with the Comptroller and AuditorGeneral's Report thereon, have not yet been published. necessity for calling for them from the local governments. But I will ask the Government of India to let me have any information on the subject which may be available. Condition of the Royal Canal, Ireland. MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick): Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can MR. BELLAIRS: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that in the Appropriation Account, 1905-6, the Comptroller and AuditorGeneral draws the attention of Parliament To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lordto the fact that firms were entrusted with the building of three cruisers of the "Invincible" class, costing £5,194,368 without any other firms being invited to tender; and whether he will publish the correspondence that passed between the Auditor-General and the Admiralty as to the reasons for this deviation from accepted practice, having regard to the fact that the representative of the Admiralty in the House of Commons refused to offer any explanation last session. (Answered by Mr Asquith.) I have no direct access to the records of either the Board of Admiralty or the Comptroller Board of Admiralty or the Comptroller and Auditor-General, both of whom are directly responsible to Parliament. The matter will presumably be dealt with by the Public Accounts Committee, to whom the House has referred the Navy Appropriation Account, 1905-6, with the Report thereon of the Comptroller and Auditor-General. Working of Clause 3 of the Indian Contract Act Amendment Act. MR. REES (Montgomery Boroughs): To ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India has made any Report to the India Office upon the working of Clause 3 of the Indian Contract Act Amendment Act, whereby special reference was made in illustration (b) to the case of the Indian agriculturist; and whether, if the Answer be in the negative, he will ask the said Government to call for Reports from provincial administrations upon this subject. (Answered by Mr. Secretary Morley.) The Answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative. I am afraid that formal Reports of the nature suggested would involve a laborious examination of the decisions of Courts of all grades, and as at present advised I doubt the state if any meeting of the Board of Control, which was reconstructed last year, has been recently held; whether he can state what steps are being taken to have the Royal Canal put in proper navigable condition; whether he is aware that complaints have been made by traders and boat owners stating that men working at repairs had been withdrawn; and whether he will compel the necessary work to be done. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The last meeting of the Board of Control was held on 20th February, when certain complaints were considered and action was decided upon. The complaints did not include any from traders or boat owners. The Board have recently made a communication to the Lord-Lieutenant upon the subject of the condition of the Royal Canal, and the question of the further action to be taken is under consideration. Power of Water Bailiffs to Search. MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether Water Bailiff Cornelius Coffey, of Boherboy, county Cork, was empowered to search the coat pockets of a youth named Hudner on the 23rd instant near Kanturk; and whether a copy of the warrant entitling Coffey to continue such conduct will be published for the guidance of anglers in the Kanturk and other districts. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The hon. Member raises a question of law upon which I am not prepared to offer an opinion. The matter is one for the decision of a Court of Law. The powers of water bailiffs are set forth in the Act 5 and 6 Vic., cap. 106, section 86, and not in the warrants of such bailiffs. Clones Loan Fund. MR. FETHERSTONHAUGH: To'ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that there are considerable funds at present to the credit of the Clones (county Monaghan) Loan Fund, and debenture holders are much in need of money; and will he say when the Loan Fund Board anticipate that at any rate a dividend will be paid to the debenture holders. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Loan Fund Board inform me that the amount at present to the credit of the Clones Loan Fund is £242, but not all of it is available for distribution. Over £1,000 still remains outstanding, and the receiver is endeavouring to obtain further payments. The Board do not think it desirable to direct the payment of a further dividend at present. A former dividend at 4s. in the pound amounted to £440. Irish Local Government Board and MR. FETHERSTONHAUGH: To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to a resolution of the Ulster Society of Architects complaining that the fees fixed by the Local Government Board for architectural work in connection with the Labourers' (Ireland) Acts are such as to exclude properly qualified architects; and whether, as the State has to look to the buildings under the Act as security for the moneys advanced, he will endeavour to have a more generous scale of fees substituted so that the local authorities may not be driven to the employment of untrained and incompetent persons as architects. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The resolution has been received. The scale of fees for architectural work was fixed by the Local Government Board after very careful consideration, and no circumstance has arisen showing a necessity for increasing the fees. As a matter of fact, many highly qualified architects have applied to rural district councils for employment at less than the maximum fee fixed by the Board. Intergrading of Irish National Schoo Teachers. MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the LordLieutenant of Ireland whether the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland have considered the effect on old teachers of the rule as to intergrading in connection with obtaining an increase in salary; and whether the Commissioners could vary such rule so that it would not be applicable to teachers of twenty years service. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Commissioners of National Education inform me that there is no special rule in regard to the promotion of the teachers known. as intergrade teachers. The promotion. of these teachers is governed by the general rules, and the Commissioners do not think it practicable or desirable to make any exceptional rules for the promotion of such teachers upon the mere ground of length of service. Sale of the Estate of Late Robert H. W. Heard. MR. KENDAL O'BRIEN (Tipperary, Mid.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the tenants on the estate of the representatives of the late Robert H. W. Heard, situate at Longhill, Kilcommon, county Tipperary, signed agreements to purchase under the Land Act in the year 1904; and if he can say when the sale of the estate will be completed. (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) Purchase agreements in respect of this estate were lodged with the Estates Commissioners in May, 1905. An inspector will shortly visit the lands, but the Commissioners cannot say definitely when the sale will be completed. The case will be dealt with in order of priority. QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. Pay of the First Sea Lord. *MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether any special application was made by letter from the Board of Admiralty t the Treasury for the half-pay of the First Sea Lord to be fixed at £2,000 per annum when, as stated on page 158 of the Navy Estimates, the correct half-pay of an Admiral of the Fleet is £1,222 15s.; and what special circumstances guided the Treasury in making this increase, while Navy Estimates in all other directions were being cut down. I beg also to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the pay of the First Sea Lord from all sources is £3,865 per annum, in addition to a house in Queen Anne's Gate; whether he is aware that this marks an increase of £1,143 above what was paid to the previous occupant of the post, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Walter. Kerr; whether he can state the special circumstances under which the First Sea Lord's half-pay was increased from £1,222 15s. to £2,000; whether an Order in Council appeared in the London Gazette; and, if so, on what .date. *THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON, Dundee) The Answer to the first and second parts of the Question addressed to me is in the affirmative. The present rate of half-pay is fixed by Order in Council of the 8th January, 1906, which provides for its issue to an Admiral of the Fleet holding the office of First Sea Lord who has rendered exceptional and special service. The reply to the last part of the Question is in the negative. In reply to the other Question the Treasury signified their concurrence before the Order in Council was obtained. *MR. BELLAIRS: Is it not the rule for Orders in Council to be published in the Gazette. MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON: I have nothing to do with that; I think the Privy Council is responsible. *MR. BELLAIRS: In fixing the grant did the Board take into account what the First Sea Lord had already received in the way of extra remuneration by being specially promoted to Admiral of the Fleet when the time came for his retire ment ? MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON: All the facts were taken into consideration. MR. CHIOZZA MONEY (Paddington, N.): Does the increase in the stipend carry with it a corresponding increase in the retiring allowance ? MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON : I will inquire. Supplementary Officers in the Royal MR. HART-DAVIES (Hackney, N.): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if his attention has been drawn to the position of the supplementary officers in the Royal Navy; and whether, considering the difficulty in utilising their services, owing to their seniority, the Admiralty will consider the advisability of retiring all such officers on a reasonable pension. MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON : This question is engaging the attention of the Admiralty, but the difficulties in the way of revising the scheme of pension under which these officers entered are considerable, and I cannot give any pledge at present. Cap Ribbons for Seamen. MR. BELLAIRS: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Board have yet decided to issue two cap ribbons free of charge to seamen and stokers, in view of the frequency with which they are moved from ship to ship and the consequent expenditure out of their pay. MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON: Yes, Sir, from the beginning of the next financial year. Sale of London Defences. MR. WEDGWOOD (Newcastle-underLyme): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether when the London defences are sold and the money realised placed to the Army Account, steps are taken to write off completely out of Revenue the outstanding debts which their construction originally involved. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. HALDANE, Haddington): Of the total expenditure of £160,000 the sum of £60,000 was defrayed out of the annual estimates, and the sum of £15,000 out of a loan which has been completely loan. redeemed. The remaining £85,000 dynamite is lighted it will detonate, and which was defrayed out of the Military in the millionth of a second the whole Works Loan is being written off pari thing is resolved into its elements and passu with other expenditure under that everything around is shattered; whether two kilogrammes of iodide of nitrogen were stored in the research laboratory at Woolwich; whether this substance, if kept in a moist state, cannot easily be detonated; whether this substance can be kept at all in a dry state; and whether he has any information to give the House as to the cause of the explosion that took place in the research laboratory at Woolwich. MR. WEDGWOOD asked if it would not be more consonant with sound finance to write off the asset against the deficit? MR. HALDANE said these were very short sinking funds and they had been paying off a large portion recently. War Office Buildings on Eltham Common. LORD BALCARRES (Lancashire, Chorley) I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if his Department proposes to erect buildings upon any portion of Eltham Common. MR. HALDANE: A proposal to erect buildings for the Royal Army Medical Corps on Eltham Common is receiving consideration, but no definite decision has as yet been reached. Army Instruction. SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the great improvement resulting to Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteer corps by the appointment, about 1875, for a limited term, of young and smart Regular officers as adjutants, acquainted with the latest developments in the military art, and able to devote all their time to military duty; if he proposes to withdraw them from the suggested territorial Army and replace them by fourteen major-generals; and if the permanent staff of sergeants-instructor will be withdrawn. MR. HALDANE: I intend in introducing the Territorial and Reserve Forces Bill to deal with the general question of the instruction of the territorial forces. Perhaps, therefore, the hon. and gallant Member will permit me to defer answering the points raised in his Question. The Woolwich Explosion. MR. A. L. STANLEY (Cheshire, Eddisbury): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his scientific advisers are of opinion that cordite cannot be made to detonate, and that if MR. HALDANE: It is doubtful whether cordite can be detonated, but if it is possible the circumstances must be exceptional. Dynamite if lighted cannot be detonated unless it is confined. There was no iodide of nitrogen in the research laboratory in the chemical research magazine. It can be detonated under water, and cannot be kept in a dry state. An inquiry is being held as to the cause of the explosion at Woolwich. The Yeomanry. MR. W. F. D. SMITH (Strand, Westminster): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether yeomen enlisted before the new Army scheme is adopted will, in the event of its adoption, have their pay and allowances reduced, or whether they will be allowed to serve their three years upon the scale of pay in force at the time of their enlistment. MR. HALDANE: Until the schemes are worked out in detail I cannot give precise detailed Answers to Questions of this character, but of course any yeoman will, if called up for training, receive the pay and allowances for which he contracted. Army Council and the Territorial Army. MR. HALDANE: I am not at present in a position to give any details in regard to the manner in which this will be ing the progress made, and I shall be effected. happy to lay it on the Table if my hon. friend will move for it. The figures indicate satisfactory progress. The Government of India report that general interest in the movement has been displayed by all classes. Railway Rolling Stock in India. *MR. REES: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, whether, in view of the bumper crop of rice, seeds and wheat, the Budget allotment of Rs.382 lakhs for railway waggons has been wholly expended, and will be followed, notwithstanding the reduction of the total provision for railways, by a larger estimate for the coming financial year, and whether two mills at Howrah have recently been closed owing to the want of sufficient wagons for coal traffic. The MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE: I am unable to state how much of the current year's allotment for provision of rolling stock has so far been expended. grant for 1907-1908 is, as stated in my replies to recent questions, larger than that for the current year, notwithstanding the reduction in the total provision the public press that two mills at Howfor railways. I have seen a statement in rah have recently been closed owing to the want of sufficient wagons for coal traffic, but I have no other information on the subject. Indian Taxpayers and the Army *MR. REES: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Army Estimates, in so far as they affect the Indian taxpayer, are settled by the War Office without communication with the Indian Office. MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE: The Army Estimates of the home Government seldom affect the Indian taxpayer, and they are therefore ordinarily prepared without communication with the Indian Office. On exceptional occasions, when provision is made for a measure (such as an increase in the rate of pay of British soldiers) appreciably affecting the Indian taxpayer, the Secretary of State for India is consulted. No necessity for any such consultation has arisen in the present year. |