property was to be rated. These were that elaborate clause with regard to the it was to bear its due share of local taxa- rating of Government property, and the tion, and to contribute to local rates rating was to be ascertained by arbitraequally with other property, and that tion under the Lands Clauses Consolidathe valuation was to be, as far as possible, tion Acts in the ordinary way, and after on the same principle that was applied the umpire had decided the valuation, it to the valuation of private property. was to be put into the scheme, and This undertaking had been inadequately brought to the House in the form of a carried out by the appointment of a public Order. Now there was no reason Treasury Officer, on a comparatively why the system proposed in this Bill small salary, to assess Government pro- should not be adopted, or some alteraperty and say what it should be rated tion made in the present antiquated at. Thus the assessment of forts, Custom system. If ordinary property in Plyhouses, and the like, was settled by a mouth was assessed, an appeal lay Treasury Clerk in London, without local knowledge, and without examination of the circumstances of each case. This was a matter which largely affected Plymouth and Devonport.

MR. HANBURY, interposing, said, the hon. Member was referring to ancient history; the whole system had been altered.

from the Assessment Committee to the local justices, and from them to the Recorder, and, if any principle of law arose it could be carried up to the highest Court in the Kingdom, and there was no reason why Government property should not be assessed on the same principle as the rating of other property. He therefore urged that the present Resolution, and the Treasury Minute of 1874, under which these Government assessments were made, should be amended, and

some other principle adopted, so that Government property should be assessed on the same basis as was now applicable to all other property. Resolution agreed to.

necessary

Service."

3. "That a sum, not exceeding £1,701,036, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March 1897, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Inland Revenue Department.”

*MR. HARRISON continued, that the system had been made by Treasury Officials; it was not made and worked under the ordinary law; and the result to Plymouth was that the assessment was reduced a penny in the pound simply because an old sewer ran from the bar racks into the Sound, and they did not make use of the borough sewers. In 1875 Government property was assessed 2. "That a sum, not exceeding £2,009,281, be at £3,231; in 1895, at £3,898; and in granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum 1896 it was suddenly raised to £4,997, in course of payment during the year ending on to defray the Charge which will come an increase of 40 per cent., without the 31st day of March 1897, for the Salaries and any extraordinary expenditure having Working Expenses of the Post Office Telegraph been incurred by the borough. Either the estimate of 1896 was correct, in which case 40 per cent. had been under-assessed this year, or there must have been some great neglect with regard to the assessment. That being so, they found, when they came to examine what the increase had taken place upon, that 4. "That a sum, not exceeding £281,400, be the Post Office, which was assessed at granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum £520 in 1895, without a single alteration necessary to defray the Charge which will come or structural addition, had been raised to in course of payment during the year ending on £600. Which system was right? If, the 31st day of March 1897, for the Customs, instead of resorting to the valuation list Inland Revenue, Post Office, and Post Office Telegraph Buildings in Great Britain, includof the Treasury in London, the ordinary ing Furniture, Fuel, and sundry Miscellaneous system of assessment had been adopted, Services." they would have had a totally altered, just, and proper system. That idea was perfectly practical. The matter was thoroughly investigated in 1873, and in the Bill introduced by Mr. Bruce, when Home Secretary, and the present First Lord of the Admiralty, and which was amended by the Committee upstairs, there was an Mr. C. Harrison.

CLASS I.

5. "That a sum, not exceeding £132,000, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March 1897, in respect of sundry Public Buildings in Great Britain, not provided for on other Votes."

6. "That a sum not exceeding £26,000, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come

in course of payment during the year ending on | opinion from the right hon. Gentleman the 31st day of March 1897, for Expenditure in on the subject. respect of Royal Palaces and Marlborough House."

Resolution agreed to.

9. "That a sum, not exceeding £13,000, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March 1897, for the Extension of the Admiralty Buildings."

10. “That a sum, not exceeding £36,500, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March 1897, for Expenditure in respect of Miscellaneous Legal Buildings, viz., County Courts, Metropolitan Police Courts, and Sheriff Court Houses, Scotland."

11. "That a sum, not exceeding £20,400, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March 1897, for Expenditure in respect of Art and Science Buildings, Great

OF VOTERS) BILL.

year ending on the 31st day of March 1897, the LOCAL GOVERNMENT (QUALIFICATION sum of £27,442,207 be granted out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom."

Resolution agreed to.

Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. James William Lowther, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Mr. Hanbury.

CONSOLIDATED FUND (NO. 2) BILL. "To apply a sum out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the year ending on the thirtyfirst day of March One thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven."

Presented accordingly, and read the First time; to be read a Second time To-morrow.

MILITARY MANOEUVRES BILL. Committee deferred till To-morrow.

EVIDENCE IN CRIMINAL CASES
BILL.-[H.L.]
Second Reading deferred till Monday
11th May.

DISEASES OF ANIMALS BILL.

Committee deferred till Monday next.

EDUCATION BILL.

Second Reading deferred till Thursday

next.

TEACHERS' REGISTRATION BILL.

Second Reading deferred till Thursday

next.

NAVAL RESERVE BILL.

Second Reading deferred till Tuesday

An Asterisk (*) at the commencement of a Speech indicates revision by the Member.

CONTROVERTED ELECTIONS.

*MR. SPEAKER acquainted the House that he had received from the

at the conclusion of the said trial, we determined that the said Harry Hananel Marks, being the Member whose Election and return were complained of, was duly elected and returned, and that his Election was not void.

And whereas charges were made of corrupt and illegal practices having been committed at the said Election for the St. George Division of the Borough of the Tower Hamlets, we, in further pursuance of the said Acts, report as follows:

(a.) That no corrupt or illegal practice was proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge and consent of the said Harry Hananel Marks, and also that the said Harry Hananel Marks has not been guilty by his agents of any corrupt or illegal practice;

(b.) That the said John Williams Benn was proved guilty of illegal practices in having made payment, for the purpose of promoting and procuring his election at the said Election, on account of banners; and also on the ground that certain election expenses were omitted from the Return of Expenses remitted to the Returning Officer in contravention of the provisions of Section 33 of The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883, and without such authorised excuse as in such Act mentioned.

And we further report:

(c.) That, save as aforesaid, no corrupt or illegal practice was proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge or consent of any Candidate at the said Election.

We have given a Certificate of Indemnity to

And we also report :

Judges appointed to try the several the said John Williams Benn.
Election Petitions, the following Certifi-
cate and Report relating to the Election
for the St. George's Division of the
Borough of the Tower Hamlets :—

The Parliamentary Elections Act, 1868,

and

The Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention
Acts, 1883, and 1895.

To the Right Honourable the Speaker of the
House of Commons.

(d.) That there is no reason to believe that corrupt or illegal practices have extensively prevailed at the Election for the St. George Division of the Borough of the Tower Hamlets, to which the said Petition relates. Dated this 16th day of April 1896.

C. E. POLLOCK.
GAINSFORD BRUCE.

INCUMBENTS OF BENEFICES LOANS
EXTENSION BILL [H.L.]

We, the Honourable Sir Charles Edward Pollock, Knight, Baron of the Exchequer, and the Honourable Sir Gainsford Bruce, Knight, Judges of the High Court of Justice, and two of the Judges for the time being for the trial of Election Petitions in England, do hereby, in Read the First time; to be read a pursuance of the said Acts, certify that upon the Second time upon Wednesday, 29th 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, April, and to printed. [Bill 180.]

22nd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th days of February, and upon the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 30th, and 31st days of March, and upon the 1st and 14th days of April 1896, we duly held a Court in the Royal Courts of Justice, London, and did try the Election Petition for the St. George Division of the Borough of the Tower Hamlets between John Williams Benn, Petitioner, and

LIBEL BILL.

Second Reading deferred from Tues

Harry Hananel Marks, Respondent, and that, day next till Tuesday, 5th May.

VOL. XXXIX. [FOURTH SERIES.]

3 F

QUESTIONS.

RECRUITMENT FOR CONGO STATE.

and consequently no recruitment has resulted from the Dispatch. The Question in the concluding paragraph was answered in the negative by the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the 12th of March.

with the State, he will introduce some provision into the Land Bill with a view to redress their grievances in common with the rest of the tenants of Ireland? THE CHIEF SECRETARY

FOR

*SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucester, GLEBE TENANTS (IRELAND). Forest of Dean): I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs MR. P. C. DOOGAN (Tyrone, E.): I (1) whether, by a Dispatch annexed beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the to and published with the Agreement Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) if he is between Great Britain and King Leo- aware that the glebe tenants purchased pold, Soverign of the Congo State, pretheir holdings under the Irish Church sented to Parliament in "Africa, No. Disestablishment Act at about 23 years' 4, of 1894," and also in the Treaty purchase of the then rents, which inSeries, the Secretary of State for Foreign cluded their own improvements and Affairs in the late Administration under- tenant right; and (2) whether, as many took to recommend to the Secretary of of these tenants, owing to the high State for the Colonies that facilities instalments which they have to pay and should be given for recruitment in the to the low price of farm produce, are British Colonies on the West Coast of now quite unable to fulfil their contract Africa, in order to facilitate the prompt and complete occupation by His Majesty King Leopold II. of the territories in the western basin of the Nile, known as the western watershed of the Nile, comprised in the leases from Great Britain IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR, to King Leopold, being the territories Leeds, Central): The first paragraph running from Lake Albert, near Wadelai, appears to state the fact with substantial northwards to the 10th parallel of north accuracy. For further information in latitude, and north-east to the intersection the matter I would refer the hon. Memof that parallel with the 25th meridian east ber to page 5 of the Report of the of Greenwich; (2) whether, since the Irish Church Temporalities Commission Congo State withdrew at the suggestion for the year 1876, and to page 15 of of France from occupation of by far the the same Commission for the period greater portion of these territories in the 1869 to 1880, both of which Reports British sphere, and withdrew in fact have been presented to Parliament. from the whole of them, the recruitment to the second paragraph, the Bill confacilities have continued to be given, tains a provision extending to purchasers other any under the Church Act the advantages have purposes been specified; (3) whether the forces now which, when introducing the Bill, I serving on the Welle were so recruited; explained it was proposed to confer on and, (4) whether Her Majesty's Govern- all purchasers under the Land Purchase ment are satisfied that recruits drawn from the British West Coast Colonies have been well treated by the officials of the Congo State? MR. J. P. FARRELL (Cavan, W.) : THE UNDER SECRETARY OF I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS the War Office, whether he is prepared (Mr. GEORGE CURZON, Lancashire, South- to consider further medical evidence in port): The Dispatch of May 12th 1894, the cases of John Hynes and Joseph referred to conveys an assurance of the character mentioned in the first paragraph, though its terms have not been fully or textually quoted by the right hon. Baronet. In view of the altered conditions no recommendation was made to the Secretary of State for the Colonies;

and whether

Acts.

ARMY PENSIONS.

As

Demston, both of whom were discharged from the Army, the former after ten years' service, and the latter six years', without a pension; or will he direct a medical examination of these men by the military surgeon in Longford Military Station?