ST. GEORGE'S BARRACKS (LONDON). of the great masters. This cannot be DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeen- pleaded in the case of the latter, who shire, W.) I beg to ask the Under may be said to gain nothing by photoSecretary of State for War when the graphing a picture which they could not promised removal of St. George's Bar- acquire by practising from any picture racks to the Chelsea site will take place; not in the Gallery. If it be pleaded and, if any of the present buildings are that they wish to possess a copy of the allowed to remain, whether they will be picture, they can do so at so cheap a so effectually disconnected from the rate in the market that the advantage National Gallery as to prevent any pos- they would gain is not worth the inconsible risk to the National Collection of venience which their admission would Pictures from fire? cause. ["Hear, hear!"]

IRISH MAILS (NEWRY AND
POYNTZ PASS).

MR. EDWARD M'HUGH (Armagh,

*THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK, Surrey, Guildford): A portion of St. George's Barracks will be vacated in about two years from the present time; and will be handed over to the Office of Works for such extension of the S.): I beg to ask the Secretary to the National Gallery as is at present con- Treasury, as representing the Postmaster templated. The buildings which will General, whether he can make some remain, which will still be utilised as a arrangement by which the inhabitants recruiting depôt until a further extension of the National Gallery shall necessitate their removal, will be effectually disconnected from that Institution.

NATIONAL GALLERY (AMATEUR
PHOTOGRAPHERS.)

MR. T. G. FARDELL (Paddington, S.): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether it would be possible to afford amateurs reasonable facilities, similiar to those enjoyed by numerous professional photographers in London and the provinces, as well as members of foreign firms, for the photographic reproduction of the pictures in the National Gallery?

of Poyntzpass and neighbourhood may have greater accommodation in regard to the delivery of mails; whether he is aware of the great inconvenience frequently experienced by gentlemen from England and Scotland, visiting the fair of Poyntzpass, in not having letters with instructions and bank drafts delivered to them in time for the transaction of business, owing to delay caused by nondelivery; whether he is also aware that letters from England, Scotland, and the south and west of Ireland arriving in Newry at seven o'clock in the morning are not delivered till eight o'clock the following morning, while letters for places much further north from Newry are delivered 24 hours earlier; and, as the existing contract for carriage of the mails from Newry to Poyntzpass will expire at the end of the ensuing month of May, will he remove the grievance complained of so long without redress in this case, and have the mails delivered in proper time?

MR. HANBURY : Permission is granted to professional photographers because it is in the interest of the public that the national collection should be brought by means of photography before the public. No such end would be served by the admission of amateur MR. HANBURY: The Postmaster photographers, who would cause ad- General is aware that Poyntzpass has at ditional inconvenience in the Gallery, present only one delivery and collection already, as it is in many parts, greatly a day. The correspondence from Engovercrowded with students. It may be land, Scotland, and the south and west of pointed out that there is no analogy Ireland does not arrive at Newry at between the cases of amateur painters 7 a.m. as the hon. Member supposes, but (who are by rule admissible) and amateur at 8.30 a.m., and it would be necessary photographers. The former are admitted to keep back the mail car for Poyntzpass on the ostensible ground that they improve themselves in the knowledge and practice of art by study from the works

for more than three hours if this correspondence were included in the dispatch, which would certainly give rise to much

complaint. The only other way of im- be nil) in the case of a very large proving the communication with Eng- district, in which the rate for the land, Scotland, &c., would be to establish present half-year is 1s. 5d., and the a second delivery and collection. Upon this point fuller inquiry will be made, and the hon. Member informed of the result.

PUBLIC HOUSES (HOURS OF CLOSING)

(SCOTLAND) ACT, 1887.

rate for the present year estimated to be required 2s. 11d., the rate to produce nearly £7,000; and (3) whether he will be prepared to consider some improved form of new special grant which will have some effect in reducing the school rate needed to fulfil the requirements of the Education Department in large poor districts?

SIR GEORGE TREVELYAN (Glasgow, Bridgeton): I beg to ask the Lord MR. HANBURY (for Sir JOHN Advocate (1) whether the Secretary for GORST): West Ham and WalthamScotland was waited on by a deputation stow will appear in the Returns from the municipal bodies of all the of the Education Department of the cities and towns excepted from the present year. This Return shall, howPublic Houses (Hours of Closing) (Scot-ever, be laid on the Table separately at land) Act, 1887, praying that the com- once. The facts as to Dean Forest are munities which they représented should as stated in the second paragraph. The be brought within the scope of the Act; Committee of Council will consider every (2) whether the Secretary for Scotland Scheme for the better application of a has received and considered the further special grant to the case of poor school information which he then requested the districts that may be brought before deputation to lay before him; and (3) them. whether the Government are prepared to support the amending Bill now before the House?

*THE LORD ADVOCATE (Sir CHARLES PEARSON, Edinburgh and St. Andrew's Universities): The answer to the first and second paragraphs is in the affirmative. As to the third paragraph, the Government are not prepared to enter into any engagement in regard to the Bill, especially as it is unlikely that any opportunity can be found for discussing it.

POOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS

(NORTHUMBERLAND).

MR. C. FENWICK (Northumberland, Wansbeck): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he has received a petition signed by the inhabitants of Seaton Delavel, New Hartley, Old Hartley, and Seaton Sluice, in the county of Northumberland, asking for improved postal arrangements; and, if he can state whether it is his intention to take steps to provide further facilities in accordance with the wishes of the petitioners?

MR. HANBURY: The Postmaster General has received the Petition referred to, and a report will shortly be submitted to him on the subject. It is hoped that arrangements will be found practicable for affording some improvement in the postal service to the places named.

*SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean): I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education (1) with regard to the large poor school districts of Waltham stow, West Ham, and the Forest of Dean, in what Return it is recorded that Walthamstow and West Ham received, under Section 97 of the Act of 1870, the grant which will be replaced by the 4s. grant to the Boards which at present come under Section 97; (2) with MR. R. J. PRICE (Norfolk, E.): I regard to the relief to be given by the beg to ask the Under Secretary of State 4s. grant, whether he is aware that, in for War, whether his attention has been the case of the Dean Forest, the excess drawn to the favourable report of the of the new grant over the old will Surgeon General with Her Majesty's amount only to £88 (on the present forces in India on the method of treating year's Estimates the excess would contagious disorders introduced to the

ARMY MEDICAL TREATMENT.

Army by Surgeon Captain F. J. Lambkin, MR. THOMAS B. CURRAN (DoneA.M.S.; and, whether having regard to gal, N.): I beg to ask the Chief Secrethe serious spread of such disorders in tary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Army both at home and abroad, if he has received Resolutions passed by and the grave consequences both to the a large meeting held in Clonmany, men and to the efficiency of the service, County Donegal, on Tuesday 14th inhe will take steps to further investigate stant, calling on the Government to conthe value of the treatment, and, if found struct a railway between Buncrana and satisfactory, to extend its use? Carndonagh; and, whether provisions will be made in the Irish Light Railway Bill for the construction of such a line?

*MR. BRODRICK: In the limited number of cases in which the treatment has been applied it has given good results; but I am informed that the remedy is not new. Further investigation will, however, be made; and if satisfactory results are obtained, the system will probably be extended.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR: Representations have been made in favour of the construction of the line referred to, and the matter will be considered in connection with other similar proposals.

CROFTERS' HOLDINGS (SCOTLAND)

ACT, 1886.

MR. J. MCLEOD (Sutherland): I beg to ask the Lord Advocate, whether his attention has been directed to a Resolution passed by a recent public meeting in the Rosehall district of Sutherland respectfully urging upon the Government the immediate necessity for an amendment of the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1886, so as to include leaseholders

paying up to £30 annual rental; and, whether he can state if the Secretary for Scotland has yet completed his Inquiry into the condition of the small leaseholders within the Highland area?

MR. J. P. FARRELL (Cavan, W.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, (1) if he has received a copy of a Resolution unanimously adopted at a large meeting, representative of all shades of religion *THE LORD ADVOCATE : My attenand politics, held at Dowra, county tion has been called to the Resolution Cavan, on the 10th instant, calling for the extension of the Cavan, Leitrim, and hall branch of the Sutherland Land Law passed at a recent meeting of the RoseRoscommon Light Railway from DrumReform Association. No formal Inquiry shambo to Thornhill Crossing, on the has been held. The Secretary for ScotSligo and Northern Counties Railway, land desired more accurate information passing on its way through Dowra and through a district rich in mineral trea- in part received. But I can only repeat on certain points, which has now been sures, as is proved by English and that the Government cannot at present

Scotch experts who examined the place; (2) will the Government place this line amongst those possible of construction under their forthcoming Irish Railway Bill; and, (3) when may the latter be expected?

give any undertaking on the subject.

LAND PURCHASE (COUNTY
WATERFORD).

MR. P. J. POWER (Waterford, E.): MR. GERALD BALFOUR: Atten- I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the tion has been drawn to the Resolution Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether an in question, and the case of the suggested agreement for the purchase of a holding line of railway will be considered in con- at Feddans, in the county of Waterford, nection with other similar proposals. by a man named David Walsh, has yet As to the last paragraph, I must refer been lodged with the Land Commission; the hon. Member to my statement on whether the Inspector of the Land ComFriday last. mission has yet visited the holding;

Mr. R. J. Price.

and whether, before making his report, | Southport): Such stores as can be obhe will ascertain whether the agreement tained from England for the British for the purchase of the holding in ques- Missions to the Court of Morocco are tion is conditional on the acceptance by paid for here. According to an ancient David Walsh of a conveyance of another custom, however, fresh provisions and holding adjoining, and whether in that fodder are furnished daily by the Moorish event he will take the fact mentioned authorities, and any attempt to interinto consideration in deciding whether fere with this custom would only give the holding proposed to be purchased is offence. Steps are now taken to prevent sufficient security for the advance re- any injustice resulting from its applicaquired? tion. When Sir E. Satow went up to Fez in 1894, the Moorish Court appointed two officers to make payment to the villagers in the case of any hardship arising from the process of levy; and Sir A. Nicolson, who has already started, will doubtless see that similar precautions are observed.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR: No agreement under the Land Purchase Acts has yet been lodged with the Land Commissioners in the case referred to, and no inspection of the holding can be made until such an agreement has been lodged.

ASHANTI EXPEDITION.

MR. L. ATHERLEY-JONES (Durham, N.W.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether the same consideration, in respect of gratuity or other emolument, will be granted to the Officers and men of the Colonial forces employed in the Ashanti expedition, as has been conceded to the Officers and men of the Military force sent from England; and, if not, why any distinction should be drawn between the two forces?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN, Birmingham, W.): The Governor of the Gold Coast is being consulted on the subject, and no decision can be taken until his reply has been received.

MISSION TO THE SULTAN OF
MOROCCO.

MR. JOSEPH A. PEASE (Northumberland, Tyneside): I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether steps have been taken, or will now be taken, to secure that all food and other articles required during the British Minister's journey to and from the Sultan of Morocco's Court shall be paid for by the Mission, and so protect the natives of Morocco from the recurrence of acts of injustice which have accompanied similar missions in the past?

DISTRICT REGISTRY (BELFAST).

MR. M. MCCARTAN (Down, S.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the establishment of a district registry for the issue of writs of summons in Belfast, whether his attention has been called to the report of the annual meeting of the Wholesale Merchants and Manufacturers' Association, held there on the 14th instant, which were unanimous in favour of the establishment of a registry at Belfast; and, whether, considering that there is such a district registry in almost every large town in England, he will now see if he can take steps to afford similar accommodation to the merchants and citizens of Belfast?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR: The report referred to has been received. A question almost identical with the present one was addressed to my right hon. Friend the Attorney General on the 3rd March. The Irish Government will be happy to consider any representations that may be made in reference to the matter, but legislation would be necessary to deal with it, and I cannot hold out any immediate hope that I will in troduce a Bill assimilating the law in this respect in Ireland and England.

REDUCTIONS OF RENT (IRELAND). MR. MCCARTAN: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether any, and if so what, AFFAIRS instructions were given to the conLancashire, stabulary authorities in Ireland to make

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN (Mr. GEORGE CURZON,

inquiry and report as to the reductions | scientific Committee to which the hon. in rent freely made by the landlords in Member refers; but, in the first instance, Ulster, or elsewhere in Ireland, owing to it will be desirable to await the results the failure of flax and other crops in of the altered procedure now 1895; and, whether he can state what operation. reductions have been given to the tenants

on the Downshire and other large estates in county Down?

PLEURO-PNEUMONIA.

in

MR. GERALD BALFOUR: For MR WHITE: I beg to ask the many years it has been the practice of President of the Board of Agriculture, the constabulary authorities in Ireland whether, as in the case of swine fever, to keep the Government informed with he will appoint a Departmental Comregard to this and other matters of mittee to review the experience gained general interest, and no special instruc- since (say) 1890 respecting the etiology, tions have lately been issued in this pathology, and morbid anatomy of the respect. Information so furnished to diseases known as pleuro-pneumonia— the Government is necessarily of a con- contagious, transit, etc.; to supplement fidential nature. I must decline to that experience by a series of experiments indicate the particular estates on which abatements in rent have or have not been granted either in the county Down or elsewhere.

MR. MCCARTAN said the right hon. Gentleman did not state whether there had been any abatement at all.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR said he had already explained that it was not proper for him or desirable in any way to impart these confidential statements to the House, or to state whether the abatements had been made or not.

MR. MCCARTAN: Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that no such abatement has been made on any of the large estates in county Down?

[No answer was given.]

SWINE FEVER.

as to the bacteriology and life history of these diseases, and as to their communication, either directly or indirectly, from animal to animal; and to bring together the results of the work of foreign investigators?

*MR. LONG: Our scientific knowledge respecting pleuro-pneumonia is much more extensive than in the case of swine fever, and I have no reason to believe that it would be materially increased by the appointment of a Departmental Committee, whose opportunities for investigation would be very small by reason of the fact that cases of the disease in this country are, happily, now so rare. In these circumstances I do not see my way to adopt the suggestion of the hon. Member.

DR. FARQUHARSON: I beg to ask the President of the Board of AgriMR. J. M. WHITE (Forfar): I beg culture, whether his scientific advisers to ask the President of the Board of have yet been able to trace the source of Agriculture, whether, as the Depart-infection in the recent outbreak of mental Committee on Swine Fever report pleuro-pneumonia in Essex and elsethat they gather that they are not where; whether the lung affection was expected to make any suggestions with recent and acute, or chronic and enregard to administrative procedure, he cysted; where the affected animals were will invite them to make any such sug- bred; and, what were their respective gestions as they deem desirable? ages ? *THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD *MR. LONG: In the Rochford outAGRICULTURE (Mr. WALTER break, three of the diseased animals were LONG, Liverpool, West Derby): I have old encysted cases, and four were more personally given much attention to the recent ones, two being quite acute. One administrative procedure connected with of the old cases was purchased in the swine fever, and have recently made Metropolitan market, and came from a certain changes with a view, if possible, dairy in the north of London, a second to its improvement. If the matter were was purchased in Romford market, to be referred to a Committee, it would and came from a farm near that place; be desirable that it should be constituted and the third was purchased in the a broader basis than the purely Metropolitan market, and came from Mr. McCartan.

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