the Treasury, and the result I shall be tion of the Mayor, the resident maable to state in a few days. POST OFFICE (IRELAND) — THE COLONEL NOLAN asked the Secretary to the Treasury, If any memorials or reports have been received at the Post Office stating that Tuam and North Galway have been injured rather than helped by the recent acceleration of the mails to the town of Galway, and if he would take steps to enable Tuam to benefit by the acceleration of the mails; if it is a fact that the Railway Company which leases the Tuam line only receives 198. a-week for carrying the mails by day 16 miles, and if the mails are carried by night at a cost of £165 by car; if it is possible to come to some agreement with the Railway by which the mails could be forwarded at once to Dublin or Tuam, instead of waiting two and a half hours at Athenry; and, if he could, at night, replace the car service by a train service to and from Tuam? THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. H. H. FOWLER): Memorials have been received on the subject referred to, including a written statement from the hon. and gallant Member himself, and are undergoing careful examination. The existing payments for the mail service are correctly stated in the Question. It is feared that the substitution of trains for the car which conveys the night mail to Tuam would confer little, if any, postal advantage, while the cost would be undoubtedly large. But both this point and the question whether an improvement of the day mail is feasible shall be fully considered. gistrates, the divisional magistrate, and the town inspector. In regard to the second paragraph of the Question, I have to say that it is usual to charge the moiety of the extra force on the locality. I am informed that it is the custom to abrogate that rule in the cases of Royal and Vice-regal visits; but this was not a visit of that character. EGYPT-IRRIGATION WORKS AND FORCED LABOUR. SIR BERNHARD SAMUELSON asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any information has been received; recently from Sir Evelyn Baring, as to the progress of irrigation works and to the abolition of forced labour in Egypt; whether papers on these subjects will be laid before Parliament shortly; and, whether they can, without inconvenience, be presented separately from any other Papers relating to Egypt? THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. BRYCE): Some Reports as to the progress of irrigation works in Egypt have been received; but there is no detailed information of a very recent date. Colonel Moncrieff, who is at the head of the Irrigation Department, has obtained a grant from the proceeds of the Guaranteed Loan for the purpose of making preliminary studies before submitting plans for larger operations. Reports have been received, and correspondence is still passing, as to the means of effecting the entire abolition of forced labour in Egypt. A system of commuting the obligation for a money payment has already been tried as an experiment in certain districts. There will be no objection to presenting the Papers on these subjects in a separate form, as the hon. Baronet desires, as soon as a definite decision has been taken. WESTMEATH. MR. JOHNSTON asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, THE IRISH LAND COURT-APPEALS IN At whose instigation the large extra. force of police was brought to Belfast, on the occasion of the recent visit of Lord Randolph Churchill; and, from what fund the expense incurred will be defrayed? THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY): The extra force of police was sent to Belfast on the occasion referred to on the recommenda Mr. John Morley MR. TUITE asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been directed to the injustice inflicted upon the tenant farmers of Westmeath by reason of their being obliged to go to Dublin to have their appeal cases heard before the Chief Commissioners of the Land Court; whether tenants of every kind are being 1537 Use of a Gunboat by the (MARCH 1, 1886} Resident Magistrate at Bantry. 1538 brought to Dublin to have their cases tried, and that it must necessarily happen that the poorer class are totally unable to bear the expense of bringing their solicitor, valuer, and other witnesses up, where in all probability they would have to keep them for a few days; whether, in consequence of this, a large number of poor tenants are being obliged to settle with their landlords upon worse terms than they would be fairly entitled to from the Court; and, whether, having regard to the above facts, and that Mullingar, the Assize town of the county, is only 50 miles from the Metropolis, he will direct the Chief Commissioner to proceed to Mullingar for the purpose of hearing the appeals now pending? THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY): The Land Commissioners report that Section 47 of the Land Law Act enables them to determine any appeal in Dublin, or, at their discretion, to proceed to any place in Ireland for the purpose of determining appeals. They have arranged their sittings in the country, so as to afford the utmost possible convenience to suitors, and with that object have sat in the most remote places; but it is absolutely impracticable for them to comply with every request made to them as to where their Court shall be held. Their sittings for the present year have been arranged and advertised, and cannot. now be altered. They sit in 21 different districts in Ireland, and as they must be in Dublin every alternate week for administrative business they hear appeals from the Province of Leinster during that week, and thus press on their business with the greatest possible despatch. A separate sitting at Mullingar could not be held. POST OFFICE-EXTRA POSTAGE. Mr. E. R. COOK (for Mr. KITCHING) asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, If his attention has been drawn to the hardship and inconvenience experienced by a large number of rural householders, chiefly of the labouring class, by reason of their letters being delivered at irregular intervals, and then only on payment of extra postage; and, whether he will consider the practicability of extending the distance in country districts within which letters are delivered daily on bearing the penny stamp? VOL. CCCII. [THIRD SERIES.] THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. H. H. FOWLER): The extension of the free delivery of letters to all inhabited houses would entail a very serious expenditure. The attention of the Post Office is, however, constantly directed to the extension of the free delivery in rural parts, and facilities are afforded wherever the circumstances, after careful inquiry, appear to justify the outlay involved." PIERS AND HARBOURS (IRELAND)— HARBOUR WORKS AT COSTELLO AND KILKERRIN, CO. GALWAY. MR. FOLEY asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, The cause of the delay in commencing the works for the harbours of Costello and Kilkerrin, county Galway; and, when the recommendation of the Piers and Harbours Commissioners for these works was sanctioned? THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY): As regards the firstnamed of these places it is expected that the work will be commenced within a week. There has been, I am informed, no unnecessary delay. The Fishery Piers and Harbours Commission, have not yet made a final recommendation respecting Kilkerrin. NAVY-USE OF A GUNBOAT BY THE RESIDENT MAGISTRATE AT BANTRY. MR. T. C. HARRINGTON asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether it is true that one of Her Majesty's gunboats has been, for the past two years, placed at the disposal of the resident magistrate in Bantry, for the special purpose of conveying him once in the fortnight to the Petty Sessions District in Castletown; whether it is true that a public steamer plies regularly in the bay, by which this gentleman could be conveyed for the sum of four shillings, and the journey may be also performed by public car; and, if so, what special reason exists for giving this gentleman the use of a ship of war; and, whether it is on his responsibility that Mr. Payne, the agent of the Earl of Bantry, is also allowed to travel as a passenger on board the gunboat when visiting the district to collect rent? THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. HIBBERT), in reply, said, that, in the first place, it was true that 3 D EGYPT-MEDALS AND GRATUITIES— Major Warburton was allowed to use the | vice of the Guaranteed Debt, it would gunboat referred to, the Britomart, by go to Turkey. special permission of Dublin Castle. It was also true that a public steamer plied regularly in the bay. He had no information that Mr. Payne travelled in the Britomart with Major Warburton; but, if he did so, it was as a guest of the captain. CYPRUS (FINANCE, &c.). COLONEL BRIDGEMAN asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether any part of the revenues of Cyprus is used to pay the interest of the Turkish Loan of 1855, guaranteed by England and France; whether France, who divides with England the responsibility for this payment bears her share, or whether the whole is paid by Cyprus; and, if Cyprus pays the whole, or a part, whether Her Majesty's Government propose to take any steps to relieve the Cypriots from paying the liabilities of England and France? H.M.S. "JUMNA." MR. VANDERBYL asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether the Lords of the Admiralty will be pleased to reconsider their Letter, A. G. N. 21, of the 27th November 1885, by which H.M.S. Jumna was omitted from the list of ships entitled to participate in the award of medals and gratuities for the late Suakin Campaign by Parliamentary grant, that ship having been seventeen days alongside the camp in the inner harbour of Suakin during a time of actual hostilities in the neighbourhood (and within the requisite dates), and employed embarking wounded, &c. having especial regard to the fact that in 1884, when the Jumna was similarly employed, her officers and men were granted both; and, whether, under these circumstances, the Admiralty will be stow the said medals and batta on those officers and men of the Jumna present in her at Suakin in April and May 1885 not atready in possession of the decoration or previously granted batta ? THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. OSBORNE MORGAN): Under Article 3 of the Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1878, an annual sum, now ascertained to be £92,800, was agreed to be paid to Turkey out of the revenues of Cyprus. This sum when paid ceased to THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIbe part of the revenues of Cyprus, and RALTY (Mr. HIBBERT): It is not conbecame part of the revenues of the Otto-sidered desirable to reverse the decision man Empire. Turkey having, since 1876, ceased to provide for the payment of interest on the Turkish Loan of 1855, guaranteed by England and France (excepting so far as that interest is charged on the Egyptian Tribute), this sum of £92,800 is paid over to a special account at the Bank of England, and is, with the acquiescence of Turkey, ultimately applied to make good the default of Turkey in payment of that interest. It is one of the first rules of equity that, where one or two guarantors gets hold of an asset belonging to the defaulting guaranteed person, he must share the benefit of it with his coguarantor, and in compliance with this well-known rule the money so received is applied to make good payments which otherwise would have to be met by the two guaranteeing Powers, England and France. The ultimate application of the fund can make no possible difference to Cyprus; because, under the AngloTurkish Convention, that Island is bound in any case to pay the £92,800 a-year, and if it was not required for the serMr. Hibbert arrived at by the previous Board, that the award of the medal and gratuity should be limited to warships engaged in the defence of Suakin and to storeships and other vessels which had been employed for a lengthened period during the operations. The troopship Juma was at Suakin on two different occasions, and only 15 days inclusive. It is true that the Jumna received the gratuity and decorations for the previous campaign in 1884; but the period of her service at the base of operations extended over nearly the whole period for which the award was made. I may also add, that it would be altogether a new principle to award medals or gratuities to some only of the crew, merely on the ground that they did not get them for the former campaign. COMMUTATION OF PENSIONS. MR. BRADLAUGH asked the Secretary to the Treasury, The name of the trustee now acting on behalf of the Crown in the matter of a sum of £229,000 invested to secure the per authorities in making suitable and equitable provision for interments in parochial burial places? petual annual payment of £6,870 to the Duke of Grafton; and, whether he will lay upon the Table a Copy of the Declaration executed by the present trus- THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. tees? CHILDERS): My right hon. and learned THE SECRETARY TO THE TREA-Friend the Under Secretary of State for SURY (Mr. H. H. FOWLER): The Trus- the Colonies (Mr. Osborne Morgan) will tee on behalf of the Crown is the First ask leave to introduce, on behalf of the Lord of the Treasury for the time being. Government, a Bill similar to the one The present Trustees were appointed by introduced in 1885. deed, and there was no express declaration of trust executed by the present Trustees. They were appointed for the purposes of the Acts 46 Geo. III. c. 79, and 55 Geo. III. c. 53. If the hon. Gentleman would refer to those Acts, they would put him in possession of all the circumstances. MR. BRADLAUGH asked whether the hon. Gentleman was aware that the Treasury had already said that there was no declaration of trust, and that the reason given was that it was not required? MR. H. H. FOWLER: Yes; that is exactly the purport of my answer. MR. BRADLAUGH asked the Secretary to the Treasury, The respective dates of the several declarations of trust executed in reference to lands purchased out of the sum invested to secure the perpetual annual payment of £19,000 to the Duke of Richmond, and the names of the trustees in each case; and, if he will allow the several deeds to be inspected by honourable Members? MR. H. H. FOWLER: There is no information at the Treasury as to the dates of the documents referred to, or the names of the Trustees in each case. I understand that the conveyance of the lands is made for the same uses as the annual payment of £19,000, and the hon. Member will find considerable information in the Act 1 Vict. c. 34, and the Duke of Richmond's Settled Estates Act of 1868. The Treasury has no control over those deeds, which are in the custody of the noble Duke, either at Goodwood or Gordon Castle. BURIALS-LEGISLATION-BURIAL POOR LAW (IRELAND)-ELECTION OF GUARDIANS-MR. JOSEPH D. GRIER, MR. MAURICE HEALY asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to the conduct of Mr. Joseph D. Grier, clerk of the Cavan Poor Law Board, in connection with the coming election of Poor Law Guardians for that Union; whether it is a fact that the Nationalist ratepayers of the Union, having lodged a large number of claims to vote, Mr. Grier acting as returning officer, has issued an advertisement in the local papers (Anglo-Celt of the 20th instant) requiring documentary evidence in support of all claims to vote" lodged since the last election; what powers a returning officer has to require documentary" evidence in support of claims to vote, such claims being in many cases, from their nature, incapable of being so supported; whether he is aware that the medium of advertisement selected as a substitute for direct communication is one which is exceedingly unlikely to come under the notice of a large proportion of the claimants; whether the proceeding in question is taken under the 6 and 7 Vic. c. 92, s. 26; and, if so, whether that enactment, being limited to particular cases in which a returning officer "has reasonable cause to doubt the correctness of any claim to vote," the Local Government Board will direct Mr. Grier to abandon his proposed general court of inquiry, and to issue voting papers to all claimants except in particular cases in which doubt has been thrown on the correctness of any claim, and the claimant, after notice directly given, has failed to satisfy him; whether it is the fact that a large number of the claimants live at considerable distances, in some cases as much as ten miles, from the board room where Mr. Grier proposes to hold his court, and would be al put to great inconvenience by being MR. RICHARD asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether the Government will, at an early period, re-introduce the Burial Grounds Bill brought in last Sess some other measure wh the difficulties now compelled needlessly to attend there; and, whether it is the fact that Mr. Grier's action is entirely without precedent? THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY): The Local Government Board assure me that they are unable, at this moment, to give any informatian in answer to this Question, it not having appeared in time. I shall ask the hon. Member to repeat the Question in two or three days. MR. MAURICE HEALY: I shall repeat it in its original form. MR. SPEAKER: I must remind the hon. Member that the Question to which he refers in its original form as put at the Table was out of Order, and I disallowed it. MR. MAURICE HEALY: I will have the Question in such a form as will conform with the Rules of Order. METROPOLIS-SUNDAY MEETINGS IN THE PARKS. THE PRESIDENT (Mr. MUNDELLA): The Customs do not in this matter act under the direction of the Board of Trade, but of the Treasury. They inform me that they do their utmost to stop the importation of goods bearing the name of a place in this country which would, from its reputation for particular manufactures, impart a special character or reputation to the goods bearing such name; and they have recently seized and condemned several cases of cutlery imported from abroad, marked with the brand of Sheffield, which were not of Sheffield manufacture. In reply to Mr. A. O'CONNOR, MR. MUNDELLA said, that he was not aware of foreign goods being marked with Sheffield brands by Sheffield men; but he had heard that such was the case, and he would be very glad to see such fraudulent practices stopped. MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT asked the right hon. Gentleman, Whether the only case of false marking discovered in Sheffield was not in the case of a charge brought against the proprietor of a local Radical paper, who had sold very cheap and bad spectacles under a description which did not belong to them? CAPTAIN FELLOWES asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, in consequence of the permission accorded to Socialist and other societies to hold meetings in the public parks on Sundays, it is intended on such occasions to confine the Troops MR. MUNDELLA, in reply, said, to barracks; and, if so, whether notice that he was not aware of anything of the to that effect will be given to Command-kind having occurred. If the proprietor ing Officers of regiments in London, in order that they may be able to grant the usual weekly half-holiday on some other day of the week to men who are not on duty? THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. CHILDERS): In reply to the hon. and gallant Gentleman, I have to say that the course to be taken in each particular case must necessarily depend on the circumstances of the case. If those circumstances should require that troops should be held in readiness, the earliest possible notice would be given to the commanding officers. I hope that in the future, as in the past, this necessity may seldom arise. TRADE AND COMMERCE-FALSELY MARKED GOODS. MR. HICKMAN asked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether he will give instructions to stop at the port of entry all goods coming from abroad which bear marks falsely indicating that they are manufactured in this Country? Mr. Maurice Healy of the Radical paper in question had sold spectacles of foreign make marked as English, the probability was that he had been also imposed upon, as others might be, by goods so imported and falsely marked. He thought it was a deplorable thing that, either at home or abroad, the good name of any town should be pirated by a false mark. EGYPT-THE WAR IN THE SOUDAN ENGLISH AND AMERICAN PUMPS. MR. HICKMAN asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he has received any information as to the respective behaviour of the English and American pumps that were sent to Suakim; and, if he has, if he will communicate it to the House? THE SURVEYOR GENERAL OF ORDNANCE (Mr. WOODALL) (who replied) said: The advance on Berber having been countermanded before the landing of the pumps sent to Suakin, there was not an opportunity for testing |