the fact that Purchase Captains receive | be, in addition, in each compartment, this extra pension by the Army Warrant chain pulls which should communicate that takes effect on the 1st July next? with bells in each of the other compartMR. CHILDERS: My hon, and gal-ments of the same carriage? lant Friend cannot have heard the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Horsham (Sir Henry Fletcher) on the 23rd instant, which was in the affirmative, to a precisely similar inquiry. AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONS (IRE LAND) THE REPORTS. MR. CHAPLIN asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he can state why the Report of the Assistant Commissioners for Ireland, which the Agricultural Inquiry Commissioners were informed, in a letter from the Home Office dated 18th January 1881, would be laid before the Queen and presented to Parliament, has not been issued? SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT, in reply, said, he found, on inquiry, that this Report of the Assistant Commissioner was presented to the House; but, by some error, the printers thought that it was only the Report of the Commissioner, and not of the Assistant Commissioner, that was to be issued. Measures would be taken to correct the error. MR. CHAMBERLAIN: My hon. Friend bases his Question, among other things, on the mode of communication between the passengers and guards of railway trains at present in use; and I think it is fair to say, with reference to the London and Brighton Railway, where there has recently been a murder, that the mode of communication adopted by them appears to be the best hitherto devised, and it is difficult to see how it could be further perfected. It has been carefully considered by the Board of Trade and approved by them. My hon. Friend goes on to suggest the expediency of requiring Railway Companies to adopt certain means of signalling. I have to point out that we have no power to make such requisitions on the Railway Companies; and as regards the expediency of these recommendations, I have to say, with respect to the first-namely, that the footboards and handles on the carriages should be so altered that the guard can at intervals traverse the train and look into each carriage-I am informed that it would be impossible to make the proposed changes without a general alteration of the bridges and tunnels on many of the lines. With regard to the second MR. SHERIDAN asked the President recommendation-that a square of glass of the Board of Trade, Whether, con- should be inserted in each compartment sidering that the means of communica--I am informed that that has already tion between the passengers and guards been done on several lines, including of Railway trains at present in use is the London and South Western. It is, difficult to get at if a personal struggle however, generally objected to by the is taking place, and considering the passengers, who take such opportunities cases of violence and murder which as their luggage affords them of stopping occur in Railway carriages, which the up the openings. As regards the last present means of signalling was not con- recommendation, I have to point out templated to prevent, he will consider that whatever difficulty there is now in the expediency of requiring Railway communicating with the guard by means Companies to adopt the following or of the existing chain pulls would apply, some other efficient means of signalling of course, to the additional pulls that he in such cases, viz. :-That the footboards suggests. and handles on the carriages should be so altered that the guard can at intervals traverse the train and look into each carriage; that a square of glass should be inserted in each compartment, so that a personal struggle in one compartment could be visible in the adjoining compartments; and that, whilst allowing the present means of communication RAILWAYS-RAILWAY PASSENGERS' COMMUNICATION. MR. SHERIDAN: The right hon. Gentleman seems to have misunderstood my Question. The chain pulls which I suggest are not like those already existing which communicate with the guard, and are intended to communicate with other carriages. I should like to know whether the Board of Trade has tested this mode of communication; and, if so, MR. CHAMBERLAIN: I perfectly MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, understood my hon. Friend; but what I he was informed by the Commissioners wished to point out is this-that there of National Education that the statealready exist chain pulls for communi- ment in the first part of the hon. Memcating with the guards, and, as shown ber's Question was incorrect. With reby this recent case, these chain pulls gard to the second point, he was inare not always accessible to passengers; formed that the Inspector General of probably the pull was not accessible in Constabulary had not refused to give this case, because, in the first instance, the teacher a copy of the Police Report the passenger was shot, and the same referred to. If the hon. Gentleman difficulty would apply to the additional wished for further information on a chain pulls now suggested. The Board matter which was really a matter of deof Trade is in the habit of testing these tail, he should be glad to communicate appliances; and I am informed that the with him on the subject. Brighton Railway Company are in the habit of testing them before and after each journey. NAVY-THE ROYAL MARINE CORPS. CAPTAIN PRICE asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether the re-organisation of the Royal Marine Corps will take effect from the 1st July, and when will its details be made known to the House; and is any alteration in the pay of the private (Royal Marines) in contemplation by the Admiralty? MR. TREVELYAN: In the Order in Council of the 15th of January, 1878, affecting the promotion and retirement of the Royal Marines, the Regulations dated back to, and took effect from, the 1st of October, 1877. In the same way the changes which the Admiralty proposed to effect in matters relating to the corps of Royal Marines will come into operation from the 1st of July, 1881. What those changes are to be I will let the House know at a very early opportunity; and I should prefer not to make any partial statement until I can give them as a whole. BOARD OF NATIONAL EDUCATION (IRE- CO. LIMERICK. PROTECTION OF PERSON AND PRO- MAJOR O'BEIRNE asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he would state for what offence Mr. Thomas M'Girney, of Drumkieran, co. Leitrim, was arrested on the 22nd instant, under the Protection of Person and Property Act; and, if the medical authorities of Galway Gaol have certified that he is in a fit state of health to undergo imprisonment? MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, the person referred to had been arrested of Person and Property Act. The Warrant stated that he was suspected of unlawfully assembling with others, to the terror of Her Majesty's subjects, for the purpose of disturbing the public peace. On the 27th instant a Memorial with regard to the state of his health was rethe medical officer of the gaol was asked ferred to the General Prisons Board, and to prepare a special Report. This Report, however, could not be received in Dublin till to-morrow morning. on the 22nd instant under the Protection POOK LAW (IRELAND)—SUPERANNU ATION OF POOR LAW OFFICERS, MR. SCLATER-BOOTH asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether his attention has been called to the anomalous condition of the existing Law and practice relative to the Superannuation of Poor Law Officers, by recent cases which have oc MR. SYNAN asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in consequence of the felonious abstraction at night of the school register from the Mount Pleasant National School, in the county of Limerick, the National Board has refused to hold the usual examination, and the teacher, Mr. Patrick O'Brien, has been thereby deprived of his result fees; and, whe-curred in the two adjacent unions of ther the Inspector General of Constabulary has refused to give the said teacher a copy of the Police Report relative to said abstraction to send to the Board? Farnham and Alton, a superannuation allowance having been granted in the former union and refused in the latter to an officer of advanced age and long service; and, whether he has it in con- | miasma, hanging in so dense a veil that you templation to propose any amendment could almost cut it; this is the atmosphere which of the Law with a view to greater uni- must be inhaled all night;" formity in future? MR. DODSON: My attention has been called to these two cases, and I cannot but regret that they were not dealt with by the Guardians of the two Unions on the same favourable principle; but, as the right hon. Gentleman is aware, the grant of superannuation allowance is entirely within the discretion of the Guardians, the Board having no jurisdiction to require them to grant a superannuation in any case; and it would be a matter requiring very serious consideration to undertake to propose any amendment in the law which would deprive the Guardians of their discretionary power. ARMY ORGANIZATION-LIEUTENANT whether he is aware that, although on active service, no rations were supplied to the officers of the regiment, who were left to forage for themselves as they best could; whether he is aware that, of the 29 officers of that regiment who landed at Cape Coast between the 11th and 31st March last, one (Lieutenant Harwood) died, eleven were invalided home, and the others, with one exception, suffered from fever before the 17th May; and, if he will inform the House whether any inquiry has been, or will be made, in order to ascertain who is to blame for the neglect of the proper sanitary precautions as regards the accommodation of the regiment referred to when landed at Cape Coast? MR. CHILDERS: My hon. Friend cannot have been in the House when I fully answered almost identical QuesMAJOR NOLAN asked the Secretary tions on the 9th and 13th instant, and I of State for War, Whether the privi- must refer him to those answers. The lege which has been granted to Lieu-only additional point in his Question is, tenant Colonels of Infantry who were ap-whether the officers received rations? pointed before the 1st July 1881, of op- I presume that they did, and large suptional retirement on a Colonel's pension plies of food were sent out; but I have after having held command for four received no Report on the subject. years, will be extended to those Lieutenant Colonels of the Ordnance Corps who are similarly situated ? MR. CHILDERS: No. Sir; the period of the employment of Lieutenant Colonels of the Line will vary from a minimum of four, if in actual command, to a maximum of six years; and this will be about the same period as the fixed five years in the Ordnance Corps. I see, therefore, no reason to shorten the latter period. ARMY-AFRICA (WEST)-THE TROOPS AT CAPE COAST CASTLE. MR. W. HOLMS asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he is aware that no adequate provision was made for the accommodation of the 2nd West India Regiment, landed at Cape Coast in March last, three companies with their officers being quartered in tents on the seaboard, the other three companies in the Fantee town, where, in the words of an eye-witness "Every evening there rises from the count. less cesspools and steaming earth a poisonous MR. W. HOLMS said, he had heard the answers given by the right hon. Gentleman to the two Questions referred to; but he ventured to think that he had not answered this part of the Question-whether he was aware that of the 29 officers of the regiment, who landed at Cape Coast between the 11th and 31st March, one (Lieutenant Harwood) died, 11 were invalided home, and the others, with one exception, suffered from fever before the 17th May? He should also like to know if it was not the case that no rations whatever were supplied to the officers? MR. CHILDERS replied, that he had already informed his hon. Friend that large supplies of food were sent out, but that he had no information as yet as to its distribution, and could not, therefore, answer the Question. He had not the points of his previous replies before him; but he remembered that he expressly stated that one officer had died, and that a large number were invalided. He thought he mentioned 10 or 12, and he also said that there was a great deal of sickness among the officers. ARMY THE AUXILIARY FORCES 2ND DEVON ARTILLERY VOLUNTEERS. MR. GORST (for Mr. PULESTON) asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is a fact that two-thirds of the members of the 2nd Devon Artillery Volunteers have resigned; and, if so, whether he can state the reasons which have led to such a step by so efficient a body of Volunteers? MR. CHILDERS: No, Sir; I find that a much smaller proportion of the men of the Volunteer corps to which the hon. Member's Question refers resigned in a somewhat irregular manner about a month ago, disappointed at their regiment not being allowed, through inadequacy of funds, to attend the forthcoming Review. The General Officer commanding the Western District has ordered inquiry to be made into the financial condition of the regiment; but, as at present advised, I think that Colonel Ridgway was justified in not sanctioning so heavy an expenditure. ther the Government propose to take Morning Sittings regularly on Tuesdays and Fridays; and, also, whether we are to understand that the recent Order of the 27th with regard to the precedence to be given to the Land Law (Ireland) Bill excludes or supersedes the Rule that places Supply as the first Order on Fridays? MR. GLADSTONE: With regard to Morning Sittings, I have no other desire. than that we should take that course which will most expedite the Business of the Committee without hurrying it, and I think if we have two Morning Sittings weekly it will conduce to that end. It produces a more constant attendance, and the numbers do not vary up and down in the same extreme. When we have got rid of the Committee and the Report of the Land Law (Ireland) Bill, my own opinion is that, unless the House thinks otherwise, it will be better to go on as we are doing. With regard to the other part of the Question, there is no doubt whatever that the Resolution taken on Tuesday last does, for the time, set aside the Resolution as to Supply. TUNIS THE CASR ESSAID TREATY. WAYS AND MEANS-INLAND REVENUE -INCOME TAX ON FARMS IN HAND. SIR ROBERT LOYD LINDSAY asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, THE EARL OF BECTIVE asked the Whether, in accordance with the sug-Under Secretary of State for Foreign gestion of the Inland Revenue Commis- Affairs, If Her Majesty's Government sioners of 13th June, the Government are aware that additional clauses exist intend to adhere to the limitation of in the Casr Essaid Treaty besides the remission of the Income Tax on those communicated to Lord Granville farms in hands of the owners (proposed through Lord Lyons on the 20th May; to be made in consideration of the pre- if the French Government have insent agricultural distress) to cases of formed Her Majesty's Government of farms not habitually occupied by owners their intention to compel the Bey to for purposes of husbandry; and, whe- cancel or alter Article V. of the British ther such a limitation will not, in fact, Convention of 1863, and Article V. exclude from relief all yeomen farmers of the Convention of 1875, whereby who have suffered as much as, or more British subjects are allowed to acquire than, any of the farming class in re- and dispose of immovable property in cent years? the Regency of Tunis; whether they are aware that very lately, on M. Camondo, a wealthy Levantine banker, and Mr. Gustavus Rothschild, entering into negotiations with Flamida Ben Ayad, a British landowner, for the purchase of two large estates, they were informed by M. Rouston that no real property could henceforth be disposed of in that country without his consent; and, whether Her Majesty's Government are prepared to make inquiries on this subject? MR. GLADSTONE, in reply, said, he presumed the hon. and gallant Member did not think that the recommendation in question extended to what were known as home farms. As to the purport of the Question, however, he could not give any positive answer; but he would make inquiry as to the precise position of matters. PARLIAMENT - BUSINESS OF THE imprisoned in Kilmainham, along with other of his countrymen arrested under the Coercion Act? additional clauses. The French Govern | could not be removed from Portland and ment have not given any such information to Her Majesty's Government. We are not aware that the persons named have been informed by M. Roustan that real property cannot be disposed of in Tunis without his consent. There will be no objection to making inquiry on the subject if the noble Lord will inform the Foreign Office of the grounds on which he has based the Questions. MR. GLADSTONE: Mr. Speaker, I am not quite sure whether this Question has been put under a perfectly accurate impression as to the state of the law as regards Davitt. It seems to imply that the case of Davitt is analogous to that of the prisoners now confined in Ireland. It is well known that Davitt was a convict at large, under the licence of the AUSTRIA AND SERVIA-COMMERCIAL Crown. That licence was revokable for TREATY. certain reasons, and the Government, LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL thinking that those reasons existed, reasked the Under Secretary of State for garded it as their duty to revoke the Foreign Affairs a Question of which he licence. The prisoners arrested under had given him private Notice, Whether, the Coercion Act are untried prisoners, in the Revised Convention or arrange- and the Government could not underment about to be concluded between take to place tried prisoners in the same Servia and Austria, Servia, notwith-condition as untried prisoners. I am standing the most favoured nation informed by my right hon. Friend the clause in the Treaty between this coun- Secretary of State for the Home Departtry and Servia, would have to admit ment that, on account of the state of manufactured or partly manufactured Michael Davitt's health, he has received iron and other articles from Austria at special indulgences; and I do not learn considerably lower duties than those at that he has complained, in any respect, which it admits the products of this and of harshness in his treatment. I have other countries; and, whether before the no doubt that everything that could be Convention was signed by the Repre- desired will be done. sentatives of Austria and Servia it would be laid before the Chambers of Commerce? SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: I shall feel obliged by the noble Lord giving Notice of the Question. LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL: I suppose the Convention will not be signed before to-morrow? SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: I cannot state at a moment's notice what is the exact position of matters at this moment. I have not seen any Papers relating to the Question for the last three days. SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF: When does the hon. Baronet propose to lay on the Table the Treaty between Austria and Servia? SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: It is in course of being printed. PROTECTION OF PERSON AND PRO. PERTY (IRELAND) ACT, 1881 UNDER THE ACT. MR. J. COWEN asked the First Lord of the Treasury, If Mr. Michael Davitt MR. J. COWEN said, he wished to ask the Prime Minister a further Question. He understood that Mr. Davitt was not imprisoned for the purpose of punishment, but only for the purpose of restraint. On an interesting occasion recently the Premier had referred with commendation to the aid that Lord Beaconsfield gave to Mr. Thomas Cooper, the Chartist, when he came out of prison. Mr. Cooper, while in gaol, wrote a poem, and Mr. Disraeli aided him in getting it published. Now, Mr. Davitt was a poet as well as Mr. Cooper; but he was not permitted to have writing materials. What he wanted to ask the Prime Minister was whether the Government would treat Mr. Davitt, an Irish political prisoner, as the Government of Sir Robert Peel treated Mr. Thomas Cooper, the Chartist prisoner, and give him pens, ink, and paper? MR. GLADSTONE: As this is a matter that involves a reference to prihave Notice of the Question. son rules, I am afraid I must ask to MR. PARNELL asked whether the Government had considered that Michael Davitt was being punished for his ori |