to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whe-made to enable sub-postmasters to have ther he is aware that a considerable some fixed period of leave in the course number of the dwellings of agricultural of the year without having to supply a labourers in the Omagh Union contain substitute at their own expense ? only one apartment; whether he is aware MR. HANBURY: The Postmaster that an Inspector of the Local Govern- General regrets that the concession ment Board was last year sent to exa- suggested by the hon. Member cannot mine into the claims of the labourers for be granted. The sub-postmasters of the better housing accommodation, their kingdom are nearly 20,000 in number, representations being rejected by a and, as a rule, they have some other majority of the Guardians; and is he trade or occupation to which the Post also aware that the Inspector found the Office business is, often, altogether subhousing accommodation insufficient, and sidiary. Leave would never be refused recommended the building of a number them on their making arrangements to of labourers' cottages; and will steps be carry on their post office duties during taken to carry out that recommendation their absence; but in no case in the with as little delay as possible? Post Office-and I believe in no other MR. GERALD BALFOUR: An Department of the State-is an officer Inspector of the Local Government allowed leave at the public expense Board held an Inquiry, as stated, and whose whole time is not given to the recommended that the Guardians should public service.

make a Scheme for the erection of 37 labourers' cottages in this Union. The Inspector's report was communicated to the Guardians, who, I understand, have adjourned the further consideration of the matter until the 2nd May. The Board have written to the Guardians stating that they trust that the Scheme, with the necessary maps, etc., will be ready for execution on the date mentioned.

CLASSIFICATION OF WORKHOUSE

INMATES (IRELAND).

MR. MURNAGHAN: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he is aware that a very general desire exists among those interested in the welfare of the destitute poor in Ireland that a scheme of classification of the inmates of workhouses should be provided for; and will he consider this phase of the subject with a view to give it effect in the Bill for the Amalgation of Poor Law Unions in Ireland?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR: One of the chief objects of the Poor Relief Bill is to enable a better system of classification to be adopted for all classes of indoor poor in Ireland.

FEE GRANT (SCOTLAND).

MR. HOZIER: I beg to ask the Lord Advocate, whether the Treasury have made arrangements for handing over to the Scottish Education Department the arrears due to Scotland in respect of unpaid fee grant?

THE LORD ADVOCATE : The Treasury have consented to admit the claim of Scotland to a proportion of the Supplementary Fee Grant for England in respect of the financial year 1895-6, and to ask Parliament to make provision accordingly, but they decline to re-open the accounts for earlier years.

MR. HOZIER: Are we to lose all the money due to Scotland during the time the late Government was in power?

THE LORD ADVOCATE: I must refer my hon. Friend to the Treasury. MR. HOZIER: I beg to ask the Secretary of the Treasury? [No answer was given.]

PAUPER LUNATICS (IRELAND). MR. M. MCCARTAN: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, whether he has yet considered the question of removing pauper lunatics in workhouses in Ireland to properly-equipped asylums, where their condition may be alleviated MR. JAMES HOZIER (Lanark, S.): by their special treatment and suitable I beg to ask the Secretary to the Trea- surroundings; and whether, considersury, as representing the Postmaster ing the illegality of the present mode of General, whether arrangements can be admitting them to the lunatic wards of Mr. C. Murnaghan.

SUB-POSTMASTERS.

It

workhouses, and also of detaining them in hand, but as they involved, amongst and keeping them there under restraint many other details, an examination, in without the colour of legal sanction, he communication with the Civil Service will have inquiry made into the whole Commissioners, of nearly the whole of system, with the view to relieve the the existing class of Outdoor Officers, afflicted and to have this illegal system numbering over 600, the final adjustdiscontinued? ments have not yet been completed. is expected, however, that the result of the examination will be known in a few days, and the Board of Customs will then be in a position to proceed with final arrangements for the introduction of the new conditions for this class of officer as sanctioned by the Treasury. I may add that, so far as the new scheme will result in change of pay or position to any officer, such change will be antedated to 1st January last.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR: The removal of pauper lunatics from workhouses to asylums has engaged my careful attention in connection with the general question of workhouse administration in Ireland, and it will be found that the Poor Relief Bill, which I hope shortly to be able to introduce, will deal with the existing procedure connected with the detention of the insane poor in workhouses.

MR. MCCARTAN: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he will state the number of lunatics transferred from the county Antrim asylum to the union workhouse at Belfast since 1st January 1892; whether any, and if so how many of them, have been received unconditionally; and, what are the terms of agreement as to maintenance which were required by the Board of Guardians from the governors or superintendent of the asylum?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR: The number of lunatics transferred from the asylum to the union workhouse since the date mentioned in the Question was 65, all of whom have been received into the workhouse unconditionally, and no agreement was required by the Guardians of the nature indicated at the end of the Question.

CUSTOMS OUTDOOR OFFICERS.

MR. MCCARTAN: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, whether he can now state what progress has been made in the adjustment of the claims of the Outdoor Officers of Her Majesty's Customs, as set forth in a petition presented to the Treasury on the 8th February 1895 ?

BELFAST RECORDER'S COURT (COUNTY BUSINESS).

SIR JAMES HASLETT (Belfast, N.): I beg to ask Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, if, when a vacancy occurs in the chairmanship of county Down, he will consider and give effect to the desire of the merchants and citizens of Belfast that the Recorder of that city should be relieved of county business, whereby he would be enabled to hold a monthly Court for civil and criminal business; this, and the ordinary business of Local Bankruptcy Court and Admiralty, would occupy his entire time, and the counties of Down and Antrim could be administered by one chairman ?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. JOHN ATKINSON, Londonderry, N.): It is in contemplation to make arrangements, when a vacancy in the office of Chairman of the county Down shall have occurred, to relieve the

Recorder of Belfast of some of his most

onerous duties, and enable him, if need be, to sit more frequently for the discharge of business, but without legislation the entire of the county of Antrim cannot be withdrawn from his jurisdiction, nor do I think it necessary or desirable that it should be.

In reply to Mr. M. MCCARTAN,

MR. HANBURY: The Treasury directions on the recommendations of the Board of Customs on the subject of this Question were issued by the Customs Department on the 25th November last. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR The necessary steps for carrying these IRELAND said, there was no incondirections into effect were at once taken venience in the present arrangement. VOL. XXXIX. [FOURTH SERIES.]

4 F

ARMENIAN RELIEF FUND. (3), if any of above sums were exMR. HERBERT LEWIS (Flint pended in South Monaghan; and, if so, Boroughs): I beg to ask the Under how much? Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,

Monaghan.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR: The whether he will state the specific charges payments out of the sum of £800 menmade against Mr. Knapp, lately residing in the first paragraph were made to some in Bitlis; whether Mr. Knapp has been 1,800 individuals. It could not be stated, the local almoner of the Armenian without an examination of the district Relief Fund, and an active distributor returns, which would occupy many days, of money, bread, and clothing to the whether any portion of this sum was destitute Armenians at Bitlis; and, expended in South Monaghan, but in any what steps Her Majesty's Government case I decline to read the names of the have taken, or will take, either alone or individuals, and no public interest would in conjunction with the United States be served by their publication otherwise. Government, to secure the recovery of It does not appear that either of the two the relief funds found in Mr. Knapp's ladies, to whom payment was made out possession, and confiscated by the Tur- of the sum mentioned in the second kish authorities, and his release from paragraph, was employed in South custody at Diarbekir ? *MR. CURZON: Mr. Knapp was MR. DALY: I beg to ask the Chief called upon by the authorities at Bitlis to answer a charge of breaking the peace and of stirring up the Armenians against the Turks, who had thereby been moved to reprisals. He was engaged with other missionaries in the distribution of relief, but the United States Legation at Constantinople considered that it would be MR. GERALD BALFOUR: The best to arrange the difficulty by with- requisites referred to are supplied by the drawing him, and it was agreed with the Commissioners of National Education at Porte that he should leave Bitlis when cost price on application, accompanied the weather and the state of the roads by remittances, from the managers of permitted. According to telegrams schools. Inquiry is never made as to the recently published in the newspapers, Mr. Knapp was on his way to Alexandretta. There is no information that any funds in his possession were seized by the Turkish authorities.

MR. J. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.) asked if relief was being distributed?

*MR. CURZON: Yes, Sir. Relief is being distributed at Bitlis under the supervision of the British Consul, who has expressed himself as satisfied with the arrangements that have been made. ["Hear, hear!"]

Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he is aware that National School teachers have out of their own pockets to supply maps, tablets, school pictures and charts; and, if he will in the future supply these requisites free, if reported to be required by the inspector?

sources from which the money remitted may have been obtained, but in any case it is the managers who are responsible. When new National Schools commence operations, or when existing schools are first recognised as National Schools, a free grant is made of the requisites in question, but the Commissioners have no power to supply these requisites except under the circumstances stated.

SOUDAN.

MR. R. MCKENNA (Monmouth, N.): I beg to ask the First Lord of the TreaSCHOOL TEACHERS (IRELAND). sury, whether he can assure the House MR. J. DALY (Monaghan, S.): I that Her Majesty's Government will not beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the make any alteration in their decision not Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) if he will to send British troops to the Soudan state the names of the monitors and without due notice to the House? teachers who were paid the sum of £800 THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREAthat appeared on the Estimates for SURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Man1895-6, under Public Education, Ire- chester, E.): A pledge such as that the land; (2) who are the organising hon. Member demands would be unteachers that £650 was paid to under usual and, I think, inconvenient. [“ Hear, Public Education, Ireland, 1895-6; and hear!"]

MR. SYDNEY BUXTON (Tower Hamlets, Poplar): I wish to ask the Secretary for the Colonies whether he can confirm or contradict the report of the operations at Bulawayo which That is the formal Order with regard to appears in the evening papers; and Supply.

COUNTY COUNCILS progress of the negotiations with Foreign (HARBOURS AND PIERS). Powers in the matter of the territorial Bill to authorise County Councils to fishery limit. In the month of December raise money on the security of the rates last the Secretary for Scotland, in a for the purpose of constructing and im-speech at Edinburgh, stated that he was proving Harbours and Piers; ordered to taking steps to induce the Foreign Office be brought in by Sir Cameron Gull, to enter into negotiations with other Mr. Bolitho, Mr. Herbert Lewis, Captain Powers with a view to coming to some Phillpotts, and Mr. Lucas - Shadwell; international agreement with regard to presented, and read the First time; to the extension of such territorial limit. be read a Second time upon Wednesday He would like to know what progress 10th June, and to be printed.-[Bill had been made with the negotiations, 190.] and whether it was likely at an early date that a result would be arrived at. He would like to deal with a couple of behalf of the Admiralty or authorities the objections which might be urged on of that sort.

SMALL LOANS (INTEREST). Bill to restrict the amount of Interest chargeable on small Loans; ordered to be brought in by Mr. Marks, Mr. Ernest Gray, Mr. Macdona, Mr. William Abraham, Mr. Byron Reed, and Mr. Drucker; presented, and read the First time; to be read a Second time upon Friday next, and to be printed. [Bill 191.]

the territorial limit was extended for the
It might be said that, if
extended for the purpose of defence,
one purpose, it would also have to be
which would involve them in national
complications. He did not think that a
substantial objection, as it was possible
to alter the limit for fishery purposes
without altering it for the purposes of
defence.
As to the question of reci-
procity and the possibility that their
interests might be damnified supposing
that other Powers extended their terri-
torial limit, he did not see any danger to
their interests.

THE LORD ADVOCATE (Sir C.
PEARSON, Edinburgh and St. Andrew's
Universities) was not in a position to
make any definite pronouncement to the
hon. Member on this topic further than
to say that the matter had not gone
beyond the departmental stage. The
Act which brought the question into
prominence only came into law in
the course of last year.
The ques-
tions raised by anything which touched
the territorial limit were extremely
grave. It was found that difficulties
arose even between England and Scot-
land, and these were now under the
careful consideration of the Scotch Office,
together with the English Department.
The other difficulties surrounding the
matter had been very accurately sum-
marised by the hon. Member. They
were, in the first place, the difficulty of
saying to what effect and purpose they
were to negotiate with other Powers
in reference to this most difficult question.
In the second place, there was the diffi-
culty as regarded the more limited use
which might be put on the extended