LANDS (IRELAND) PROVISIONAL proceeded with, and that on a subsequent | DRAINAGE AND IMPROVEMENT OF day a reference to a Select Committee might be suggested which, while covering the scope of the Bill, would be of a more general nature. That was really the suggestion of the noble Duke, which was also advocated by the noble Earl opposite, and I support it now as, on the whole, the better course to follow. LORD MUSKERRY: I am prepared to withdraw my Bill on the understanding that the question is considered by a Select Committee. LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) PRO- LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) PRO- Bill to confirm certain Provisional Orders of the Local Government Board LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) Bill to confirm certain Provisional Orders of the Local Government Board for Ireland relating to the urban districts of Dungarvan, Fermoy, Kilkenny (two), and Templemore, and the rural district of Dungarvan, ordered to be brought in by Mr. Attorney General for Ireland and Mr. Wyndham. LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) Bill to confirm certain Provisional HULL, BARNSLEY, AND WEST RIDING ordered to be brought in by Mr. Attorney JUNCTION RAILWAY AND DOCK (SOUTH YORKSHIRE EXTENSION LINES) BILL, General for Ireland and Mr. Wyndham. LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) PRO- "To confirm certain Provisional Orders of the Local Government Board for As amended, considered; to be read Ireland relating to the urban districts the third time. DONEGAL RAILWAY BILL [LOBDS], WATERFORD AND BISHOP FOY ENDOWED SCHOOLS BILL [LORDS]. Read a second time, and committed. DUBLIN PORT AND DOCKS BOARD BILL (BY ORDER). As amended, considered; A Clause added; Bill to be read the third time. MILITARY LANDS PROVISIONAL of Birr and Blackrock," presented, and read the first time; to be referred to the Examiners of petitions for Private Bills, and to be printed. [Bill 191.] of LOCAL GOVERNMENT (IRELAND) PROVISIONAL ORDERS (No. 2) BILL. To confirm certain Provisional Orders the Local Government Board for Ireland relating to the urban districts of Dungarvan, Fermoy, Kilkenny (two), and Templemore, and the rural district of Dungarvan," presented, and read the first time to be referred to the Ex As amended, considered; to be read aminers of Petitions for Private Bills, the third time tomorrow. and to be printed. [Bill 192.] Lord Balfour of Burleigh. PRIVATE BILLS (GROUP G). Mr. Bill reported from the Committee on Group G of Private Bills, That the parties promoting the Liverpool Corporation Bill had stated that the evidence of Harcourt Everard Clare, Clerk of the Peace for the county of Lancaster, was essential to their case; and it having been proved that his attendance could not be procured without the intervention of the House, he had been instructed to move that the said Harcourt Everard Clare do attend the said Committee tomorrow, at half-past Eleven of the clock. Ordered, That Harcourt Everard Clare do attend the Committee on Group G of Private Bills tomorrow, at half-past Eleven of the clock. PRIVATE BILLS (GROUP G). Mr. Bill reported from the Committee on Group G of Private Bills, That the parties opposing the Liverpool Corporation Bill had stated that the evidence of Dr. Edward Sergeant, Medical Officer of Health, Preston, was essential to their case; and, it having been proved that his attendance could not be pro cured without the intervention of the House, he had been instructed to move that the said Dr. Edward Sergeant do attend the said Committee tomorrow, at half-past Eleven of the clock. Special Report brought up, and read as followeth : the Committee on Group H of Private Mr. Heywood Johnstone reported from Bills; That in the case of the Huddersfield Corporation Bill they had agreed to the following Special Report : That the Bill had become unopposed since the last meeting of the Committee yesterday, but the Committee had taken the responsibility of treating it as an opposed Bill to avoid delay, inconvenience, and expense which the parties would incur if the Bill was referred back to the Committee of Selection under Standing Order 136. Special Report to lie upon the Table. MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS. That they have agreed to.- Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Grand Junction Water Bill, ment. North Warwickshire Water Bill, with That they have passed a Bill, intituled, "An Act for incorporating and conferring powers upon the Bradford-onAvon Gas Company; and for other purposes." [Bradford-on-Avon Gas Bill [Lords.] And also a Bill, intituled, "An Act to empower the Great Northern Railground railway in Islington, and to way Company to construct an underlease the same to the Great Northern and City Railway Company; and for other purposes. [Great Northern Railway (No. 2) Bill [Lords.] BRADFORD-ON-AVON GAS BILL [LORDS], GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY (No. 2) BILL [LORDS]. Read the first time; and referred to Ordered, That Dr. Edward Sergeant do attend the Committee on Group G of the Examiners of Petitions for Private Private Bills tomorrow, at half-past Eleven of the clock. PRIVATE BILLS (GROUP H). Leave given to the Committeeto make a Special Report.-(Mr. Heywood Johnstone.) Bills. PETITIONS. BANK HOLIDAYS ACT AMENDMENT BILL. Petition from Walsall, against; to lie upon the Table. CANAL TRAFFIC BILL. Petition from Walsall, in favour; to lie upon the Table. COUNTY COURTS BILL. SALE OF INTO ICATING LIQUORS ON Petition in favour: From St. Austell ; Petition from Walsall, in favour; to and Trowbridge; to lie upon the Table. lie upon the Table. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS CIRCULATED WITH THE VOTES. Bengal Nagpur Railway-Assault on a MR. CAINE (Cornwall, Camborne):1 To ask the Secretary of State for India if his attention has been called to a recent case of assault tried at Karag pore, in which an official of the Bengal Nagpur Railway beat a Hindu clerk with his own slippers for having come into his presence with the slippers on his feet, the magistrate dismissing the case on the ground that it was more a lesson in politeness than an assault; is he aware that beating with a man's own slippers is considered by the Hindu communities to be the greatest insult that can be offered to them, especially when, as in the present case, the person assaulted is a Brahmin ; and will he make some inquiry with a view to the removal of the repeated assaults of this character which are brought into the Indian Courts. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord G. HAMILTON, Middlesex, Ealing): I have no official information on the subject, but I understand from the newspapers that the occurrence referred to has formed the subject of an inquiry in court. I see no necessity for interfering in the matter, which is entirely within the competence of the local authorities. I am also aware that the attention of the Government of India has been specially directed to the recurrence of assaults of this kind. Army Forage-Irish Supplies. MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick): To ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he will state the money value of the foreign forage imported into Ireland to supply the troop horses 1 stationed there; and whether the Govern (2.15.) QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. ment will reconsider the policy of importing produce into an agricultural country and utilise instead native productions. South Africa-Extension of Natal Mr. MARKHAM (Nottinghamshire, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO Mansfield): I beg to ask the Secretary of THE WAR OFFICE (Lord STANLEY, State for the Colonies whether His Lancashire, Westhoughton): I I cannot Majesty's Government has made any undertake to obtain the information definite proposals to the Natal Governrequired by the first part of the Ques- ment with a view to transferring to Natal tion, which would involve considerable a portion of Transvaal territory; whether VOL. CVII. [FOURTH SERIES.] 2 F these proposals have already been debated | South Africa in December, 1901, and in in the Natal House of Assembly; and, if January and February, 1902; whether so, why these negotiations and proposals he is able to give any particulars as to were not first communicated to the House the incidence of the disease upon camps of Commons before they were submitted and moving columns respectively; and for the consideration of the Natal House whether any special precautions are being of Assembly. taken to prevent the occurrence of the disease in the columns and in the camps. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN, Birmingham, W.): Proposals have been made which have been approved by His Majesty's Government and the subject has been discussed in the Natal Parliament. The proposals have been made public in Natal because that Colony is directly interested. I have laid Papers on the Table on the subject. MR. MARKHAM: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government of Natal sought for Transvaal territory from His Majesty's Government, or whether the proposal to transfer such territory was in the first instance made by him or Lord Milner, directly or indirectly, to the Natal Government; and whether he will state the date when these proposals were first made either by himself, Lord Milner, or by the Government of Natal. MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN: I have to refer the hon. Member to the Papers which will be in the hands of hon. Members in a day or so. MR. MARKHAM: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the white population of Natal before the outbreak of war was approximately 50,000; and whether he will state the area of Transvaal territory proposed to be transferred to Natal, as also the Dutch population in such territory. 1,507 224 2,750 2,122 396 333 December. January February The Principal Medical Officer reports that the enteric cases mostly come from the columns, but it is not possible to obtain figures from the statistics to show this clearly. In the camps and stationary garrisons steps have been taken to have the water boiled and special officers selected to deal with the sanitary work of districts and the outbreak of disease. For mobile columns a scheme of providing safe water to fill the soldiers' water-bottles at all times has been prepared, involving an increase in the water carts, and measures are being taken to carry this out. Officers have been specially instructed as regards the necessity of preventing the men from drinking water from unsafe sources; but it is not too much to say that no instructions will prevent thirsty men committing such indiscretion, and many soldiers when in hospital have admitted that they preferred the risk to the otherwise unavoidable delay. Railway Construction in British Central Africa. beg to ask the Under Secretary of State MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty): I for Foreign Affairs whether any arrangements have been made under which the railway which is about to be constructed. between Chiromo and Blantyre, in the British Central Africa Protectorate, will receive a Government subsidy; and, if so. will he state the amount of the subsidy. *THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord CRANBORNE, Rochester): No arrangements have been made under which a Government subsidy will be given to any railway |