ing the service, but as regards the greater part of this district it appears that the cost already incurred is relatively high, and that no further expense for increasing the frequency of the delivery would be warranted. The case is not so clear, however, as regards Altagoaghan, Tattina buddagh, and the neighbourhood, and I am having further inquiry made with the view of ascertaining whether any improvement would be warranted in the service to those places. I will communicate the result of the inquiry to the hon. Member. Accommodation at West Ham Union SIR ERNEST FLOWER (Bradford, W.): To ask the President of the Local Government Board if he is aware that the certificate of the Union Schools of the West Ham Guardians, which in November, 1901, was exceeded by 169 children and in November, 1902, and September, 1903, was still exceeded, is at present exceeded by over 200 children; that the boys are entirely without day. room accommodation; that 144 girls have day-room accommodation of 23 feet 6 inches by 18 feet 2 inches only; that eighty-six infants have a day-room in which they also take their meals of 27 feet 2 inches by 18 feet 2 inches only; and whether, seeing that this overcrowding makes it impossible to isolate infectious diseases, and that skin and eye complaints are present in the same dormitory, he will urge on the guardians the necessity of ascertaining if all those children at present dependent on the rates are entitled to such maintenance, and of providing temporary accommodation by hiring houses in which small groups of children might be placed. things. I have also suggested that they Performing Elephants at the London MR. SYDNEY BUXTON (Tower Hamlets, Poplar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the item on the programme of entertainment at the London Hippodrome, entitled, the Plunging Elephants, where the elephants are forced on to a steep incline and precipitated into the water; and whether he proposes to take any action to stop such a proceeding. (Answered by Mr. Secretary AkersDouglas.) I have no special power in this matter; but, having made inquiry, I am informed that no force is used in the performance. The elephants, under the direction of a keeper, proceed to the head of the chute, and thence slide into the water. There is no cruelty; and the animals are said to be well kept and cared for. Vivisection at University College DR. SHIPMAN (Northampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the statement made by Mr. Bayliss, in his evidence in Bayliss v. Coleridge, that the inspector appointed under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, visited University College on an average once a week during the period Mr. Bayliss was conducting his researches and lectures there; whether he will state the exact number of visits paid by the inspector to University College during the year 1902; whether the inspector is officially connected with University College; and how many times the inspector visited each of the other places registered for vivisection in 1902. (Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) I am aware of the overcrowding at these schools, and have impressed upon the guardians the serious responsibility which attaches to them in this matter. The guardians inform me that they are endeavouring to make arrangements for (Answered by Mr. Secretary Akersboarding out some of the children beyond Douglas.) Twelve visits to University the union. I am still in communication College in 1902 were reported by the with them, and I have urged them to inspector; but I understand that owing hire homes in or near the union or to to his constant attendance at the college provide temporary buildings in order to he was able to pay many visits to the remedy at once the present state of laboratory; and these, when he found nothing special to report, were not the Order in Council of 29th November included in his return. The Inspector is 1898, and what proportion of these Professor of Anatomy in University relate to University relate to Ireland; and how many College, London. During 1902 the in- assistant clerks (New Class) have been spector and the assistant inspector paid promoted to the Second Division. 106 visits to the other registered places in England and Scotland, making an average of just under two visits to each place. Vivisection-Visits of Inspectors. DR. SHIPMAN: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the fact that the inspector appointed under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, only witnessed the whole of one and part of eleven experiments out of the total of 14,906 performed in 1902, he will consider the advisability of increasing the number of inspectors. (Answered by Mr. Secretary AkersDouglas.) It has to be remembered that of the 14,906 experiments mentioned in the Question, 12,776 were of the character of inoculations or feeding experiments. Further, apart from the actual experiments witnessed, large numbers of the animals have been seen by the inspectors, and their condition after the initial experiment examined. I am satisfied that the inspection is sufficient to keep me fully informed as to the practical working of the Act and the observance of its provisions; but if at any time I come to the conclusion that more inspection is desirable, I shall not hesitate to endeavour to obtain the necessary increase of staff. Promotion in the Civil Service. MR. CLAUDE HAY (Shoreditch, Hoxton): To ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state how many Civil Service writers were promoted to the Second Division under the provisions of the Treasury Minute of December, 1886; how many Civil Service writers have been promoted to the establishment as assistant clerks (Abstractor Class) under Treasury Minute of August, 1889; how many temporary clerical assistants have been promoted to the establishment as assistant clerks (New Class); how many senior assistant clerks (Abstractor Class) have been promoted to (Answered by Mr. Vic or Cavendish.) The numbers are 70, 600, 151, 121 (of whom 18 or 15 per cent., were in exclusively Irish Departments), and 13 respectively. Unexpended Balances-Scotch and Irish MR. WEIR: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, having regard to the fact that the unexpended balances of Votes surrendered to the Exchequer by Government Departments during the last ten years amount to £11,613,119 19s. 9d., will he state how much of this sum represents Scottish and Irish Votes respectively, irrespective of the Post Office. and Inland Revenue Departments. (Answered by Mr. Austen Chamberlain.) The unexpended balances surrendered to the Exchequer on Scottish Votes in the last ten years amounted to £204,013 15s. 6d., and on Irish Votes to £718,136 78. 11d. These figures. relate only to Votes which provide exclusively for Scottish and Irish Services. They omit not only the Votes for the Post Office and Revenue Departments, but all other Votes of a general character. Estate Duty on Colonial Securities. MR. CATHCART WASON (Orkney and Shetland): To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Estate Duty Department at Somerset House require payment of Estate Duty in this country in respect of colonial securities belonging to deceased persons domiciled in a British colony where the bonds, debentures, or certificates representing such securities are locally situate in this country, notwithstanding that such securities have already paid Estate Duty in the colony; and, if so, will he remedy this state of affairs by the insertion of a clause in the forthcoming Finance Bill which shall be retro-active, and in the meantime direct the authorities to Estate Duty in any case where Estate | six months, April to September, is now Duty has already been paid in a British to be extended, so as to include March colony. Postage on Type-written Circulars. MR. O'SHEE (Waterford, W.): To ask the Postmaster-General if he will say whether a circular which is printed in imitation of typewriting, enclosed in an unsealed envelope, is liable to the letter rate of postage; and, if so, will he explain why a distinction is drawn between such printing and printing in ordinary type. (Answered by Lord Stanley.) Circulars printed in imitation of type-writing and enclosed in unsealed envelopes are admitted to the privilege of the halfpenny post on condition that they are handed in at a head or branch Post Office, that special attention is called to their nature, and that at least twenty copies are posted at the same time. Unless these conditions are complied with the circulars are liable to letter postage. There is no infallible and easily applied test which will enable the Post Office to distinguish between type-written letters and circulars printed to imitate them, and it is necessary to impose the special conditions referred to in order to afford evidence that the halfpenny post is not being improperly used for the transmission of typewritten correspondence. Annual Leave in the Edinburgh Post Office. SIR ANDREW AGNEW (Edinburgh, S.): To ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been directed to the fact that the period for the annual leave of absence of the supervising body in the postal branches at Edinburgh, which for some years was confined to the and October; and whether, seeing that on the telegraph side of the same office, with as large a staff of supervisors, no difficulty is found in giving the annual leave within a period of six months, he can see his way to continuing the same privilege to the postal supervising staff. (Answered by Lord Stanley.) I am informed that the inclusion of March and October in the period for the annual leave of the supervising officers in the postal branches at Edinburgh is not an innovation. I will inquire whether the present arrangements can be modified; but I fear that it may be impossible to do so without waste of staff. Royal Naval Reserve Stations in the West Highlands. MR. WEIR: To ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state whether it is proposed to establish Royal Naval Reserve stations at any other places in the Western Highlands besides Ullapool. (Answered by Mr. Pretyman.) It is also proposed to build a Royal Naval Reserve drill battery at Portree, in the Island of Skye. Progress of the Dingwall and Cromarty Railway. MR. WEIR: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state what progress is being made with the Dingwall and Cromarty Railway. (Answered by Mr. Gerald Balfour.) No Progress appears to have been made in but I am informed that an early meeting the actual construction of the railway, of the directors of the company has been fixed to arrange for the issue of the company's capital. Changes in Tariffs of Foreign Countries. MR. JOHN ELLIS (Nottinghamshire, Rushcliffe): To ask the President of the Board of Trade in what Parliamentary Paper a succinct statement of the various changes in the tariffs of foreign countries during 1902 and 1903 can be found; and, if such does not exist, whether he will cause such a Paper to be compiled and labour population of 650,937). The Acts laid upon the Table. (Answered by Mr. Gerald Balfour.) The Return of Foreign Import Duties issued by the Board of Trade contains a detailed account of the rates of duty levied in the principal commercial countries on the produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom. A summary is prefixed to the Return showing briefly the principal changes since the publication of the previous Return. The last number of this Return (which is now published annually) was issued in November last (Cd. 1735 of 1903), and the previous Return was dated May, 1902 (Cd. 780 of 1902). Particulars of changes of foreign tariffs are noted as they occur in the Board of Trade Journal. If the information contained in these Returns is not sufficient for the hon. Member's purpose I shall be glad if he will communicate with me. under which these persons are indentured are Act I. of 1882 and Act VI. of 1901, the latter Act superseding the former except as regards contracts made under the Act of 1882 not yet expired. The regulations applicable to indentured labourers are contained in these Acts, which will be found in the Library of the House. I may also refer to the Return presented by my predecessor in April last in compliance with the Address moved by the hon. Member for the Northern Division of Manchester, which is likewise in the Library. Sales on the Cusack Estate. MR. J. P. FARRELL (Longford, N.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the LordLieutenant of Ireland whether the proposed sale of 860 acres of the lands of the Cusack estate to certain persons at a figure of twenty seven and a half years purchase requires the sanction of the Estates Commissioners; and, if so, can he state when the matter is likely to be brought before them. (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) This estate is administered in the Land Judge's Court. I have no information on the matters alluded to in the Question. But I learn that the solicitor having carriage of the proceedings will apply forthwith to the Land Judge for an order authorising the Estates Commissioners to issue a request under Section 7 of the Act of offer for the purchase of the property. 1903, with a view to their making an Coal Supplies for Irish Public Buildings. SIR THOMAS ESMONDE (Wexford, N.): To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will make inquiry into the question of the coal supplies for the model schools and other public buildings in Ireland under the control of the Board of Works; and if he will state in particular on what system are the coal supplies for the Enniscorthy model schools provided. (Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) Tenders for coal supplies for model schools and other public buildings in Ireland are invited in the usual manner by adver |