850 Igaged building and repairing their boats, others EVICTIONS (IRELAND)-RENVYLE, CO. fishing, and others digging and collecting turf,

GALWAY.

MR. LABOUCHERE asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that ejectment decrees have been granted against the tenants of Mrs. Blake on the Renvyle Estate, in Ireland, although these tenants have all either made themselves the improvements on their farms, or have paid for these improvements to their outgoing predecessors, and although their rents are on an average one and a half times Griffith's valuation; whether his attention has been called to the following statement by Mr. Becker, in his letters to the "Daily News" from Ireland respecting this land:

"Below, near the sea, stands Renvyle Castle, whence the name Coshleen, the village by the Castle, the ruined stronghold of the O'Flahertys, who ruled this county long ago, either better or worse than the Blakes, who have held it for

some generations, and under whose care it has
become a reproach to the Empire,"
and to the following description by Mr.
Becker of the tenants :-

"How any compensation money is to be got

for the hundreds of miserable people who inhabit Coshleen and Derryinver I cannot conceive; they have, it is true, potatoes to eat now, and may have enough till February (1881), but their pale cheeks, high cheek bones, and hollow eyes tell a sorry tale, not of sudden want, but of a long course of insufficient food varied by occasional fever;"

and, whether he will inquire into the truth of the above statements, and, if he finds them to be correct, he will refuse the aid of the military and of the police in evicting the tenants on that estate?

MR.W. E. FORSTER: Sir, I am afraid I must detain the House longer than usual with regard to this Question. I fully admit the general fairness of Mr. Becker's description; but I think in this case he must either have been describing some other persons or must have seen these people in very exceptional distress. I have by me special Reports, made during the recent distress in 1879 and 1880, by Inspectors of the Local Government Board sent expressly to this district, which give a much more cheerful account of the appearance of these poor people. On December 21, 1879, Mr. Robinson, one of the Inspectors, reports

as follows:

"They are a remarkably sturdy, active, and healthy lot of men. Some of them were en

all with cheerful, pleasant expressions of counmost of them have potatoes; but any that have tenance. Food they have plenty of at present; not, being unable to obtain credit for meal, are obliged to resort to the simple expedient of purchasing it, and this they do with the money they receive for the sale of their pigs, fish, or

cattle."

He goes on to describe their clothing as warm and comfortable. Dr. Roughan, another of the Inspectors of the Local Government Board sent specially to this of January, 1880. After describing the district, reported as follows on the 16th wretchedness of their cabins, of which there can be no doubt, he says

It is wonderful how buoyant, cheerful, and healthy they appeared. I do not think in any part of Ireland a more apparently healthy race of people could be found. The men advanced in years do not look prematurely old, and the middle-aged and young seemed to enjoy robust health."

I may, on my personal experience, confirm the statements of the Inspector. I was at the village of Renvyle in 1845 and the winter of 1846-7, during the Famine, and again about three years ago. I was struck with the improvement in the health and appearance of the people, though the cabins seemed much the same.

With regard to the other statements in the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to a letter from Mrs. Blake which appeared in The Irish Times of the 18th of December, 1880, and also, I believe, in The Standard about the same date. This letter replies to those of the special correspondents of The Standard and The Daily News. I have myself just received a Report from the local constabulary and a letter from Mrs. Blake herself. The sub-Inspector states that the people living at Coshleen and Derryinver can compare favourably with those on any other estate in Connemara. The houses of those living by the coast are no index to their means. Two-thirds of these people up to last month had potatoes for sale, while the other third have them at present, at the rate of 4d, a stone. I do not doubt that the rents on the estate are above Griffith's valuation; but Mrs. Blake informs me that they have not been raised for 21 years, and then on careful valuation by two independent Roman Catholic farmers, who had no connection with the landlord. Mrs. Blake has 13 processes of ejectment to be executed

against tenants who, I am informed by the constabulary, are, in their opinion, all well able to pay, and would do so but for the terrorism of the Land League. The following notice, for instance, was posted in the locality:-"Herds and graziers quit, or else you will get the fate of Lyden. Pay no rent at any cost." Lyden, I may mention, was cruelly murdered, being dragged from his bed at night, and repeated shots were fired at him in the sight of his wife and children. His eldest son, at the same time, was fatally wounded. The terrorism has had its effect; Mrs. Blake now has on hand a farm of about 400 acres of grass land, which no person dare take. One man sent a bullock to graze there. It was taken out to sea at night and drowned. With regard to this farm Mrs. Blake writes

"I have now about 400 acres of grass land Boycotted. The tenant who gave up the larger part was taking more land, and offering for some an increased rent. Up to the agitation he had been a good tenant for many years. We bought the interest from the outgoing tenant on one farm, and lost heavily on the other which had been held by an Englishman. The agitators Baid-Hunt the graziers.' Afterwards sheep were destroyed, over 120, and the land trespassed night and day; so the tenants noticed me in May, and gave up in November."

apply for compensation for this malicious injury owing to threats made by local agitators?

MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that he was unable to answer the Question of the hon. Member for Galway (Mr. T. P. O'Connor). With regard to the latter Question, his information coincided with that of the hon. Member for Tyrone (Mr. Macartney).

MR. HEALY wished to know how it happened that the right hon. Gentleman was always acquainted with everything. against a tenant, but never with any thing against a landlord? ["Oh, oh!"]

ARMY (INDIA)-THE INDIAN ARTIL

LERY-RETIREMENT.

VISCOUNT LEWISHAM asked the Secretary of State for India, If he would state why the officers of the old Indian Artillery are not permitted to retire on

the same terms as the officers of the old European Line Regiments; and, whether there is any prospect of the difference being removed?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON : Sir, the retirement of the two classes of officers referred to proceeds on separate lines under the operation of Royal Warrant. Officers of the Indian Artillery were exempted, in their own interest, As this question has excited much in- from the compulsory half-pay retirement terest, I have thought it right to detain clauses of the Royal Warrant under the House longer than usual with my which officers of the new Line regianswer. Without doubt, the general ments, who were under Indian pension condition of this estate, as of many rules, are forced to go on half-pay on others in Connemara, is a strong argu-less favourable terms of retirement than ment for the Land Bill before the House; but I am convinced that the charges against Mrs. Blake are unfounded, that she has herself received bad treatment, and that the Government would do wrong to refuse to her the protection of the law. MR. T. P. O'CONNOR asked the right hon. Gentleman whether he was aware, when making the statement that the rents had not been raised for 21 years, that the valuation then made was, according to the confession of one of the valuators, made for the purpose of a mortgage, and not for the purpose of fixing rent; and that the result of this collusion between the valuators and the late Mr. Blake was that he obtained a large figure upon the estate?

MR. MACARTNEY asked whether it was a fact that a quantity of corn belonging to Mrs. Blake was burned down recently, and that she was afraid to

Mr. W. E. Forster

those offered to Indian Artillery officers, who are exempted from the operation of these penal clauses. The new Line officer who has been compulsorily placed on half-pay cannot on retirement attain to a higher pension than £600 a-year. The old Indian Artillery officer, who is allowed continuous service, can, on electing to retire, attain to a pension of £1,000 a-year. The Indian Artillery officer is at no disadvantage and suffers no injustice from not being placed under the same rules as those which govern the retirement of the old Indian European Line. There is no intention of assimilating the two conditions of retire

ment.

POOR LAW-FEES TO MEDICAL
OFFICERS.

MR. THOROLD ROGERS asked the
President of the Local Government

Board, Whether, since the scale of fees | officials of the Department, they might

either convince him that he was in error or consider any suggestions the hon. Member had to make.

FRANCE AND TUNIS-SEARCH OF

BRITISH VESSELS.

payable to the medical officers of Poor Law Unions was furnished many years ago by the Poor Law Board, he would consider the desirability of its revision, especially in relation to those operations for which, as medical science has progressed, the use of anesthetics is neces- THE EARL OF BECTIVE asked the sary, and therefore the services of an Under Secretary of State for Foreign assistant operator is required; and, if Affairs, Whether it is true that the he would further consider how far, in the French Government has admitted the absence of any provision for the payment illegality of searching two British ships. of such assistant operators, the sufferings on the high seas by the French corvette of the poor who are constrained to un-"Leopard;" and, if so, whether any dergo operations might remain unalle- reparation has been demanded for these viated or be increased? proceedings; and, whether it is true that M. Roustan has withdrawn a charge of wilful murder preferred by him two months ago against a British subject, Mr. Perkins; and, if so, whether any indemnity has been offered to that gentleman, as well as to Mr. Smith and the British Consular Agent at Bizerta, against whom serious accusations were also made?

MR. DODSON: Sir, I will not fail to consider how far it is desirable to revise the scale of fees for operations by Poor Law medical officers in those cases where anaesthetics are required. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the policy of Poor Law administration has always been, not to encourage difficult operations by Poor Law medical officers, but to endeavour to induce the sending of such cases to public hospitals, where they can be treated with the best attention and skill.

THE NEW COMMERCIAL TREATY WITH FRANCE (NEGOTIATIONS). MR. MAC IVER asked the President of the Board of Trade, If, in the Return which it is proposed to issue as regards our trade with France, he can see his way to include under the heading of "Manufactures" all those articles which are in reality manufactures, although at present appearing in the Blue Book under the headings of "Articles for Consumption" and "Articles Unenumerated;" and, whether there is any sufficient reason for the Board of Trade sta

tistics continuing to be issued in a form which, by the adoption of a misleading classification, practically understates the general total of the value of our imported manufactures by something like £15,000,000 annually?

MR. CHAMBERLAIN, in reply, said, he had carefully considered the matter with the help of the officers of the Department, and they were unable to identify the references in the Question with the statistics in any Blue Book issued by the Department. The hon. Member was probably under a misapprehension, and if he would communicate with the

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: Sir, the French Government have admitted that the searching of the N. Stellä and 8. Maria by the French corvette Léopard was the result of a misconception of his instructions by the officer in command of that vessel, and the officer is no longer on the station. We have not heard, except from the newspapers, that M. Roustan has withdrawn the charge of wilful murder preferred by him against Mr. Perkins, nor that any indemnity has been offered to him. With regard to Mr. Smith, he was asked by the French General what damage was done to him, and he replied that he did not ask for compensation. We know nothing of the case of the British Consular Agent at Bizerta.

THE EARL OF BECTIVE asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the attention of the Government has been called to the fact that M. Roustan sent one of his employés a few days ago to accompany the

directors of the Societé Marseillaise to

treat the Entida case privately with the Sheik-el-Islam; and, whether, as a matter of fact, M. Levy can now only approach the local authorities through M. Roustan, who at the same time represents French interests in the Enfida case?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: Sir, we have not heard that M. Roustan sent

Mr. Levy and other h Certa will as heret fire, be andly to the British Agent an1 Consil General in the event of their having business to tranvast with the Tinian Government. The question of any inconvenience which may be caused by the double functions discharged by Mo Rosetan is engaging the attention of TURKEY AND GREECE - THE FRINthe Government.

MR. DALY asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true that, on the evening of Thursday the 9th of June, Mr. Thomas Travers (at present and for many years past engineer to the Cork Gas Consumers' Company, at Cork), was wantonly assaulted by five policemen near the site of the old Cork and Passage Railway Station at Cork; whether it is true that, on the occasion referred to, Mr. Travers was standing on a small bridge, the only other occupants being a few little children, and that, seeing the policemen about to cross the bridge, Mr. Travers stood aside to allow them to pass, when the police attacked him, knocked him down, and beat him most cruelly with their bâtons; whether it is true that, whilst down and being beaten, one of the policemen stabbed him in the groin with his bayonet, inflicting a severe and dangerous wound; and, whether, if the above recited facts be correct, he will take steps for the prosecution of the perpetrators of this

assault?

tain from the right hon. Gentleman to detain the House; but he must ascerwhether the police were at liberty to assault unprotected men? There were two occasions when the police were on the bridge. He believed it to be the desire of the Chief Secretary to get information, and it was for this reason that he brought this case under his notice.

MR. W. E. FORSTER said, he thought there seemed to be some misapprehension connected with the hon. Gentleman's Question.

MR. DALY said, that what he stated was, that the police assaulted Mr. Travers. [Cries of " Order!"]

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Member is now making allegations, and is not speaking to any Question.

MR. DALY said, he proposed, if necessary, to conclude with a Motion. He wished the Chief Secretary to obtain information as to whether it was not true that while Mr. Travers was down he was stabbed in the groin while the policemen were beating him?

MR. W. E. FORSTER said, that if the hon. Member would place his Question on the Paper again, he would take care that further inquiries were made about it. There was evidently some mistake as to the occasion.

NAVY-H.M.S. "MONARCH"-THE EX.
PLOSION AT GOLETTA.

MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that the sub-inspector of police reported that the bridge in question was occupied by a stone-throwing mob; that he thought it necessary to clear this bridge, that when he was doing so he was himself struck by a heavy stick; that after the bridge had been cleared the police were SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF asked assailed by such a heavy fire of stones, the Secretary to the Admiralty, If he and the place was found to be so ex- could state what was the nature of the posed, that the men had to be with-injuries sustained by the "Monarch" drawn. The sub-inspector added that at Goletta; whether those injuries would he saw no one knocked down, and that cause her to leave the neighbourhood; no complaint was made to him at the and, whether she would be replaced by time. The assault on the police was another vessel of the same character? unwarranted, unprovoked, and premeditated, and some of the mob had been placed in gaol.

MR. DALY said, that the right hon. Gentleman had not answered the Question, Whether at the time Mr. Travers was assaulted he and a few little children were not the only occupants of the bridge?

MR. W. E. FORSTER said, that, according to the information he had received, that statement could not be

correct.

MR. DALY (who was received with

MR. TREVELYAN: Sir, a letter describing the accident is expected at the Admiralty to-morrow. Meanwhile, it is known that the gun-cotton which exploded was 24 lb. in weight, probably the lighting charge of a spar torpedo, and it is likely that the unfortunate young officer who was killed was holding it against his breast. The explosion did not take place on board ship, but in a steam pinnace alongside, and there is no reason to think that the ship is injured. The last telegram from Captain Tryon, of the Monarch, is dated yesterday, and