CHILL, Manchester, N. W.): The Letters Patent for the Orange River Colony will probably be published in April.

Trinidad-East Indian Immigration.

MR. SUMMERBELL (Sunderland): I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can state what sum of money is spent by the Trinidad Government annually by way of assisting East Indian immigration; whether part of such sum is refunded by the sugar planters and the remaining portion borne by the public revenue; and, if so, whether he proposes to take any steps to prevent other industries being made to pay a tax so as to subsidise any one industry, as in this instance.

MR. CHURCHILL: About £60,000 a year is spent by the Trinidad Government in assisting Indian immigration. Two-thirds of this amount are refunded by the employers of indentured labour, including the sugar planters, and onethird is borne by the public revenues. As all the agricultural industries of the Colony and not only the sugar industry benefit by the introduction of Indian labour, and as these industries furnish, with the exception of bituminous deposits, practically the whole native wealth of the island, the Secretary of State does not consider that it can be correctly said that other industries are being taxed to subsidise the sugar industry, still less that the system should be changed.

Trinidad Labour for the Panama Canal. MR. SUMMERBELL: I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if, in consequence of the distress at Trinidad, the Governor has given permission to a representative of the Panama Canal Commission to recruit Trinidad labour for work on the canal; and, if so, could he state the number of labourers so organised and sent to the canal zone, and the conditions of their employment.

MR. CHURCHILI: The Governor of Trinidad has reported that he has given facilities for the recruiting of labourers in that island for work on the Panama Canal, and that 1,000 men have been engaged. The form of contract entered into by the men was sanctioned

VOL. CLXX. [FOURTH SERIES.]

MR. CHURCHILL: I should think it extremely improbable that the terms of the Address will be concealed from the hon. Members.

Repatriation of Chinese Coolies. CAPTAIN CRAIG (Down, E.): I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Chinese have been repatriated from South Africa at Government expense to date on the ground alone that they considered indentured labour tantamount to slavery.

MR. CHURCHILL: The grounds on which individual applications have been made and acceded to have not been reported.

MR. CHURCHILL: I must refer the hon. Member to the provisions of the Letters Patent and the statements made upon them by Ministers, to which I do not feel myself under necessity of adding anything.

CAPTAIN CRAIG: Cannot the hon. Gentleman say yes or no?

MR. CHURCHILL: The hon. and gallant Gentleman, who has a complete discretion as to the form in which he puts his Question, will allow me to exercise an equal discretion as to the form in which I put my Answer.

MR. H. H. MARKS (Kent, Thanet): Were the names of the gentlemen nominated as members of the Legislative Council in the Transvaal submitted for approval or

*MR. SPEAKER: Order, order! That does not arise out of the Question on the Paper.

Canada and Germany. SIR GILBERT PARKER (Gravesend): I beg to ask the Secretary of State

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO TREASURY (Mr. RUNCIMAN, Dewsbury, for Sir EDWARD GREY): seen the My right hon. friend has Report of Mr. Fielding's speech. But it would hardly be proper for him to take upon himself to interpret it, if the hon. Member considers that any interpretation is required. Nor can my right hon. friend say upon what grounds Mr. Fielding based his statement. question is one within Mr. Fielding's own competence and that of his colleagues, and though my right hon. friend has no special information with regard to the speech, he is sure that Mr. Fielding had good reason for what he said.

Death Duties.

The

MR. WILLIAM RUTHERFORD (Liverpool, West Derby): I beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exehequer whether his attention has been directed to the practical working of Section 5, Subsection 1, Section 17, and Section 22, Sub-section 1 (h) of the Finance Act, 1894, whereby in the event of only a small portion of a deceased's estate being settled, other parties being contingently entitled absolutely, nevertheless Settlement Estate Duty is, on the authority of "Attorney-General v. Fairley, " 1897, 1 Q.B., 698, demanded and collected in advance upon the whole estate, and that those who become absolutely ontitled only receive back from the Inland Revenue their portions of the duty years. afterwards, and without interest, as provided in Section 14 of the Finance Act, 1898; and whether he will introduce legislation to remedy this grievance.

has been called to the case of Matthias Medhurst, a cyclist, who was killed by a motor car at the foot of Dale Hill, near Brighton; and whether, in view of the number of deaths to cyclists from the sime cause, he will consider the advis ability of introducing legislation to protect the lives of cyclists.

MR. GLADSTONE: I understand that at the inquest yesterday the jury returned an open verdict. The driver of the motor car has been brought before the magistrates, and remanded on bail. Any question of amendment of the Motor Car Acts is a matter for the Local Government Board.

Alien Criminal in London.

MR. FELL (Great Yarmouth): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the recent trial of a Russian for burglary committed in London, when the Russian, on conviction for the third time, begged that an order should not be made for his expulsion, as he would be killed if he were sent back to Russia; and whether he will be classed, in consequence, as a political refugee and entitled to asylum in this country as such.

MR GLADSTONE: 1 have been unable to identify the case from the particulars given. Perhaps the hon. Member will kindly send me further details, such as the name of the man and the court at which and the date on which he was convicted.

Women and Children in Public-houses. MR. FIENNES (Oxfordshire, Banbury) I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that in some parts of London and other large towns the public-houses are frequently filled with women and young children; and whether in the proposed Licensing Bill he will include proposals to deal with this question.

MR. GLADSTONE: There is no doubt, I am afraid, that in many places women, accompanied by young children, frequent public-houses far more than is, for many reasons, desirable. It is a matter of great difficulty to see the right remedy for the evil; and I must refrain from making any statement at the present moment as to legislation on the point

Law of Copyright.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE, Carnarvon Boroughs): I am unable at present to make any promise as to the early introduction of copyright legislation, but when this can be undertaken the question of finding a remedy for the evil referred to shall not be overlooked.

Scottish Railway Companies and Owner's Risk Notes.

MR. WATT (Glasgow, College): I beg ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the practice of railway companies in Scotland of practically forcing traders (by means of exacting conditions as to packing, etc.), to consign their goods under owner's risk notes; whether he is aware that under these notes the whole responsibility for damage to the goods, even for their existence, is transferred to the owners; and whether he will introduce legislation to remedy this state of matters.

MR. LLOYD-GEORGE: I am aware that railway companies decline to carry certain articles unless properly protected by packing at other than owner's risk. The question whether this condition is as regards any particular article just and reasonable is one for a legal tribunal, but if representations were received with regard to particular articles on which the condition is regarded to press unduly, the Board of Trade would be prepared to exercise their good offices in an endeavour to effect a friendly settlement of the matter. The whole question of "owner's risk" in my judgment requires re-consideration. I understand that a Bill which proposes to vary the conditions

relating to owner's risk has been introduced by the hon. Member for South-east Durham, and will probably be discussed shortly in this House.

The Board of Trade.

MR. BOTTOMLEY (Hackney, S.): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Board has ever met; and, if so, whether he will state the date of the last meeting.

MR. LLOYD - GEORGE: All the members of this Board, like many another Board, are, except the chairman, purely nominal members. The last meeting of the Board of Trade attended by members other than the President appears to have been held on 5th March, 1850.

MR. BOTTOMLEY: May I ask the right hon. Gentleman as representing the Department largely concerned in the administration of the Joint Stock Companies Act, if I am to infer that he is in favour of one-man companies?

[No Answer was returned.]

CAPTAIN CRAIG: I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the difficulty experienced in ascertaining the names of the passengers on the last voyage of the ill-fated "Berlin," he will favourably consider the question of issuing regulations making it compulsory on shipping companies to send ashore a complete list of passengers prior to the sailing of every vessel.

MR. LLOYD-GEORGE: I will certainly look into and carefully consider whether anything practical can be done in the direction suggested by the hon. Member.

"Pontypool Union v. Buck.”

MR. LEA (St. Pancras, E.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the decision of the Court been called to the decision of the Court of King's Bench on the appeal of the "Pontypool Union v. Buck," 71 J.P.R., 5, that a married woman with ample separate estate is not liable to contribute towards the maintenance of her parents or parent; and whether, seeing that this decision creates a distinction between the sexes,

as a son with property, or of sufficient wage-earning capacity, is so liable, he will consider the desirability of removing this distinction by legislation.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL

GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. JOHN BURNS, Battersea): My right hon. friend has asked me to answer this Question. I replied to one of a similar kind on the 18th inst. As I then stated, I have taken note of the point referred to, but I cannot promise to introduce legislation on the subject at the present time.

Spotted Fever in London.

MR. ASHLEY: I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, how many cases of spotted fever, been notified in London during the or suspected to be spotted fever, have present month; and how many cases are still under treatment.

MR. JOHN BURNS: The disease is not at present compulsorily notifiable in London, but I have made inquiry and have only heard of three cases having occurred in London during the present month. Two of them proved fatal. I may add that the County Council have taken steps during the last five days to make it a notifiable disease.

MR. ASHLEY: After what period, can the right hon. Gentleman say?

MR. JOHN BURNS: It comes into operation after the expiration of three days.

MR. ALDEN (Middlesex, Tottenham): I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether he would issue to boards of guardians, relieving officers, and Poor Law medical officers, the circular as to spotted fever or cerebromeningitis which he proposes to issue to the sanitary authorities; and further, whether he would suggest to the guardians and relieving officers that poor sick persons and the poor parents of sick children should not, at the present time, if they state they are unable to pay for a doctor, be deterred from making application for medical assistance by the fear of having the relief made a debt or

+ See (4) Debates, clxix., 555-6.