telephonic companies for the extension and improvement of their systems. Telephonic communication was opened between London and Paris. 1400 new telegraph offices were opened, and the terms of guarantee were made much more favourable.

Post Office Staff-Sunday labour was greatly reduced, and many other concessions were made to the staff of all classes in regard to holidays, sick pay, uniform, and overtime; and wages were increased by the amount of about £400,000 a year. These changes benefit some 35,000 persons. Situations have been opened to army and navy pensioners.

Savings Banks.-Greater facilities were given for investing in Government stock, and the minimum for purchase or sale was reduced to IS.

The capital in Post Office Savings Banks increased during six years by nearly £21,000,000.

Facilities were given to school managers and others for receiving small deposits from children. Many thousands of new accounts were thus opened.

LABOUR.

(a.) LEGISLATION.

Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1887.-This is perhaps the most important measure affecting a particular industry which has been passed in recent times. It consolidates the whole law for the protection of the interests of miners, and contains a number of entirely new provisions all conceived in that direction. An account of the more important of the changes of the law effected by the Act will be found in the chapter upon Mining Legislation (Chapter VIII.).

The following are some of the other measures for which the working classes have to thank the Unionist Government:

The Factories and Workshops Act, 1891.—This Act restricts the employment of women after childbirth, raises the entrance age of half-timers to eleven years, provides additional precautions against fire, and enlarges the powers of inspectors to enforce the Factory Acts.

Housing of the Working-Classes Act, 1890.-This Act consolidates the entire law on the subject, and restrains houseowners from making a profit out of overcrowding. Further details in regard to this measure will be found in the chapter on Legislation for the Working Classes (Chapter III.).

Working-Classes Dwellings Act, 1890.-Which facilitates the gift of land for the purpose of artisans' dwellings in towns.

Weights and Measures Act, 1889.-Which gives local authorities powers to protect the poor against fraud in the purchase of their daily necessaries.

Cotton-Cloth Factories Act, 1889.-This Act, which was promoted by Lord Cranborne, the ex-Prime Minister's son, contains provisions to protect the health of workpeople against excessive damp and dust.

Savings Banks Acts, 1887 and 1891.-To enable inquiry to be made into the position of doubtful banks, to constitute an inspection committee with powers to enforce the rules, to exact proper audits, and to make the office of trustee one of real responsibility.

Friendly Societies Act, 1887.-Reducing the fees payable by these societies, and improving the administration of society funds.

(b.) ADMINISTRATION.

Labour Commission.-A strong and representative Commission was appointed for the investigation of recent disputes between capital and labour, the cause and cure of strikes, and the general conditions of the labouring classes, with the view to ascertain how far they may be obviated by legislation.1

Mining Royalties.-A Commission was appointed for the investigation of this subject.

Coal-Dust Explosions.-Another Commission investigated the best scientific method of preventing these occurrences.

Colonisation.-A Parliamentary Committee was appointed to examine various schemes to facilitate emigration, and to report whether further facilities are desirable, and if so, what are the best means, conditions, and places.

Emigration and Immigration of Foreigners.-Another Committee was appointed to inquire into foreign laws restricting the admission of destitute aliens, and to report on the desirability of similar restrictions in this country. Careful statistics upon this matter were collected by the Board of Trade, and the late Government had undertaken to deal with it. The certificate fee for naturalisation was raised to £5, and the wholesale naturalisation of foreigners was thereby checked. For further particulars and discussion on this subject, see Chapter XX.

Sweating System, Friendly Societies, Small Holdings, Trustee Savings Banks, Hospitals.-Parliamentary Committees inquired into all these matters. Stipulations were introduced into all Government contracts, for whatever department, to secure that the workmen employed by the contractors should have a fair rate of wages, and that there should be no sweating introduced by sub-contracting or otherwise.

1 Several leading Gladstonians refused to serve upon this Commission, because it was appointed by a Conservative Government. Their action has now been condemned by Mr. Mundella, who was one who agreed to serve, and who said on 23rd March 1892-"If I had any doubt when I went on this Royal Commission as to its necessity or value, I have none now."

Railway Servants.-A committee was appointed to inquire respecting the excessive hours of labour of railway servants, and to report on the desirability of Parliamentary action.

British representatives took part in the Berlin Conference on the Labour Question in 1889, when resolutions for the amelioration of the conditions of labour were adopted, some of which have been carried into law. The publications of the Labour Branch at the Board of Trade, which are of direct interest to the working classes, were much extended, and rendered more generally useful. The regulations for the appointment of factory inspectors were revised so as to give advantage to working men.

Weights and Measures Act, and Merchandise Marks Acts.The provisions of these Acts for the protection of the poor and the industrial classes were systematically enforced.

Factory Inspectors.-The regulations for the appointment of Factory Inspectors were revised by Mr. Matthews so as to give. advantage to working-men candidates, especially by extending the limits of age in their favour.

INLAND TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

(a.) LEGISLATION.

Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1888.-This was an Act designed to check the injury done to the trade of the country by the inequality and arbitrary nature of railway rates and charges. The Act protects home produce from unfair rates, and it establishes a judicial tribunal for settling disputes with reference to railway rates and facilities.

Regulation of Railways Act, 1889.-To promote public safety by compelling the adoption of the block system, efficient brakes and interlocking points and signals, and by discouraging overtime.

Merchandise Marks Acts, 1887 and 1891.-These Acts remove a long-standing grievance. Articles of foreign manufacture were used to be fraudulently sold as of home manufacture, to the great injury of home industry. But under this new legislation, goods manufactured abroad must be stamped with a statement to that effect before they can be lawfully put into the market in this country. A Committee of the House of Commons recently reported upon the beneficial operation of this legislation, and the protection it affords to British industry. Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks Act, 1888. This Act simplifies procedure, and gives to inventors additional protection against fraudulent imitators. The dues payable by inventors for patents were reduced under the Budget of 1892.

Companies Acts, 1890.—This Act strengthens the law against the fraudulent promoters of bogus companies.

F

Bankruptcy Act, 1890.-To give greater protection to bond fide creditors, and to facilitate the winding-up of bankrupt

estates.

Deeds of Arrangement Acts, 1887 and 1891.-To protect the public by requiring the registration of deeds of arrangement.

(b.) ADMINISTRATION.

Markets and Tolls.-A complete investigation of the market system of the country was made by a Royal Commission, over which Lord Derby presided.

Railways. An exhaustive inquiry was held by the Board of Trade under the Railway and Canal Traffic Act of 1888, and revised classifications of traffic and schedules of railway rates were carried into law, with the effect of preventing future increase of rates, and of making many important reductions. Orders were made under the Acts of 1889 requiring all railways to adopt the block system, continuous brakes, and interlocking points and signals within a limited time.

Electric Lighting.-Numerous orders were sanctioned to provide for electric lighting in many large towns, and a great stimulus was given to this enterprise.

CHAPTER V.

SCOTLAND AND THE UNIONIST GOVERNMENT.

THE important changes which the late Unionist Government were instrumental in effecting in Scottish education-primary, technical, and university-are explained in the chapter on "Education." A number of measures of which some account is given in the chapter upon the general legislative and administrative policy of that Government apply to Scotland, and Scotland shared equally with England the benefits of their successful foreign and colonial policy, and of the provisions which they made for strengthening the defences of the Empire. There are, however, besides the matters enumerated, a number of benefits distinctively Scottish which were received at the hands of the late Government.

Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1889.-This Act conferred upon the popular electorate in counties the right long enjoyed by those in towns of managing local and municipal matters through a representative Council. Most of the powers possessed by the Commissioners of Supply were transferred to these new bodies, and also other powers exercised under different statutes by non-representative boards. Largely increased grants were made from imperial funds in relief of local taxation, and much more adequate provision has been made for the administration of sanitary law. The details of this measure are so generally known to those interested in them, and are so accessible in many different forms, that it is unnecessary here to explain them. It may be pointed out, however, that the late Government proposed as a complement to their scheme of local government to reform the parochial boards. As the poor rate is paid equally one-half by owners and one-half by occupiers, the proposal was that one-half of the members of the parochial board should be elected by the owners and one-half by the occupiers. This measure had, however, to be abandoned owing to Radical opposition.

Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act, 1887.-This Act effected an immense reform in the machinery of criminal law. It simplified procedure in many ways, abolished a great number of useless technicalities and unnecessary formalities, largely diminished the expense of criminal administration, reformed the law