namely 550, of the tenants situated within one compact block comprising nearly forty townlands, have agreed to purchase their holdings, while the tenants outside that block have declined to purchase on the same terms. There are over fifty evicted tenants whose holdings are scattered throughout the entire estate, and the vendor proposes to sell these holdings to the Commissioners in order that the evicted tenants may be reinstated. The Commissioners propose to declare the compact block described, together with the evicted farms, to be a separate estate for the purposes of the sale, in order that the evicted tenants may be reinstated at once. The Commissioners hold that it would be unjust to deprive the tenants in a compact block on a large property like this of the benefits of land purchase, and at the same time to deprive the evicted tenants of the opportunity of reinstatement, because other tenants have not agreed to purchase. The vendor's solicitor has informed the Commissioners that no steps have been taken to realise the rents due which would not have been taken in the usual course in any other year. The Commissioners have already intimated their willingness to hear the views of the tenants who have declined to purchase, and are still prepared to hear them. In reply to a further Question, MR. BIRRELL said it was unfortunate that the tenants on one half of the estate were willing to sell, while those on the other half were not. The holdings of the evicted tenants were scattered over the whole estate, and that was the difficulty. Ballyalla (Clare) Postal Arrangements. MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.) I beg to ask the Postmaster-General if he will order a letter box to be placed at Ballyalla, County Clare, for the convenience of the residents of the district. MR. SYDNEY BUXTON: The difficulty in this case arises from the extremely small number of letters likely to be posted, and from the fact that the erection of an ordinary letter box on the site suggested would involve more than the usual expense. I will, however, make further inquiry with the VOL. CLXX. [FOURTH SERIES.] view of ascertaining whether a small letter-box could be put up at Ballyalla cross-roads without special expense. I will communicate the result to the hon. Member in due course. Longford Post Office. MR. J. P. FARRELL: I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that, owing to defective construction and arrangement of departments, persons wanting to transact business at Longford post office are often kept standing from ten minutes to half an hour; whether a rearrangement of desks can be made whereby each department, stamps, telegrams, money orders, and parcels, can be separated by lengthening the present counter and taking away the postmaster's office; and will he direct an inquiry into this matter. MR. SYDNEY BUXTON: I will inquire into the matter. Postal Districts in Ireland. MR. J. P. FARRELL: I beg to ask the Postmaster-General if he will state the reason which induced his department to transfer Longford from the Dublin to the Northern District surveyors; whether he is aware that communication is far more direct between Longford and Dublin than between Longford and Belfast; and will he now reconsider the matter and place Longford again in charge of the Dublin District surveyors. MR. SYDNEY BUXTON: As the hon Member was informed by my predecessor on 7th March, 1904, Longford and other towns were transferred from the Midland District to the Northern District, in order to equalise the size of the two districts as far as possible, and thus promote efficiency and economy; and I do not propose to disturb the arrangement. The hon. Member is mistaken in thinking that the headquarters of the Northern Surveying District are in Belfast. The headquarters of all three Irish Surveying Districts are in Dublin. Procedure Committee. MR. WILLIAM REDMOND: I beg to ask the Prime Minister when the Procedure Committee is to meet again to consider the proposal placed before it that it be a recommendation that business be so arranged that the session should K end each year not later than the end of the opening of the Moray Firth to June. THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, Stirling Burghs): The Procedure Committee has not been reappointed this session. The House has not yet considered all the proposals which were reported to it last year. I hope, however, that these proposals will be dealt with before Easter. As to the rearrangement of the session, that is a matter which must be proposed by the Government on their own responsibility. MR. WILLIAM REDMOND: May I ask whether there is any intention of reappointing this Committee, because the members understood that this particular proposal with regard to the session and other matters would be considered by them? SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN : I do not think we have looked, as yet, beyond the duty which lies on us of dealing with the proposals already made by the Committee. Irish Tobacco Bill. MR. WILLIAM REDMOND: I beg to ask the Prime Minister whether, in view of the support promised on behalf of the Government to the Irish Tobacco Bill, he will give facilities for its passage ir.to law. SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: No, Sir; it is impossible at this stage for the Government to promise facilities for any measure for which they are not themselves directly responsible. MR. WILLIAM REDMOND inquired whether, if this Bill passed Second Reading, the Government would offer any objection to its being sent to one of the Grand Committees. SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: I hope that will be the fate of the Bill. Moray Firth. MR. CATHCART WASON: I beg to ask the Prime Minister if he is aware of the consequences which must follow on trawlers; of the desire of the people to lay before him, by deputation, their views on the subject; and if he will consent to receive such a deputation. SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN said that if Votes A and 1. of the Army Estimates were obtained that day, on Monday the first order would be the Army Supplementary Estimates. Then the Army Bill would be introduced, and afterwards the report stage of Votes A and 1. of the Army Estimates would be taken. On Tuesday they would endeavour to get the Speaker out of the Chair on the Navy Estimates. On Wednesday they would take the Navy Votes A and 1., and Vote 10. On Thursday, if the Navy Votes were obtained, they proposed to take the Civil Service Vote on account. NEW BILLS. POLICE (SUPERANNUATION) BILL. "To amend the Law respecting the Superannuation of Police Constables," presented by Mr. Samuel Roberts; to be read a second time upon Friday, 22nd March, and to be printed. [Bill 80.] ADVERTISEMENTS REGULATION BILL. "To authorise local authorities to make by-laws respecting the exhibition of Advertisements," presented by Mr. HartDavies supported by Mr. Wyndham, Sir William Brampton Gurdon, Lord Balcarres, Sir Charles Schwann, Mr. Butcher, Mr. MacNeill, Mr. Ramsay Macdonald, and Mr. Beale; to be read a second time upon Monday next, and to be printed. [Bill 81.] WEEKLY REST-DAY BILL. "To secure a Weekly Rest-day," presented by Mr. Clarke; supported by Mr. George White, Mr. Steadman, Mr. Bertram Straus, Sir Alfred Thomas, Mr. Corrie Grant, Mr. Remnant, and Mr. Charles Price; to be read a second time upon Tuesday, 9th April, and to be printed. [Bill 82.] SUPPLY [1ST ALLOTTED DAY.] Corsidered in Committee. (In the Committee.) [Mr. EMMOTT (Oldham) in the Chair.] ARMY ESTIMATES, 1907-8. Motion made, and Question proposed, "That a number of Land Forces, not exceeding 190,000, all ranks, be maintained for the service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland at Home and Abroad, excluding His Majesty's Indian Possessions, during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1908." *CAPTAIN KINCAID-SMITH (Warwickshire, Stratford-on-Avon) continuing his speech said that the test of the scheme must include the Regular Army and the territorial Army taken together. The real test must be whether it would provide us with that war machinery and give us that expanding Army which would be required in time of emergency, or in any great war. He agreed that an expeditionary force of 150,000 men was rather large. But as they had got these men owing to the linked-battalion system he thought they might as well have it efficiently organised as an expeditionary Army. What they wanted was a small Army sufficient to provide an Indian and Colonial garrison and a EDUCATION (ADMINISTRATIVE PRO- small striking force in England in time of VISIONS) BILL. "To make provision for the better administration by the central and local authorities in England and Wales of the enactments relating to Education," presented by Mr. McKenna; to be read a second time upon Monday next, and to be printed. [Bill 83.] SMALL. HOLDINGS (SCOTLAND) (NO. 2) BILL. "To establish a Department of the Board of Agriculture in Scotland and to facilitate the provision of Small Holdings in Scotland, and for other purposes connected therewith," presented by Mr. Munro Ferguson; supported by Sir Thomas Glen Coats and Sir Edward Tennant; to be read a second time upon Monday, 18th March, and to be printed. [Bill 84.] peace as well as give us an expansible Army in time of a great war. He did not think anyone contemplated having in England an enormous standing Army which would compete with Continental forces. What we wanted was a small force which could compete with European forces in localities where they could not bring their large numbers to bear. Such forces would be required on our frontiers where we might be subjected to an attack by a foreign Power, such as in Egypt, Canada, and Afghanistan. They might, perhaps, put Canada and Egypt on one side-especially Egypt-whilst we maintained our naval supremacy. The only remaining place, therefore, was the Indian Frontier, and that was the whole problem. The question they should ask themselves was, Did the scheme meet the test, viz: that by the scheme they would have such machinery as to enable them to provide a large force, after six or more months notice, as would be required to defend the amazing assertion of his hon. friend. It frontier. The answer was in the affirm- might have been an intelligible argument ative, on one condition; and that was that if his hon. friend had made the comparison the men would be forthcoming for the between a skeleton battery and a Volunterritorial Army. He believed that the teer battery, when these two came up for scheme was the best that could be brought mobilisation for service. But the stateforward at the present time and with ment that a Volunteer battery or a Volunpresent materials. Of course, if the men teer unit would be an efficient substitute did not come forward then it would for a Regular unit, he believed would not fail; no doubt they would do so to be accepted by any military authority in a certain extent; but whether their this country or anywhere else. It might numbers would be sufficient was a matter be granted that soldiers who had the upon which they could not speak honour of serving in the Regular Army definitely. He wished also to make one took extreme views as to the relative criticism on the Speech of the hon. value of the Regular and Volunteer forces; Member for the Abercromby Division but they must observe also that those when he remarked that the territorial who served in the Auxiliary Forces took an Army would not be liable for service extreme view of the value of their force abroad. No one had ever suggested that versus the Regular force. The hon. and it would. Of course not. We should gallant Gentleman made some other always have to rely for the reinforcements amazing statements and he thought for our expeditionary Forces on Volunteer they were very dangerous owing to the help. Thousands of Volunteers had come impressive way in which he made them, forward in time of war and great national and the great art which he possessed of emergency, and they would do so again. attracting his audience not only upon this He did not think we should ever lack subject but also upon others. It would Volunteers in times of danger, whether perhaps be a very good thing if a little the danger arose on our home shores or motto were put up over the War and distant shores. We wanted, however, Colonial Offices "Beware of Seely." He to have these Volunteers with more did not know which idea if pushed to its military training than they received extreme limit was the more dangerous, the at the present time. For that reason he notion of the extreme value of the picked welcomed the scheme of the right hon. and more highly trained man, or that the Gentleman. The hon. Member for the Volunteer was an efficient substitute for Abercromby Division had contended the Regular. The picked-man notion that the Volunteer unit, in his opinion, might be true when applied to the Colonies was an efficient substitute for the Regular and in countries where the difficulties unit and had given as an illustration of of transport were very great; but when his argument a little anecdote of some they came to deal with European forces, occurrence in South Africa. He had told then he believed that greater individual them of how a hairdresser with a gun efficiency would not win the day against held up a battery of Regular Artillery. vastly superior numbers; and when you He could quite conceive such a thing had odds of four or five to one then possible under certain circumstances. the day would be won by numbers, by He would ask if the hon. Gentleman organisation and national characteristics. knew anything in history to justify The question of the officers was the that statement? Going back to the most important part of the whole American Civil War was there any problem. He did not think it would thing there which would justify the be an unkind thing if he were to statement that the Volunteer unit say, by way of illustration, that when could be an efficient substitute for the the Yeomanry went to South Africa, the Regular unit? He believed it was the first body of them were splendid both as deliberate opinion of all great military to men and officers, but he thought critics, that if either side in the American everyone in a position qualified to judge war could have put two, or even one, Army would agree that of those who followed Corps in the field in the first six weeks it the men were very good material and would have saved the country from the would have been very good for their devastating war which lasted four work with a little more training; but years. He did not think, therefore, unfortunately the officers had not sufficient. that there was any ground for that, military training themselves to justify Capt. Kincaid-Smith. confidence being placed in them by those responsible for operations in the field. Their zeal was all right, but not their military training. His point was, that in a time of emergency, and in the event of a great war, that was the class which we wished to have to rely upon and to get rid of the difficulty. The right hon. Gentleman had now brought forward his scheme. But was this scheme going to attract the large number of officers-10,000-which would be required? Would the scheme attract that number of suitable men from the public schools and universities for the small sum of £20, to qualify as officers in the Reserves? If that sum was sufficient, of course the scheme would be a success; but he was sceptical whether this sum of money would attract hundreds and thousands of young men in this country, who were our best material, but who hitherto had done nothing to assist the Auxiliary Forces. If they went into the hunting field in the country, or to places of amusement in towns, they would find there some of our best material, but many of them, up to the present time, had done nothing to assist the Auxiliary Forces in any capacity whatsoever. He thought the War Office would find that a comparatively small number would be attracted by the sum of £20. The right hon. Gentleman, when he talked about the Reserve officers in the Continental forces of France and Germany, did not mention that the only way in which they were obtained was by some sort of compulsion, and he believed that we should not get the number of officers we required, with sufficient military training, unless we had some sort of compulsion all round. [Cries of "Oh."] Yes; he repeated it a system of compulsory military training all round. There was a broad distinction between compulsory military training and compulsory military service. He knew that a number of hon. Gentlemen opposite would say that the compulsory military training of this great Army would be the first step towards conscription, but he would be as much opposed to such a system as anyone. Conscription would mean the taking of the youth of the country for a year, or more than a year, for the purpose of service; but military training as outlined in this territorial system would, he thought, meet with approval generally, and he certainly thought that it would be the only way in which their military problem could be ultimately solved. Last autumn he made a thousand calls in his Division, and he took the opportunity of asking the parents their views of this system of military training for their sons. He was perfectly astonished at the numbers who warmly approved of it when they understood the distinction between military training and military service. Parents did not object to their sons receiving military training such as two evenings a week, and a week in camp once a year, but they resented the idea of withdrawing them from civil life. Hon. Members had referred to democratic Colonial Governments and some of their institutions; but in Australia now they were talking about a scheme of training all round. Then, in the democratic United States, the illustrious head of that country was looking forward to forward to the time when everybody there would have a short military training. He hoped the right hon. Gentleman would not think him presumptuous if he said to him "Leave the Regular Army alone." There was nothing wrong with the Regulars. He believed that, man for man, and unit for unit, they were equal, if not superior, to any force on the Continent. All that the Regulars wanted was to be left alone. To instance a small point: the alteration of mess dress of the artillery had caused an enormous amount of feeling. He believed that every officer in the artillery wished to retain his old mess dress, although he personally did not know whether the old mess dress was better than the new. The officers, however, were the people who had to wear it, and they all wished to retain the old form. Of course he could understand that there was some advantage if the new dress was cheaper; but it seemed that the old mess dress with a little more gold lace on it, although it cost more, lasted longer, and in the end was the cheaper article. If the right hon. Gentleman would have a small Committee of Artillery officers, and seek the advice of some tailors, he would find that they were quite justified in their request, and he might be able to see his way to allowing them to have what they desired. Since the war there had been an extraordinary and undisguisable feeling of dissatisfaction in the Army. He thought that one cause was |