GARSTON AND DISTRICT TRAMWAYS! As amended, further conside red Amendments made; Bill to be read the third time. SOUTH METROPOLITAN GAS BILL. As amended, considered; Amendments made; Bill to be read the third time. SOUTH WALES ELECTRICAL POWER DISTRIBUTION BILL. And, also, a Bill, intituled, "An Act to extend the limits for the supply of Water by the West Hampshire Water Company, and to confer further powers upon that Company for raising capital; and for other purposes." [West Hampshire Water Bill [Lords.] SWINDON UNITED GAS BILL [LORDS], WEST HAMPSHIRE WATER BILL [LORDS]. Read the first time; and referred to the As amended, considered; to be read Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills. the third time. MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS. PETITIONS. EDUCATION (ENGLAND AND WALES) Petition from Elland, against; to lie upon the Table. EDUCATION (ENGLAND AND WALES) Petitions for alteration: From Goole; Long Eaton; and Levenshulme; to lie upon the Table. EDUCATION (ENGLAND AND WALES) Petition from City of London, in favour; to lie upon the Table. ELECTRIC LIGHTING (LONDON) BILL. Petition from Battersea, against (praying to be heard by Counsel); to lie upon the Table. FRESHWATER FISH (SCOTLAND) Petition from Dunfermline, in favour; to lie upon the Table. ICE CREAM SHOPS (SCOTLAND) BILL. Petition from Dunfermline, in favour; to lie upon the Table. LANDS VALUATION (SCOTLAND) ACT (1854) AMENDMENT BILL. Petition from Dunfermline, in favour; Swindon Gas Company; to authorise the to lie upon the Table. transfer to that Company of the undertaking of the Swindon Gas and Coke Company, Limited; to change the name LICENSING BILL. Petitions in favour: From Sheffield; of the New Swindon Gas Company and Rock Ferry; Bedford; Newcastle-uponfor other purposes." [Swindon United Tyne; Warrington; and Upper Ipsley ; Gas Bill [Lords.] to lie upon the Table. MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S SISTER BILL. TRADE REPORTS (ANNUAL SERIES). Copies presented, of Diplomatic and 2773 to 2777 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table. Petition from Hereford, against; to lie Consular Reports, Annual Series, Nos. upon the Table. SOLICITORS BILL [LORDS]. Read the first time; to be read a second time upon Wednesday, and to be printed. [Bill 175.] TRAWLER'S CERTIFICATES SUSPEN- Second Reading deferred from Wednesday till Wednesday 28th May. Petition from Torquay, for legislation; EDUCATION (ENGLAND AND WALES) to lie upon the Table. BILL. Copy ordered, "of Notes as to enactment" proposed to be repealed under the Bills.-(Sir John Gorst.) SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON SUNDAY BILL. Petitions in favour: From Brant Broughton; Bournemouth; Buxton; Copy presented accordingly; to lie Sheffield (seven); Leytonstone; Aber- upon the Table, and to be printed. deen; Bradford; Whitehaven (two); Harrogate; Peebles; Brondesbury; Woodside; Hampstead; and Kilburn; to lie upon the Table. WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACT (1897) [No 162.] INDIAN EXPENDITURE (ROYAL COM- Address for "Copy of Further Correspondence between the Secretary of State for India in Council and the Treasury on the subject of the Report of the Royal Commission on Indian Expenditure (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION ACT (1897) No. 387, of Session 2, 1900."—( Lord lie upon AMENDMENT (No. 3) BILL. Petition from Battersea, in favour; to lie upon the Table. RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC. REDEMPTION OF QUIT AND CROWN Return presented, relative thereto [ordered 24th March; Mr. Carew]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 160.] SEA FISHERIES OF THE UNITED Return presented, relative thereto [ordered 22nd April; Mr. Gerald Balfour]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 161.] EVICTIONS (IRELAND). Copy presented, of Return of the number of Evictions in Ireland for the quarter ended 31st March, 1902 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table. G. Hamilton). (3.35.) QUESTIONS. South African War-Execution of Commandant Scheepers. MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.) I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will state when the evidence given on the trial of Commandant Scheepers, who was executed at Graff Reinet on the 19th February, will be printed and circulated in accordance with the undertaking of the War Office, given several weeks ago; and what is the reason for the delay in the publication. May I be allowed to correct my Question. It was on the 19th January that this murder was committed. with the Return of Martial Law Cases which I have promised to publish, and which is in course of preparation. MR. JOHN ELLIS (Nottinghamshire, Rushcliffe): Can the right hon. Gentleman give us any information when we shall have the Return which was promised at the beginning of the Session? MR. BRODRICK: The Return involves constant reference to South Africa by telegraph. I cannot present an incomplete or inadequate Return. The Trial of Australian Officers. MR. SWIFT MACNEILL: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the War Office will now publish the evidence adduced on the trial by court martial of Lieutenants Handcock and Morant, which led to their conviction of the murder of twelve Boer prisoners; and, having regard to the fact that that evidence has been for a considerable time in the possession of the War Office, will he explain why it has been withheld from the public. MR. BRODRICK: It is not usual to publish such evidence, and I do not propose to make this case an exception. MR. SWIFT MACNEILL: But was not the evidence in the Press five weeks ago? MR. BRODRICK: I really cannot say what the hon. Member saw in the Press. It is not usual to publish evidence given by courts martial, and I do not propose to do so in this case. Loyal Burghers and the Coronation. MR. NORMAN (Wolverhampton, S.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the suggestion has reached him from a well-informed quarter that if an invitation were given to representatives of the corps of loyal Burghers to attend the ceremonies of His Majesty's Coronation, such an invitation would be gladly accepted; and, if so, whether he will inform the Colonial Secretary of the nature and source of the suggestion, to assist the latter right hon. Gentleman in the consideration he has promised to give the matter. MR. BRODRICK : I have had no such intimation. Any such suggestion would in ordinary course be at once forwarded to the Colonial Secretary for his consideration. Transport of Hay to South Africa from MR. NORMAN : I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the steamship "Monadnock,' belonging to Messrs. T. Hogan and Son, of 21, State Street, New York, has been chartered to carry hay from St. John, New Brunswick, to Cape Town; whether she has already sailed for St. John; whether there are British-owned vessels suitable and no available for such service; or for what other reason preference was given to a a foreign-owned vessel. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Lord STANLEY, Lancashire, Westhoughton): The Canadian Government buys and ships Canadian hay to South Africa as an agent of this Department. I am not aware of the chartering of the "Monadnock' by the Canadian Government, nor has the High Commissioner for Canada any knowledge of such chartering. Shot Drill in Lichfield Gaol. MR. SWIFT MACNEILL: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will state when it came to the knowledge of the War Office that the punishment of shot drill inflicted on prisoners in the military cells at Lichfield till 17th February last; on how many prisoners from the time of the abolition of shot drill in the Army, in April, 1899, till 17th February last was this punishment inflicted, and for what periods in each case; who were the officers responsible for the infliction of this punishment, and what notice, if any, has been taken of their conduct, and what compensation has been given to the men on whom this shot drill has been thus inflicted; and will he state what explanation, if any, has the War Office to offer for the continuous practice of this custom at Lichfield for four years after its abolition in the Army, and in what other military prisons has this punishment been inflicted: and, whether he will cause to be circulated the Report for which he the report and evidence submitted will has asked with reference to the infliction be laid before Parliament; and whether of sentences of shot drill, and the results of the inquiry he directed. MR. BRODRICK: I have nothing to add to the information which I have already given to the hon. Member. MR. SWIFT MACNEILL: As а matter of order I wish to draw your attention Mr. Speaker to the answer I have just received. I put down a Question, not at all cognate to any I have previously asked, and the right hon. Gentleman tells me he has no additional information to give me. *MR. SPEAKER: If the right hon. Gentleman says so, the Question whether or not he should say SO cannot be discussed. I cannot judge whether the answer is right or wrong. It is an answer to the Question on the Paper. Regimental District Clerical Staff. arrangements can be made to postpone taking in Supply Vote 8, Section 3, which includes the charge for subsidies to merchant steamers, until the Report and evidence taken by the Committee are in the hands of Members. THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER, Belfast, W.): The Committee has been appointed by the Admiralty with limited reference. It is charged to ascertain in what way, and at what cost steamers of greater speed than those now employed, and of greater efficiency for war purposes, may be obtained in return for subsidies paid, and also to ascertain and report as to what modification of the existing form of agreement, and what addition to the present rate of subsidy may be necessary in order to prevent the transfer to a foreign flag without permission of the Admiralty of any MR. ARTHUR LEE (Hampshire, Fare-ship which receives or has received a ham): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether any official representations have been made to to the War Office with regard to the inadequacy of the clerical staff allowed to officers commanding regimental districts; and whether it is intended to remedy this alleged deficiency. subsidy. The names of the Committee as at present constituted are as follows:The Earl of Camperdown, Vice-Admiral FitzGerald, Professor J. H. Biles, Mr. Robert Chalmers, C.B., representing the Treasury, Mr. Buxton Forman, representing the Post Office, and Captain Tupper, R.N., Secretary. I cannot at the present time say whether it will be possible to present the Report and LORD STANLEY: In some cases evidence to the House. The question representations to this effect have been of whether it will be possible to postmade. General officers have already pone the discussion on Vote 8, Section power to grant extra duty pay to 3, so as to allow of the discussion of temporary clerks if there is pressure the Report of the Committee must of work, and in certain cases where depend upon the date on which that general officers have found it impossible report is received. to obtain adequate military clerical assistance the employment of civilian clerks has been authorised. Subvention of Merchant Steamers for SIR JOHN COLOMB (Great Yarmouth): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he can state the terms of reference to the Committee appointed by the Admiralty to inquire into matters relating to the subvention of merchant steamers for purposes of war; whether he can give the names of members of the Committee; whether SIR JOHN COLOMB: May I ask whether, under those terms, the policy of paying subsidies is open to review ? MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER: No, Sir. The reference is a limited reference. Assuming the policy to be continued, the consideration of the circumstances under which that policy can be continued in the most effective way is complying with the terms of reference. SIR JOHN COLOMB: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the creation of a fleet of Royal Naval Reserve Cruisers, by the adoption of a policy of subventions to merchant steamers, was recommended in 1887, by the Admiralty to to the Treasury, as having pecuniary advantage by serving to limit the necessity for the construction of fast war vessels to protect the commerce of the country; and, seeing that the total amount of subventions paid in pursuance of that policy since 1887, inclusive, exceeds half a million sterling, whether he can state approximately what has been the pecuniary advantage derived from that expenditure due to limitations put by the Admiralty on the construction of fast war vessels to protect commerce, as a consequence of the adoption of the policy so recommended. MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER: Whatever may have been the original policy which led to the subvention of Merchant Cruisers, it is considered by the Admiralty that definite functions could be assigned to such steamers in a future naval war, and that they should therefore, if compatible with a reasonable ex: penditure, be retained independently of any such result as that which was anticipated by the Committee in 1887. In answer to the last part of the hon. and gallant Member's Question, I should imagine that the subsidising of these vessels has not had any serious effect in diminishing the expenditure upon fast cruisers, the armoured cruiser having become a specially important type of vessel capable of rendering services which could not be performed by any mercantile cruiser. MR. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E.): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Board of Trade, under the general powers of control and enforcement of the Merchant Shipping Act given to the Board under Sections 713 to 723 of the Act. has power to require the disclosure of any agreement entered into by a qualified. British owner of a registered British ship for the transfer or transmission of any such ship to any person or body of persons who may not be qualified under the Act to own or be registered as owner thereof, and especially power to require the production of any declarations made or to be made under Section 25 of the Act; whether the White Star and other companies who have entered into the American com bination have been or will be required to disclose the terms of their agreements with the American syndicate, or to produce any declarations under Sections 25 and 26 of the Act, or other documents to show the status of the persons who will, under those agreements, acquire a share in the control or beneficial interest will take steps eit her to enforce the exin the ships concerned; and whether he isting law or to obtain further powers by legislation to prevent evasion or infraction of the Act. MR. GERALD BALFOUR: The Board of Trade have not, under Sections 713 to 723 of the Merchant Shipping Act, as the Department to undertake the general superintendence of all matters relating to Merchant Shipping, power to require the disclosure of any agreement or the production of any declaration such as those referred to by the hon. Member. Section 25 merely prescribes the nature of the declaration which must |