for inquiring concerning boundaries of the districts have been Charities, 1818 to 1837; (2) a Digest much altered from time to time any showing whether any, and, if any, what figures that could be given would be of such endowments are recorded in the little value for comparative purposes. I books of the Charity Commissioners in shall be happy to refer the hon. Member, the county borough; and (3) an Index, if he desires it, to such information as alphabetically arranged, of names and has been published from time to time in places mentioned in the Report."-(Mr. Parliamentary Returns upon the subject. Griffith-Boscawen.) GATESHEAD COUNTY BOROUGH (IN- Return ordered, "comprising (1) the Reports made to the Charity Commissioners, in the result of an Inquiry held in the county borough of Gateshead into endowments, subject to the provisions of the Charitable Trusts Acts, 1853 to 1894, and appropriated in whole or in part for the benefit of that county borough, or of any part thereof, together with the Reports on those endowments of the Commissioners for inquiring concerning Charities, 1818 to 1837; and (2) a Digest showing whether any, and, if any, what such endowments are recorded in the books of the Charity Commissioners in the county borough; and (3) an Index alphabetically arranged of names and places mentioned in the Report."—(Mr. Griffith-Boscawen.) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CIRCULATED WITH THE VOTES. Factories in London. SIR THOMAS DEWAR (Tower Hamlets, St. George's): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will grant a Return showing the number of factories in each of the four London districts in the years 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, and 1900, and indicating for each year the nature of the industries in each district. (Answered by Mr. Secretary Akers Douglas.) I am afraid the materials for such a Return are not in the possession of the Factory Department of the Home Office. As the hon. Member is aware, the London Inspection Districts include not only London but a very large area outside (at the present time they include Essex, Surrey, Sussex, Middle this £1,427,905 7s. 11d.; 1901–2, £827,630 4s. out further inquiry, whether 4d.; 1902–3, £1,338,342 5s. 8d. property is identical with that to which the Question has reference. Operations of Irish Land Act, 1903. County Mayo. MR. JOHN O'DONNELL: To ask the MR. P. A. MCHUGH (Leitrim, N.): To Right of Way on Grazing Farm at Island, ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state, in terms of years purchase, the price agreed upon by the 3,070 occupiers who have arranged to purchase their holdings under the Irish Land Purchase Act of 1903. (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) Periodical Reports of the proceedings of the Estates Commissioners will be laid before Parliament in pursuance of Section 23 (14) of the Act of 1903. An examination of the 3,070 agreements already lodged with a view to the tabulation of particulars respecting the terms of purchase in each case would entail an immense amount of labour on the staff of the Commissioners at a time when they are burdened with many onerous duties, and I would deprecate the practice of calling for voluminous interim Returns within so short a period of the date at which the Act came into operation. Division of Grazing Farm at Island, MR. JOHN O'DONNELL (Mayo, S.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the LordLieutenant of Ireland whether negotiations have been entered into at any time with a landlord of a large grazing farm at Island, near Ballyhaunis, county Mayo, with a view to having it divided in such a way as to enlarge the holdings of those tenants whose holdings adjoin it; and, if so, whether there is any possibility of having a sale effected in the near future. near (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) Negotiations were contemplated by the Congested Districts Board three years ago for the purchase of the Knox Estate, Ballyhaunis, but they were not proceeded with. I am informed that an application has been received by the Estates Commissioners from Mr. C. E. Crean in respect to a property in the same neighbourhood. The Commissioners will investigate the circumstances with a view to facilitate, if possible, the enlargement of holdings on the property. I am unable to say, at short notice and with Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether in view of the fact that the tenants on a small property known as Island, near Ballyhaunis, county Mayo, have been for many years using a passage across a grazing farm in that townland for the purpose of carrying home fuel, that they have been prevented for the past two years by the grazier who now holds it, who was assisted by the constabulary in preventing the people from using this passage, and that there is a dispute about the pathway in question, he will give instructions to the police not to further interfere until the case is disposed of by a Court of law. hon. Member on to-day's Paper. I am inquiring whether the regulations in this respect have been uniformly observed. The Return referred to is as follows: Return showing the names of railway stations in Ireland that are considered of sufficient importance to necessitate the presence of policemen on duty in or near them; the names of stations in Ireland where arrests were made since the 27th April, 1903; and the names of stations where the station-master was forced to call in the aid of the police to prevent breaches of the peace or capture criminals. in Army Estimates for 1902-3, in return for services rendered and actual expenditure incurred, and not as war compensation. MR. WHITLEY: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the sum appears in the accounts of the company as received for war compensation. *MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORT: That would be incorrect. It was for services rendered, and was voted by Parliament. MR. WHITLEY asked what was the nature of the services. [No answer was returned.] Army Contracts in Ireland. MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that last year it was so arranged that Dublin tailors had not an opportunity of tendering for the supply of uniforms for officers entering the service; and that certain English firms were named and price lists sent out; and whether this arrangement will be altered so as to allow Irish firms the opportunity of tendering for supplies. *MR. BROMLEY DAVENPORT: Under existing arrangements Irish firms have precisely the same opportunities as those of England, Scotland, and Wales, in submitting price lists for the supply of outfits to officers joining the service. A considerable number of Irish firms have availed themselves of the opportunity and their lists have been duly circulated. A public intimation was also made that any firm wishing at any time to be added to the list should apply for this permission. MR. NANNETTI: But is my statement true. Do the officers commanding the Connaught Rangers and the Engineers recommend English firms? MR. SPEAKER: Order, order! Navy Contracts. Sir JOHN LENG (Dundee): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will explain the reason for the discontinuance of the practice of posting the names of successful tenderers to the Department. THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. PRETYMAN, Suffolk, Woodbridge) The posting of the names of successful tenderers to the Admiralty led to inconvenience, and is now unnecessary, as all firms who may have tendered are informed whether their offers have been accepted or declined. H.M.SCenturion"-Navy Gun Sights. MR. REGINALD LUCAS (Portsmouth): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether H.M.S. "Centurion" was recently commissioned with some of her guns wrongly sighted; and, if so, what steps have been taken to remedy the defects. MR. PRETYMAN: I cannot say exactly how long it will take. It is a scientific question, but, if the hon. Gentleman will give me notice, I will answer the Question. MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis): Is the country to understand that this vessel is going to sea with incorrect sights? MR. PRETYMAN: No, Sir; the original sights are correct, and are still fitted to the guns. A new pattern sight is fitted in duplicate which is not absolutely correct. MR. GIBSON BOWLES: Then are we to understand that the sights that are to be used are incorrect, and that the correct sights are not to be used? No answer was returned. Indian Railway Contracts for Germany. SIR THOMAS DEWAR (Tower Hamlets, St. George's): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India if he will explain why an order for 800 pairs of wheels and axles for the Indian State Railways was recently given to German makers; will he state the value of the order thus secured by Germany, and what number of British firms competed for the contract ; is he aware that the last locomotives made in Germany for service on the Indian Railways were not favourably reported on by the inspectors; and, if so, can he say whether any action has been taken for the purpose of excluding the contractors from future tenders. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. BRODRICK, Surrey, Guildford) The order to which the hon. Member refers was given to a German firm because their tender was considerably lower than that of any English firm, and was, in the opinion of my advisers, very satisfactory in other respects. It would be contrary to the established practice to divulge the price at which the German firm or any other firm tendered. I am not aware that an unfavourable report on the last locomotives made in Germany for Indian Railways has been received; but I may add that the order in question was given by an Indian Railway Company and not by me or by my predecessor in office. SIR CHARLES MCLAREN (Leicestershire, Bosworth): Are the specifications issued to foreign firms the same as those issued to British firms. MR. BRODRICK: Yes, precisely the same. Convict Labour for Johannesburg Mines. MR. WHITLEY: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has any official information that on 19th November last it was stated to the Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg that the Transvaal Government had offered a thousand native convicts for the mines; if so, was the offer accepted, and what is the total number of convicts so employed. *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. LYTTELTON, Warwick and Leamington): I have received no official information on the subject. MR. WHITLEY: Will the right hon. Gentleman make inquires in South Africa? I can give him information. MR. LYTTELTON: Yes, Sir. Australian Immigration Act. MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON (Dundee): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that by the Australian Immigration Act of 1901, workmen from the United Kingdom proceeding to Australia under a contract to perform manual labour are liable, on landing, to be imprisoned for six months and afterwards deported, he will state whether any correspondence on the subject took place between the Imperial Government and the Governor General of Australia or the Government of the Commonwealth; and, if so, whether he will lay it upon the Table of the House. *MR. LYTTELTON: No, Sir. No correspondence has passed with the Commonwealth Government in regard to the provision referred to in the Australian Vehicular Accidents in London. SIR THOMAS DEWAR: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number of accidents caused by covered vehicles in the streets of the Metropolis during the year 1903 which have resulted in personal injuries; and will he say how many of such accidents have proved fatal. *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. AKERS DOUGLAS, Kent, St. Augustine's): There were, during 1903, 1,425 accidents caused by covered vans in the streets of the Metropolis which resulted in personal injury. Of these accidents twenty-nine |