of the sailors of the Royal Navy are reduced to destitution by being left totally unprovided for by the heads of the families, and that it is only with the greatest difficulty, by appeals to the Admiralty and letters to the captains of the ships, or by throwing themselves on the rates, that the necessary maintenance is obtained by the wives and children of men who go to sea and neglect to send remittances to those dependent on them at home; and whether some regulation could be made by which all ratings of the Navy should be compelled to declare whether they are married and have children, and, if so, should be obliged to make adequate allowance for the support of their wives and children by deductions from their pay for that purpose.

MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON: The Admiralty have no reason to believe that any considerable portion of the men evade their responsibilities in this matter, but the suggestion in the last part of the hon. Member's Question will receive careful consideration.

Service Brigadier Generals. *MR. GEORGE FABER (York): On behalf of the hon. Member for the Andover Division of Hampshire, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, seeing that while they remain in the service brigadier generals do major generals' work while only receiving colonels' pay, he will consider the possibility of allowing them to retain the honorary rank of general on retirement, instead of reducing them to the rank of colonel.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. HALDANE, Haddington): A major general's work in peace time is the command of a division or an analogous appointment, while a brigadier general's work is the command of a brigade. Brigadier generals do not receive colonel's pay but rates specially provided for them. The question of honorary rank on retirement has been from time to time fully considered, and it has never so far been thought proper to grant the concession.

Preserved Meat Contracts. MR. HUNT (Shropshire, Ludlow): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the names of the tenderers

for preserved meat, and the prices tendered, could be published, instead of, as now, withheld from publication, so that the information would be available for everyone.

MR. HALDANE: The information asked for by the Question has to be treated as confidential, and it would not be wise to make any exception in the case of preserved meat.

The Colonies and Army Meat Contracts.

MR. HUNT: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that the limited time allowed by the authorities for sending in their tenders for preserved meat is a disadvantage to our Colonies, he could, instead of, as at the present time, allowing only about a week, see his way to make the time two months, so that the packers in New Zealand and Australia could have the conditions fully before them, instead of, as at present, having to send in their tenders merely on the strength of a necessarily meagre cablegram.

MR. HALDANE: As I explained to the House in reply to a similar Question put yesterday, sufficient time will, whenever possible, be allowed to enable the Colonial contractors to send in their tenders.

Military Manoeuvres-Compensation to Landowners.

MR. MOND (Chester): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, in order to facilitate the field training of troops under varying conditions, he will introduce legislation to give the War Office necessary power to carry out manoeuvres over any land they think adapted for the purpose, on the paying of a reasonable compensation for damage done to the owners or tenants thereof.

MR. HALDANE: Doubtless my hon. friend is aware of the considerable powers granted by the Manoeuvres Act of 1897. I am glad, however, that he has raised the question, as it may be necessary to introduce hereafter a small Bill, for improving the facilities for the holding of manœuvres throughout the United Kingdom.

Army Rifle Ranges.

MR. MOND: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is

MR. CHURCHILL: Native labourers in the New Hebrides (who are, of course, natives of the group and not imported from outside) will not be compelled under the Convention to return to their homes at at the expiration of their contracts if they do not desire to do so. No limit of time is fixed by the Convention to the liability of the employer, but the question of the period during which he will be bound to send back a labourer after the expiration of his contract is one that can be settled, if necessary, by local regulations of the High Commissioners, subject to the approval of His Majesty's Government and the French Govern

ment.

Boer War Expenditure.

MR. D. A. THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil): I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, if he can now state the total cost incurred by this country in protecting Natal and Cape Colony against the Boer forces during the recent war.

MR. CHURCHILL: No, Sir; it does not appear to be possible to show separately the expenditure to which my hon. friend refers.

Cape Duties on British Coal.

MR. D. A. THOMAS: I beg, to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether the Customs Duty of 3s. 6d. per ton on British coal imported into Cape Colony is charged on coal raised in and imported from Natal; whether the Cape dock dues on coal and the coal rates on the Cape railways controlled by the Government are the same on British and Natal produce; and, negative, will he take the opportunity, if the answer to these Questions is in the afforded by the approaching visit of Colonial Premiers, for promoting freer trade within the Empire and closer commercial relations between the Mother Country and the Colonies, of respectfully suggesting that equal treatment be accorded the produce of this country and the Colonies when imported into any one of the component parts of the British Empire.

MR. CHURCHILL: An import duty of 3s. per ton is levied on coal entering the South African Customs Union abroad. As both Natal and Cape Colony are members of that Union, the duty is not levied on coal entering one Colony from the other. From the materials available in this country, it is impossible to give a definite answer as to dock dues and railway rates. I am aware that it has been in the past the practice in South Africa to give preference to local products on the railways, but in the meetings which preceded the drawing up of the Convention of last year printed in Cd. 2977 the principle was enunciated that preference should be given by customs rates, and not railway rates. His Majesty's Government are in sympathy with the principle stated in the last part of the hon. Member's question, but it is

inapplicable in cases where Colonies are members of one Customs Union.

Macedonian Gendarmerie.

MR. G. GREENWOOD (Peterborough) I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Ambassadors of the Powers have received a satisfactory reply from the Porte with reference to the demand for increased powers for the Macedonian gendarmerie put forward a year ago by General de Giorgis and recently renewed.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir EDWARD GREY, Northumberland, Berwick): The recent negotiations in regard to the gendarmerie have been carried on between General de Giorgis Pasha and the Sublime Porte. They have not yet been completed, but it is understood that they are proceeding satisfactorily. The question is a somewhat complicated one. The last papers dealing with the subject will be included in the general Blue-book on Macedonia which will shortly be laid before Parliament.

United States and Most-favoured-Nation Treatment.

MR. MITCHELL-THOMSON (Lanarkshire, N.W.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in what respects the interpretation of mostfavoured-nation treatment held by the United States Government differs from that held by His Majesty's Government; and whether he will lay Papers relative to any representations which have been made on the subject by His Majesty's Government or the Government of the United States.

SIR EDWARD GREY: The interpretation put by the United States Government on the most-favoured-nation clause is that concessions granted to one State by another conditionally and for a consideration cannot be claimed by a third State, although that State may be entitled to most-favoured-nation treatment. His Majesty's Government hold the contrary view, namely, that all favours, whether granted by law or by treaty, gratuitously or for a consideration, pass under the most-favoured-nation clause. No useful purpose would be served by laying Papers on the subject.

Congo State Annexation.

MR. BENNETT (Oxfordshire, Woodstock): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he could give some assurance to this House that the treaty conditions, under which alone any annexation of the Congo State by Belgium would be acceptable to His Majesty's Government, would carry with them the right of the Congolese native to buy and sell freely of the produce of the soil.

SIR EDWARD GREY: The views of His Majesty's Government in regard to the right of the Congolese native to buy and sell freely of the produce of the soil remain the same as those set forth in the circular to the Powers of 8th August, 1903, which was published in Blue-book Africa, No. 14 (1903).

Execution of a British Subject at Warsaw. LORD BALCARRES (Lancashire, Chorley): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the British subject recently executed for robbery at Warsaw was represented by counsel at his trial.

SIR EDWARD GREY: Tingle was not assisted by counsel at his trial, as counsel are not allowed at field Courtsmartial, the procedure of which is the same as that of regimental Courts-martial in time of war.

LORD BALCARRES: Has the Government any knowledge of what took place at the trial?

SIR EDWARD GREY: I have no knowledge as to that, but I have know. ledge that the man was caught in the act, and that there was no doubt about his guilt.

MR. JOHN WARD (Stoke-on-Trent): Will the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries in regard to the conduct of the trial?

SIR EDWARD GREY: I cannot make inquiries, because we are satisfied that the trial was exactly the same as would take place in the case of a Russian subject. There was no doubt as to the man's guilt, and martial law was applied to the district. We have no right to claim for British

subjects more favourable treatment than is accorded to the subjects of the country in which they reside.

SIR GILBERT PARKER (Gravesend) asked whether there were others associated with this British subject in the committal of the crime, and whether the others were arrested.

SIR EDWARD GREY: I cannot say whether others were arrested for this particular crime. He was one of a number of people who robbed the tram-conductor, and he was caught, with the proceeds of the robbery in his possession, as he was running away.

MAJOR ANSTRUTHER-GRAY (St. Andrews Burghs): Was the British

Ambassador referred to in the matter?

SIR EDWARD GREY: No, Sir. The Consul-General took action himself, and asked that the sentence should be commuted, and he was informed that the crime, in the opinion of the authorities, was too grave to allow of commutation, and he said in his Report that exactly the same penalty would have been inflicted on any Russian subject who had been caught under the same circumstances.

Belgian Special Congo Commission. MR. ALDEN (Middlesex, Tottenham): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give any information as to the possibility of an early Report by the Special Commission of Members of the Belgian Chamber appointed to consider the question of taking over the Congo Free State; and whether he is in a position to make any representations to the Belgian Government with regard to the Question.

SIR EDWARD GREY: The Special Commission alluded to has not yet reached such a stage of its inquiry as to give any indication of the date when its labours may be expected to terminate. With regard to the last portion of the Question, His Majesty's Government have hitherto desired that Belgium should exercise her own rights. But this is a result to be brought about by Belgium acting independently on her own initiative, and is not likely to be promoted by the representations of a foreign Power.

MR. PIKE PEASE (Darlington) asked if the right hon. Gentleman would inquire when they might expect to have the Report, considering the long time which had elapsed since he made a statement on the subject.

SIR EDWARD GREY replied that he had already given instructions to be kept informed from time to time of the progress that was being made.

Depreciation of Securities.

MR. GEORGE FABER (York): I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the case of the Post Office Savings Banks and the Trustee Savings Banks, respectively, the National Debt Commissioners show in their annual published accounts the amount of the depreciation in the value of the securities. in which the deposits have been invested; and whether the depreciation fund, directed by statute to be created out of surplus interest, if any, has been sufficient to meet the depreciation; and, if not, what is the present amount of the total depreciation in each case; whether, in each of the above cases, the interest arising out of the securities in which the deposits have been invested has been sufficient to meet the rate of interest payable under statute to depositors and, if not, what is the amount of the total deficit in each case, and out of what moneys has it from time to time been met ?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. ASQUITH, Fifeshire, E.) : The annual statements of the Savings Banks Funds are prepared in the form prescribed in the Savings Banks Act, 1904. They show the liabilities of the funds and the nature and amount of the securities held, but they do not include a valuation of the securities at current market price. Such valuations were condemned by the Select Committee of 1902 as misleading. There is no statutory depreciation fund. The hon. Member is presumably referring to the provisions of an Act of 1877, which directed that, out of any surplus income arising on the Savings Banks Funds, such portion as the Treasury considered necessary might be retained in those funds to provide against depreciation of the securities. To publish now a statement of the depreciation of the securities would