DISTRICT COUNCILS (WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES) BILL. LAW AGENTS (SCOTLAND) BILL. Second Reading deferred till Thursday 9th April. day 16th April. PLUMBERS' REGISTRATION BILL. Adjourned Debate on Second Reading [13th March] further adjourned till Friday 10th April. SOLICITORS' MAGISTRACY BILL. Second Reading deferred till Wednesday 15th April. TROUT FISHING CLOSE TIME PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (CONTRIBUTIONS IN AID). Return ordered "Of the Contributions made during the year ended August 1895 by Departments of State, other than the Education Department and the Science and Art Department, to the Funds of Public Elementary Schools, stating (a) the name and denomination of the schools with the school districts and counties in which they are situated; (b) the name of the contributory department; (c) the grounds on which the payments are made; and (d) whether payments are made annually, and, if so, since what date payments have been made."-(Mr. Henry J. Wilson.) FRESHWATER FISHERIES BILL. Second Reading deferred till Monday 27th April. ESTATES TAIL ABOLITION BILL. Second Reading deferred till This Day. NEW WRIT. For the Borough of Dublin (College Green Division), v. Dr. Joseph Edward Kenny (Manor of Northstead). GROUND GAME ACT (1880) AMEND MENT BILL. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. MR. W. ALLEN asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what would be the Votes that would be put down on Second Reading deferred till Wednes- the day the House re-assembled ? day 15th April. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE (MARKS) BILL. Adjourned Debate on on Motion for Committal to Select Committee [18th March] further adjourned till Monday 13th April. MR. HANBURY: The Post Office and Inland Revenue Votes and Class 1 with the exception of the Irish Votes. MR. HERBERT LEWIS asked whether any Government Bill would be taken on the Thursday or Friday? MR. HANBURY was understood to say not. DR. TANNER asked the right hon. Gentleman if there was any authority for the alarming reports that came to them from France this evening, in connection with the resignation of a very Second Reading deferred till Friday prominent member of the French Min24th April. COLONIAL MARRIAGES BILL. PLACES OF WORSHIP (LEASEHOLD Second Reading deferred till Tuesday 28th April. istry and that war was threatened [No answer was given.] Adjourned at ten minutes before HOUSE OF LORDS. Tuesday, 31st March 1896. LORD KINGSALE (CLAIM TO VOTE FOR IRELAND). Poor Law Guardians (Ireland) (Women). The Royal Commissioners were, the Ordered and directed, That a Certificate be sent by the Clerk of the Parliaments to the Clerk of the Crown in LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord Halsbury), the Ireland, stating that the Lord Chancellor Earl of HOPETOUN (Paymaster General), of the United Kingdom has reported to and Lord JAMES of HEREFORD (Chanthe House of Lords that the right of the cellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.) Lord Kingsale to vote at the elections of Representative Peers for Ireland has been established to the satisfaction of him the said Lord Chancellor; and that the House of Lords has ordered that such Report to be sent to the said Clerk of BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Ordered that the evening sitting of the House on Tuesday the 21st of April next, do commence at a quarter past Four o'clock. House adjourned at Twenty-five minutes past Twelve o'clock, to Tuesday the 21st of April next, a quarter past Four o'clock. An Asterisk (*) at the commencement of a Speech indicates revision by the Member. PUBLIC ACCOUNTS (NAVY VOTES). Read 3o, and passed, without Amend- printed.-No. 133.] ment. GOVERNMENT INSURANCES AND ANNUITIES. be printed. [No. 132.] NOTICES OF MOTION. (Flint WALES (SELF-GOVERNMENT). MR. HERBERT LEWIS Boroughs), on behalf of Mr. GRIFFITHS (Anglesey): On that day four weeks to call attention to the question of Selfgovernment for Wales, and move Resolution. MANHOOD SUFFRAGE (IRELAND). a MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny), on behalf of another hon. Member: On that day four weeks attention would be called to the desirability of establishing Manhood Suffrage in Ireland, and a Resolution would be moved. INCIDENCE OF LOCAL RATES (SCOTLAND) MR. PARKER SMITH (Lanark, Partick) On that day four weeks he would call attention to the Incidence of Account [presented 30th March] to Local Rates in Scotland, and move a Resolution. MAGISTRACY (WALES). refers has been received and an answer MR. W. JONES (Carnarvon, Arfon): On that day four weeks he would call attention to the advisability of appoint-lations confining the annual leave within ing more Welsh Magistrates, and move a Resolution. HONOURS AND TITLES. returned. But I may inform the hon. Member that there are no official Regueight months. In the great majority of cases it is impossible to do this. But where it is practicable leave is confined to the better months of the year, and in London Postal Service it is confined not SIR WILFRID LAWSON (Cumber- to eight months but to 36 weeks. land, Cockermouth): To move :-" That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that whenever she confers any honour or title on any of her subjects she will graciously state the reasons why such honour or title is granted, as is done in the case of the grant of the Victoria Cross."-[Tuesday, 5th May.] PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY (SCOTLAND). LAND VALUES. MR. J. W. LOGAN (Leicester, Harborough): To call attention to the increase of Land Values in our centres of population and to move a Resolution. HABITUAL DRUNKARDS. MR. LEES KNOWLES (Salford, W.): To call attention to the treatment of Habitual Drunkards, and to move Resolution. QUESTIONS. POST-OFFICE SERVANTS (ANNUAL a MR. J. CALDWELL (Lanark, Mid): I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether he is aware that the District Committee of the Middle Ward of Lanarkshire, in matters falling under Section 42 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1894 relating to the protection of public rights of way, insist upon parish councils or Committee with full precognitions as a parish electors supplying the District preliminary instead of themselves making the investigation, and for the expense of which precognitions by parish councils or parish electors there is no provision made out of local rates, and whether he or the Secretary for Scotland will take steps for the due carrying out by the District Committee of the duty imposed upon them by said section without imposing restrictions on requisionists not required by statute? *THE LORD ADVOCATE (Sir CHARLES PEARSON, Edinburgh and St. Andrew's Universities): The Local Government Board have advised parish councils that, while it must always be their interest to furnish a District Committee with all the information they can If MR. HUBERT DUNCOMBE (Cum-in support of their representation, there berland, Egremont): On behalf of the is no obligation upon them to do so. in hon. Member for North Camberwell such case the District Committee any place undue impediments in the way of those making the representation, the matter can be laid before the County Council. (Major DALBIAC), I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether a petition has been received from the sorting staff of London Bridge Parcels Depôt, referring to the fact that the periods of PARISH REQUISITIONS (SCOTLAND). annual leave extend beyond October, thus contravening the official regulations MR. CALDWELL: I beg to ask the which limit them within a period of Lord Advocate, whether he is aware that eight months, and when an answer to the District Committee of the Middle the petition may be expected? *THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY, Preston): The petition to which the hon. Member Ward of the county of Lanark have issued a memorandum requiring all requisitions presented to them under Section 44 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1894, by parish councils THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR and parish electors, to be accompanied IRELAND (Mr. JOHN ATKINSON, Lonby certain information and ordnance donderry): Of the five men at present maps expensive to obtain, not required serving in the department referred to, by the Act, but within the knowledge one is a Roman Catholic and another, who and possession of County Councils, and happens to be of the same denomination, for the obtaining of which information was some time ago selected to fill a and maps no provision is made for re vacancy which will shortly arise. Two payment of the same to the requisitionists other Catholics served in the departout of the local rates; and, whether he ment during the past four years, and or the Secretary for Scotland will see to both have returned to ordinary duty on the removal of such preliminaries in the promotion. The statements as regards matter of such requisitions. the Musketry Staff and Clerks in the *THE LORD ADVOCATE: I cannot Commandant's and Adjutant's Offices at presume to determine the precise amount the depôt are correct. I am not aware of information which a District Com- that any inquiry of the nature indicated mittee is justified in demanding from in the second paragraph was promised, those who requisition for a special dis- as stated, but I have no reason whatever trict under Section 44. The information to believe that the religious element must be such as to enable the District enters into consideration in the making Committee at their next meeting to of these appointments. judge of the propriety of forming the special district. It does not appear to me that the requirements referred to in POOR LAW SCHOOLS. the question are unduly burdensome. MR. GEOFFREY DRAGE (Derby): The Local Government Board have I beg to ask the President of the Local recently issued a circular on the subject, Government Board, whether the Report and I understand that the memorandum of the Departmental Committee on Poor referred to in the Question was issued Law Schools will be in the hands of prior to the date of that circular. Members before Easter; and, if not, at what date? ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY. MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that in the Financial Department of the Constabulary Office, out of five sergeant clerks selected from amongst the county inspectors' clerks of Ireland, 80 per cent. of whom are Roman Catholics, not a single Roman Catholic clerk has for the past four years been permitted to enter that branch of the service; (2) that the officer, head constable, and two out of the three sergeants on the musketry staff at the depôt are Protestants; and also that five out of the six clerks in the Commandant's and Adjutant's Office at the depôt are Protestants; and, (3) will he state what was the result of the inquiry which the late Chief Secretary promised to make into the complaints as to the manning of these offices with Protestants so entirely out of proportion to their number as compared to Roman Catholics in the force? Mr. Caldwell. THE SECRETARY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. T. W. RUSSELL, Tyrone, S.): I have made inquiry and am informed that the Report will probably be circulated on Thursday next.. FEE GRANT (SCOTLAND). MR. CALDWELL: I beg to ask the Lord Advocate (1) whether Scotland's proper share of the Fee Grant ought to be based on the amount actually paid to England in each year, and not on the estimated amount of England's grant ; (2) whether original or supplementary, or both combined; and (3) how much Scotland has been paid less than her proper share in each year during the last four years, and whose duty it was to see that Scotland received her proper share? *THE LORD ADVOCATE: In reply to the first paragraph I can only refer the hon. Member to the statute, and to my answer of yesterday to the hon. Member for South Lanark. As to the last paragraph, I am glad to say it is not |