MR. MELDON: Sir, I beg to give Notice that to-morrow I shall ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Treasury intends to appeal to the House of Lords? POST OFFICE-AUSTRALIAN COLONIES -CONVEYANCE OF MAILS. QUESTION. the 7th of February being approved by the House of Commons, are being considered at the Treasury. But there is no reason to suppose that any sums will be received on that account from the Australian Colonies. ARMY MILITARY PENSIONS-ROYAL WARRANTS, 1877, 1878.-QUESTION. COLONEL ARBUTHNOT asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether he MR. BAXTER asked the Postmaster General, If the Post Office has employed any line, other than that of the Penin-is aware that certain officers who retired sular and Oriental Company, of full from the Army on pensions under the powered steamships, for the conveyance provisions of the Royal Warrants of of the Mails to and from Australia; and, 1877 and 1878, and who now hold apif so, whether he can state the average pointments in the Prison Department, time occupied by such steamers, as com- are precluded from drawing any portion pared with those of the Peninsular and of their pensions; that one of these Oriental Company; why tenders were officers is actually drawing less income not invited for the conveyance of the by £55 10s. per annum than he would Mails direct between this Country and be in receipt of if he drew his pension Australia; if there will be any objection and were not serving the State; if he to lay upon the Table of the House the would state under what Clause of what Correspondence which has taken place Act the withholding of these Military with the Australian Colonies on this pensions is justifiable; and, whether it subject; and, if he can state to the is intended to place all retired Military House, in the event of the Contract of and Naval officers who may be holding the 7th of February being ratified, what Civil appointments on the same footing sums are to be received from the Aus- as other Civil servants, viz. that they tralian Colonies for the conveyance of shall be permitted to draw their pensions their Mails between this Country and until their Civil salaries amount to three Point de Galle? times their pensions on half-pay? LORD JOHN MANNERS: Since the beginning of 1874, the Imperial Post Office has not employed any line of steam vessels for the conveyance of mails to and from Australia, the conveyance of all such mails from Point de Galle, Singapore, and San Francisco having been provided for by the Governments of the several Australian Colonies. Bags of ship letters have, at intervals during the last two years, been despatched from the United Kingdom by steam vessels other than those of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company; but the Post Office has no record of the average time occupied on each voyage by such steam vessels. Tenders were not invited by the Home Government, because, as already stated, the arrangements have been left in the hands of the Australian Colonies. There has been no Correspondence between the Post Office and the Australian Colonies on the subject. The arrangements under which the Australian Mails will be conveyed between this country and Point de Galle, in the event of the contract of SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSON: I am aware of the cases referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend. The withholding of the military pensions is in accordance with Clause 1,174 of the Royal Warrant of May 1, 1878; but, inasmuch as considerable dissatisfaction has been caused in several cases by the operation of that clause, it has been arranged by the Secretary of State for War that representatives of the War Office and Treasury should meet and discuss the conditions under which the clause shall be applied in future. TREATY OF BERLIN-ARTICLE 23. QUESTION. SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether, since it has been officially stated that all the provisions of the Treaty of Berlin have been or are being duly carried out, except that portion of the twenty-third Clause which provides that institutions analogous to those of Crete shall be granted to those parts of European Turkey not specially provided for, he can say whether Her Majesty' Government are determined to insist on the fulfilment by the Turks of the stipulations in consideration of which they were saved from extinction, as firmly as they have insisted on the stipulations by which the advance of Russia was restrained? THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: Her Majesty's Government have more than once pressed upon the Porte the importance of taking speedy action under the 23rd clause of the Treaty of Berlin; and representations to that effect have recently been repeated. ISLAND OF CYPRUS-ORDINANCES OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. QUESTION. SIR CHARLES W. DILKE asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Sir Garnet Wolseley has sent home Copies of all Ordinances enacted by the Council in the Island of Cyprus; and, whether in any case the Cyprus Ordinances will be laid before Parliament, or placed from time to time in the Library of the House? MR. BOURKE: Many of the Ordinances passed by the Legislative Council in Cyprus have been received; but I am not quite sure that we have as yet received all. I said some little time ago that I should place these Ordinances in the Library, and that I purpose to do before very long. of the Session it will be necessary for us to do so, and I hope it will be at an early date. As soon as I am in a position to place a Supplementary Estimate before the House on which any reliance can be placed, I shall be happy to do so. THE MEDICAL BILLS-THE SELECT COMMITTEE.-QUESTION. MR. LYON PLAYFAIR asked the Vice President of the Council, Whether the Select Committee to which he proposes to refer the Medical Bills before the House is to have powers to summon witnesses and hear evidence from Universities and Corporations affected by the Bills? LORD GEORGE HAMILTON: Sir, it is proposed to give power to summon witnesses. What witnesses may be summoned depends on the decision of the Committee. THE SAMOAN ISLANDS.-QUESTION. COLONEL MURE asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he can give the House any information as to a Treaty lately concluded between Germany and the Government of the Samoan Islands, by which certain rights of property have been guaranteed to German subjects in those islands; and, whether British subjects in those islands have complained that under Article 6 of the said Treaty their proprietary rights are endangered? MR. BOURKE: I think my hon. and gallant Friend is correct in supposing a SOUTH AFRICA - THE ZULU WAR-Treaty has been lately made between THE EXPENSE.-QUESTION. MR. CHILDERS asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, When the Estimates of the Expenditure of the War in South Africa during the present financial year may be expected to be laid upon the Table? THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: I am anxious to lay the Estimate upon the Table as soon as I am in a position to submit an Estimate that would give information to the House. The same reason that prevented me laying one before the House at the time of the Budget still prevents me doing so, until we get some further information. I hope that before long we may be in a position to propose a Vote of Credit. Of course, before the close Sir George Campbell the Governments referred to. Last communicated to Her Majesty's Consul January the German Consul in Samoa the German Government and the Goa Treaty which had been made between vernment of the Samoan Islands about that time. It was at once ratified by not heard whether it has been ratified the Samoan Government; but we have by the German Government. We have received a copy of the Treaty; but have had no complaints from British subjects or others affected by it. THE LAW OF DISTRESS-LEGISLATION. QUESTION. COLONEL BARNE asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether the Government intend to introduce a Bill THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, that Papers were now being prepared. to amend the Law of Distress; and, if so, whether they will be able to lay it before Parliament this Session ? THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, it would not be possible for the Government to introduce a Bill this Session to amend the Law of Distress. EDUCATION DEPARTMENTTEACHERS' SALARIES.-QUESTION. MR. SAMPSON LLOYD asked the Vice President of the Council, Whether, in the Return, No. 3, in Parliamentary Paper, No. 71, of Session 1879 (which gives the average salaries of teachers in various schools), the principal teacher only of each school is reckoned in computing such average, or whether all the teachers of every grade are so reckoned? LORD GEORGE HAMILTON, in reply, said, the Return included all the teachers who held certificates. POST OFFICE, EDINBURGH. QUESTION. MR. M'LAREN asked the Postmaster General, Whether, referring to applications which have been made at various times on the part of the Telegraph Clerks in the City of Edinburgh Post Office, it is intended to raise their pay to an equality with that given to the Clerks in the principal towns in Eng land performing similar duties; and, if so, when the advance will take place. LORD JOHN MANNERS: The telegraph establishment of the Edinburgh Post Office has been recently revised, and there is no intention of making any alteration in the existing scales of pay. SOUTH AFRICA-ESTIMATE OF MILITARY EXPENDITURE.-QUESTION. MR. WHITWELL asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If the Government will lay upon the Table of the House the Correspondence which has passed between the Home Government and the authorities of the Colonial dependencies in South Africa as to the expenditure incurred by the Home Government for Military Expenditure and Military Stores up to the close of the year ending on March 31st last on behalf of any or all of the above Colonial dependencies? ARMY-THE 60TH RIFLES-COURT MARTIAL.-QUESTION. MR. FRENCH asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he will be able to lay upon the Table of the House Copies of the Evidence produced at the trial by Court Martial in South Africa of a sergeant of the 60th Rifles for retiring a picket on an alarm of the enemy without the order of his officer, at which he was sentenced to five years' penal servitude and reduction to the ranks? COLONEL STANLEY: I have not yet received the Papers to which the Question refers, and I am bound to modify the answer I made the other day, in which I stated that the Papers were privileged. In the strict sense of the word they are not; but it is only when special causes have been assigned that it has been considered convenient that such Papers should be produced. Until I have seen the Papers I am not able to say whether there is anything special in their character or not. I expect them by the next mail. PUBLIC WORKS LOANS COMMISSIONERS-THE REPORT.-QUESTION. GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOUR asked the Secretary to the Treasury, If he can arrange to furnish the House, before the debate on the Public Works Loans Bill comes on, with an Account of the Public Works Loans Commissioners with an explanatory note of the errors for the year ending 31st March 1879, to the Account of those Commissioners for the year ending 31st March 1878 ? SIR HENRY SELWIN-IBBETSON, in reply, said, he hoped to be able to present in the course of next week the annual Report and Accounts of the Public Works Loans Commissioners, in which explanatory notes of the errors referred to would appear; but he could not promise to wait until it was in the hands of hon. Members before procceding with the Public Works Loans Bill. BLIND AND DEAF-MUTE CHILDREN (EDUCATION) BILL.-OBSERVATIONS. MR. MONK, who had the following Notice on the Paper: 1 "To ask the President of the Local Govern- go on with it, so that they might, if at Bord, Whether he has come to a decision possible, get it through Committee be23 t) th d sirability of placing Amendments fore the House rose for the Whitsuntide on the Paper showing the conditions and qualifievions upon which the Government had assented Holidays. to the Spoon I Reading of the Blind and DeafMate Children (Education) Bill," said, the Question bore a very faint resemblance to the Question he had placed in the hands of the junior Clerk at the Tablo. Indeed, two Questions had been jumbled into one, so as to make them meaningless and absurd. He, therefore, declined to put the Question; and would simply ask, what steps it was intended to take with respect to the Blind and Deaf-Mute Children (Education) Bill? He would remind the Government that on the 26th March they consented to the second reading of the Bill with certain qualifications. MR. SCLATER - BOOTH said, the Bill now contained Amendments he had suggested with the view of making its provisions permissive; and he did not, therefore, think it his duty, on the part of the Government, to offer any further opposition to it. ΜΟΤΙΟΝ. 1806 PARLIAMENT ARRANGEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS. THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in moving "That the Orders of the Day subsequent to the Army Discipline and Regulation Bill be postponed until after the Notice of Motion for love to bring in a Bill for promoting University Education in Ireland;" said, he made the Motion in accordance with a promise which he had given the other evening to the hon. Member for Roscommon (the O'Conor Don), which was partly dictated by the consideration that the Government, by fixing a Bill of their own for a Morning Sitting, had prevented him from bringing forward his Bill on the occasion on which he would otherwise have done so. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) wished to take that opportunity of saying that the businesslike spirit in which the Army Discipline and Regulation Bill had been discussed encouraged the Government to hope that they would be able to make further progress with that measure that night; and he trusted that the House might he disposed to allow them to take a Morning Sitting to-morrow, in order to Mr. Monk MR. NEWDEGATE asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intended to take the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill? The House was aware that he had a Notice of some importance to be considered before the second reading of that Bill. He would also like to know when it was proposed to take the Criminal Code (Indictable Offences) Bill? At present it stood for Tuesday next; but it appeared to him impossible that the Government should propose to go on with it before the Whitsuntide Recess. MR. KNATCHBULL - HUGESSEN said, that having balloted with praiseworthy perseverence during the Session, he had obtained first place to-morrow for his Motion on the subject of Brewers' Licences, and he thought it rather hard that at the very last moment Notice of a Morning Sitting should be given, which placed him at a disadvantage. He hoped the Government would take steps to make and keep a House at the Evening Sitting. SIR JULIAN GOLDSMID called attention to the fact that it was only at the last moment the Government informed the House that they proposed to hold a Morning Sitting; and he would ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in future, it would not be possible for him to give some longer and more formal Notice with reference to the intention of the Government to hold Morning Sittings? SIR ALEXANDER GORDON hoped the Government would not put down the Army Discipline and Regulation Bill for the Morning Sitting. This was a Bill in which he had several important Amendments to propose; and as he was also a Member of the Parliamentary Reporting Committee which would meet at 12 o'clock to draw up their Report, and this was also a subject in which he took a great interest, he trusted the Government would not then take the Army Discipline and Regulation Bill. MR. E. JENKINS seconded the appeal of the hon. and gallant Gentleman, and pointed out the inconsistency of the reasons advanced by the Government for these Morning Sittings. Last year the Government excused themselves for taking early Morning Sittings because of the opposition offered to the Mutiny Bill. This year they appeared to ask for it because of the business-like way in which the House had carried through the Business. Therefore, whether they opposed or facilitated Business, the Government seemed equally determined to have Morning Sittings. MR. A. MILLS considered the Army Discipline and Regulation Bill of much more importance than the question of Parliamentary Reporting, and he trusted the Chancellor of the Exchequer would proceed with it. He had himself a Notice on the Paper for to-morrow evening, but would willingly sacrifice it in order to promote Public Business. MR. J. HOLMS intimated that immediately the House got into Committee on the Army Discipline and Regulation Bill he should move that the Chairman do report Progress, in order that he might, in his humble judgment, save the time of the House by drawing the attention of the Committee to the real state in which they were in relation to that Bill. He thought it only fair and courteous to the House and the Government to state his intentions, and if the House wished, he would at once give his reasons for taking the step he proposed. [Cries of "No," and "Go on."] He would state his reasons when the House was in Committee. was only in consequence of what had occurred in regard to the Army Discipline and Regulation Bill that he proposed to take the course which he had stated. He hoped that the House would consider the precedents, and would consent to a Morning Sitting on each of the two following Tuesdays, in order that they might make a real and important effort to get through the Bill before Whitsuntide. The Bill was one which ought to become law, certainly not without due consideration, but within a limited period. He would assure the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. KnatchbullHugessen) that the Government would do the best they could to secure a House for the discussion of his Notice, the importance of which he frankly admitted. MAJOR NOLAN wished to know whether the right hon. Gentleman could name a convenient day for the Dogs Regulation (Ireland) Act (1865) Amendment Bill, and whether it could be placed as the first Order on the Paper? MR. DILLWYN protested against the commencement of Morning Sittings a month before the usual time, and gavo Notice that on the Motion to adjourn until 2 o'clock to-morrow he would oppose it. SIR ANDREW LUSK supported the THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHE- proposal of the Chancellor of the ExcheQUER stated, in reply to the hon. Mem- quer. The right hon. Gentleman had ber for North Warwickshire (Mr. New-been very liberal and kind to hon. Memdegate), that the second reading of the bers with regard to the Holidays of the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill would House, and his liberality ought to be be moved on Monday after Supply, and met in a similar spirit. that it was proposed to close Supply in good time, so that the Bill might be conveniently taken and discussed afterwards. With regard to the Criminal Cole (Indictable Offences) Bill, he was not at that moment in a position to answer all the Questions that had been asked, and he would be obliged to hon. Members if they would put them down on the Paper, so that he might consult the Attorney General. With regard to the observations of the hon. Member for Dundee (Mr. E. Jenkins), he must demur to the idea that Morning Sittings were merely to be regarded as punishments; and in proposing them the sole | object of the Government was to promote, in the best way they could, the Business of the House. He quite agreed that it was inconvenient that sudden Notice should be given of them; and it MR. MELDON complained that all Government Orders were placed upon the list nearly every evening, thus causing considerable inconvenience to Members interested in any particular measure, and to the public. There was one Bill down on the Paper before them relating to Ireland, but which he did not wish to mention, and a deputation had come expressly from Ireland to watch its progress, and he did not believe the Government had the slightest intention of going on with it for the next two months. The Bill referred to by the hon, and gallant Member (Major Nolan) excited much feeling throughout Ireland, and Irish Members would find it very convenient if they knew when Irish Bills were coming on. In his opinion, the object of the Government in putting down all their Bills night after |