for the requisite information and I am awaiting this reply. I hope that the facts ascertained will enable me to lay a Paper on the Table in due course. Bromley Education Dispute. SIR WILLIAM BULL: I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education if his attention has been called to a recent case in Bromley where a man, named George Gooch, was summoned for refusing to send his daughter to a nonprovided school two miles from his residence, since he was not permitted to send her to another non-provided school situate within 200 yards of his house; and whether steps can be taken to prevent such hardships, which arise owing to conflicts between neighbouring local authorities. MR. MCKENNA: My attention has been called to the case referred to. I understand that negotiations are proceeding between the local education authorities for Beckenham and Penge as to the apportionment of the cost of educating children attending schools outside the area in which they reside. It is, in my opinion, extremely desirable that the two authorities should come to an agreement, and the Board are doing all in their power to assist them in securing this result. Castle Morton Schoolroom. MR. GOULDING (Worcester): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the denial by the chairman of the Primrose League meeting recently held in the schoolroom of Castle Morton, Worcestershire, that the vicar took the chair; and also that lads were present or refreshments supplied to young persons; and whether he would ascertain the facts. MR. MCKENNA: No, Sir; my attention has not been called to the statement referred to. Steps would, of course, be taken to ascertain the facts before the Board took any action in the matter. MR. GOULDING: Will the right hon. Gentleman see the necessity of making inquiry at once in view of the grossly unfounded attacks which have been VOL. CLXXXVII. [FOURTH SERIES.] MR. GOULDING: Does the right hon. Gentleman admit that the facts were not as stated by the Gentleman who put the original Question? MR. MCKENNA : In my Answer I assumed that they were true and I stated the position in regard to the school trust. MR. MOORE (Armagh, N.): Does the right hon. Gentleman now withdraw his statement ? MR. MCKENNA: No, Sir, the statement I made was strictly accurate. MR. LONSDALE: Will the right hon. Gentleman make further inquiry? MR. MCKENNA : Nothing I have said necessitates that. It is not the duty of the Board of Education to make such inquiries. MR. MCKENNA: The post of advising thought it desirable to make such an counsel to the Board is now merged inquiry as the noble Lord suggests. in that of the Principal Assistant Secretary in charge of the Legal Branch, Mr. H. M. Lindsell, C.B., whose salary is £1,500 per annum. The duties are to advise the Board on legal questions arising in the course of their administration. Mr. Lindsell was appointed advising counsel on 29th September, 1884. Mr. Lindsell's predecessor was Mr. Hodgson. MR. MCKENNA: My predecessors Swansea School Dispute. LORD R. CECIL: I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education what is now the position with regard to the salaries of the teachers in the nonprovided schools at Swansea ; and whether the Board of Education have been since 26th August, 1907, in posses sion of receipts for the amounts paid by the managers for the arrears of salaries under the agreements since 1st April, 1907. MR. MCKENNA : The question referred to is now under consideration by the Legal Department of the Board. The vouchers forwarded by the managers on 26th August, were returned to them on 17th October. Certain receipts subtheir possession. sequently sent to the Board are still in LORD R. CECIL: Will the right hon. Gentleman say visers of the Board are likely to take? how long the legal ad MR. MCKENNA : I will endeavour to get the opinion from them as soon as I can, but the matters submitted to them are of extreme difficulty. Education Summonses. MR. BOWLES: I beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General whether he is aware that members of the local education committees which issue summonses to parents under the Education Acts are frequently also members of the local bench. of magistrates which adjudicates upon them; and whether, in view of the fact that there is no appeal from the bench's decision in such cases, he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to prevent these gentlemen from acting in future as final judges in their own cause. SIR W. ROBSON : Members of the Local Education Committee are not disqualified for sitting, but it is very undesirable that they should act as magistrates in cases in which they are concerned as members of the education authority, and I have no reason to MR. BOWLES: If I bring such a case | recently employed by the committee of to the notice of the hon. and learned management in the conduct of the annual Gentleman will he inquire? SIR W. ROBSON: Certainly. Sunday Entertainments in Clubs. VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH I beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General if his attention has been drawn to the fact that certain Liberal and Radical Clubs are in the habit of giving dramatic, variety, and other entertainments on Sunday mornings and evenings; and, if so, whether he is prepared to recommend prosecutions in such cases. SIR W. ROBSON : No, Sir. VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH Will the hon. and learned Gentleman endeavour to use his influence with his colleagues who hold official positions in these clubs with a view to removing, if possible, a scandal which has found its way into the newspapers? SIR W. ROBSON: I do not know the colleagues to whom the noble Lord alludes; and I am not aware that my influence would be effective in the matter at all. Civil Service Estimates. SIR WILLIAM BULL: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury what has been the cause of delay in circulating his Memorandum on the Civil Service Estimates. MR. RUNCIMAN: The Memorandum was circulated on the 1st instant. I regret that it was not possible to place it in the hands of hon. Members at an earlier date, but I cannot admit, in view of the dates on which the Memorandum has been circulated in previous years, that there has been any unusual delay. Royal London Friendly Society. MR. O'GRADY (Leeds, E.): To ask the Secretary to the Treasury, whether he is aware of the attempt now being made by the committee of management of the Royal London Friendly Society to convert the society into a mutual insurance society under the Companies Acts; and, having regard to the methods meeting of the society held at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 25th February of this year, he will instruct the Registrar General to take action as provided in Section 76 of the Friendly Societies Act, 1896, in the event of the committee of management of the said society deciding to call further conversion meetings. MR. RUNCIMAN: The Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies informs me that he has no information on the subjects raised in the hon. Member's question. No application has been made to him under Section 76 of the Friendly Societies Act, 1896, and the provisions of the section do not come into force until such application is made. Collecting Friendly Societies. MR. O'GRADY: I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, whether he is aware that there is a tendency for some of the committees of management of the collecting friendly societies to convert those institutions into proprietary or mutual companies; and, having regard to the injury such conversions would cause to the interests of the members, as well as being subversive of their rights, whether he will appoint a Select Committee to inquire into the whole question of the collecting friendly societies with a view to recommending Amendments of the Friendly Societies Acts. MR. RUNCIMAN: I understand that the Liverpool Victoria Legal Friendly Society has established a subsidiary company to carry on the business which under the Friendly Societies and Collecting Societies Acts it cannot perform itself. The society, however, still exists in its original form. With this exception, if this can be called an exception, the Chief Registrar informs me that he has no knowledge of the tendency to which the hon. Member alludes, nor is he aware that the tendency, if it did exist, would cause injury to the interests of the members or would be subversive of their rights. But in any case he regards his existing powers as fully sufficient to enable him to deal with any danger that may arise from this source. In these circumstances I do not think on 6th October, 1906, that is, three days there is any need to appoint a Committee. after Burrows was last seen in Dublin. The police have made every effort to trace the accused, but so far without effect. Clyde Herring Fishing. MR. WATT: I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland, if he will state when a full inquiry was last held as to the advantage or disadvantage of the use of the seine net to the herring fishing in the Clyde; and what evidence he requires before authorising a further inquiry to be made into the present state of the case, and into the opinion of the fisherman on the question. Woodford Malicious Burning Claim. MR. JOHN ROCHE (Galway, E.): To ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether he is aware that a man named Michael Mahon, Woodford, County Galway, applied for £20 compensation for alleged malicious burning of his house, that the claim included an item of four £1 notes which he swore were in a tin THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND box and burned, and that the police (Mr. SINCLAIR, Forfarshire): The last proved that the paper burned was a formal inquiry into questions affecting piece of foolscap, upon which the case the herring fishery in the Clyde area was was dismissed by the County Court held in December, 1902, but since then Judge; whether he is aware that Mahon investigations have been conducted in appealed to a Judge of Assize, and connection therewith, and the local fishery swore that a few nights before the appeal officers have also furnished reports therewas heard, a threatening notice had been on from time to time. A lengthy Re-posted upon his door, having a picture port on the subject by the Scientific Superintendent is contained in Part III. of the Board's Report for 1906, but the investigations have not yet been concluded, and, pending their conclusion, no good purpose would be served by holding another inquiry, particularly in view of the fact that there is a sharp conflict of opinion among those interested in the matter on the various points involved. Case of Alexander C. Burrows, Dublin Stockbroker. of a coffin upon it, and stating that if he went to assize he would be doomed; whether the police proved that the notice was written by Mahon himself; and what action the Crown intend to take in the matter, and, if any, will it be taken immediately lest he may evade a prosecution. MR. CHERRY: The facts of the case referred to in the Question as reported to me are as follows:-Mahon applied for £20 compensation for the malicious burning of his house on the night of 9th September, 1907. The claim inMR. MULDOON (Wicklow, E.): Icluded an item of £4 for four £1 notes beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General for Ireland whether Alexander C. Burrows, lately a stockbroker in Dublin, had been accused of misappropriating a large sum of money; whether a warrant was out for his arrest; what is the charge made against him in the warrant, and when it was issued; when was Burrows last seen in Dublin; and when the police hope to bring the accused to trial. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. CHERRY, Liverpool, Exchange) In 1906 several warrants were issued against Alexander C. Burrows for misappropriating sums of money amounting in all to over £5,00. The which he swore were in a tin box in the {6 APRIL 1908} MR. JOHN ROCHE: MR. CHERRY: I am informed that MR. JOHN ROCHE: him go. 954 Questions. facilities for transferring passengers and of shelter for passengers; and no proper mails between trains and steamers. It is the case that the London and North obliged to use this wharf recently, but Western Railway Company have been only as a lie-by berth when owing to the deliberate obstruction of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company no berth And you let at Carlisle Pier was available. The weather fortunately has been favourable, but in certain conditions the use of the attended by grave risk as well as inconwharf even for this purpose might be venience. In some conditions of weather it is difficult and dangerous to approach the wharf; in other conditions it is unsafe to lie at it, and in yet other conditions it is difficult, if not impossible, to get away from it. The statements contained in the last part of the hon. Member's question do not accurately represent the facts. Formerly, excursion Company, used occasionally to visit steamers, belonging to the Isle of Man the wharf, but this was found to be so inconvenient that the Company applied for permission to use the Carlisle Pier. When this application was refused they ceased to use the port at all and their Wall. steamers now always run to the North King's Plates for Irish Horse Races. MR. RIDSDALE (Brighton): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that a sum of £1,563 appears in the Estimates (Class 7, Miscellaneous) to be devoted to prizes for horse races in Ireland; whether any other sums for racing prizes are included in any of the Estimates; and whether opportunity will be afforded of challenging any of these items. MR. RUNCIMAN: The answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative, and to the second in the negative. This item can be discussed like any other in the Estimates. The Kingstown Pier Dispute MR. MOONEY (Newry): I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether in view of the action now pending as to the right of the London and North Western Railway Company to use the Carlisle Pier, Kingstown, he will, until a decision has been given, restrict the use of Kingstown Harbojar by the London and North Western Railway Company to the Victoria Wharf; whether he is aware that the 'London and NorthWestern Railway Company have already used this wharf for "berthing their steamers with perfect safety and convenience; and whether he is aware that the Victoria Wharf has been used for a considerable time past by the line of steamers plying between Kingstown and the Isle of Man, to whom permission was refused to use the Carlisle Pier. MR. RUNCIMAN: I understand that the Victoria Wharf is connected with the railway only by a single-line siding, inconveniently situated to the main line. There is no platform accommodation at the wharf, nor adequate means if approach to the Victoria Wharf was MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN asked why, so risky, the late Queen Victoria and the King were able to get ashore there on their visits to Ireland? isolated cases of the use of the wharf I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, MR. CLANCY (Dublin County, N.): whether, before the Government granted the London and North Western Railway Company permission to use the Government harbour at Kingstown for its passenger steamers at a nominal charge, Parliament in 1902 decided that the they were aware that the reason why company should pay the charges now fixed for all steamers alike, was that it had been proved before Committees of the two Houses, that the company had reduced to little or nothing the register |