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from the latest report of the Irish Board Immigrants to New South African Colonies of Works that there were, on the 31st March, 1903, funds to the amount of £12,450, to meet the cost of works progress and of any additional works to be undertaken under the Sea Fisheries Act, under which the existing Loughshinny works have been constructed.

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-Special Facilities to ex Soldiers. DR. SHIPMAN: To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any and, if so, what steps are being taken to facilitate immigrants from this country or the Colonies settling upon the land of the recently-acquired territory in South Africa; whether any, and, if any, what special facilities have been given to those who fought in the late South African war, and who were desirous of settling upon the Transvaal territory.

(Answered by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton.) Settlement on the land in the new Colonies is regulated by the Ordinances printed at pp. 25 and 69 of Cd. 1463. By Section 7 of the Orange River Colony Ordinance and Section 13 (5) of the Transvaal Ordinance a certain preference is given to applicants who have served.

Chinese Coolies in Transvaal Mines. MR. ASHTON (Bedfordshire, Luton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is proposed to make regulations to prevent the Chinese coolies in the Transvaal mine compounds being mulcted of their wages by any truck system; if not, will he take steps to prevent it; and whether the officer to be stationed in China to inform the Chinese coolies of the conditions of service in the Transvaal mines will be in the pay of the Transvaal Government or of the mine-owners or their contractors.

(Answered by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton.) Lord Milner informs me that the law of the South African Republic, No. 18 of 1896, provides against truck system and has purposely never been repealed, that the truck system does not now exist on the mines and that its introduction in

connection with Chinese labour has in China will be in the pay of the never been contemplated. The officer Transvaal Government.

Queen Anne's Bounty Relief of Poorer Benefices from Payment of Firstfruits and tenths.

SIR JOHN GORST (Cambridge University): To ask the First Lord of the Treasury if he will state what steps have been taken by the governors of Queen Anne's Bounty to relieve the

poorer benefices from payment of first- 1st Army Corps Barrack Arrangements. fruits and tenths; and whether arrangements can be made under the existing law for giving similar relief from payments of fees for presentation or induction to the poorer benefices out of the funds of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

(Answered by Mr. A. J. Balfour.) The governors of Queen Anne's Bounty are now empowered to make grants to benefices not exceeding £200 a year in net annual income, and still chargeable with first-fruits and tenths, or either of them, to meet the sums from time to time becoming due in respect of these charges. They have communicated with the incumbents of all benefices still chargeable with first-fruits and tenths, and have received applications in respect of 750 benefices. Of these, 366 have been relieved of payment; 85 proved to be ineligible, as exceeding £200 per annum in value; the remainder are under consideration. The suggestion in the second part of the Question cannot be carried into effect without legislation.

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.

South State African Railways. MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state what are the Imperial Military Railways for which £900,000 is asked in the Supplementary Estimates, what will the total expenditure upon them be, and has Parliament approved of the undertakings.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER, Belfast, W.): This sum represents the balance of expenditure in connection with the State railways in the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies for the period ending 30th June, 1902, up to which date these railways were administered under the direction of the military authorities.

MR. LOUGH: Has this ever been mentioned to Parliament before?

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER: Yes, Sir, but it has now come into account for the first time.

VOL. CXXX. [FOURTH SERIES.]

MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE (Bristol, E.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state what is the reason of certain regiments being shown in recent Army Orders as under orders to move from Sheffield or Lichfield to 1st Army Corps, instead of from one named station to another.

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER: There are various barracks in and about Aldershot in the 1st Army Corps Command and they are of different capacity. It is considered desirable to give the General Officer Commanding a free hand in placing the battalions transferred to his command in such barracks as he may think fit.

South African Garrison.

MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if ments now stationed in the Mediterranean he will say whether the garrison regiare under orders for South Africa; and, if so, what is the reason for this change South Africa to which these regiments are of quarters; what are the stations in being sent; and what will be the increased cost of these garrison regiments in South Africa as compared with ordinary regi

ments.

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER: These South Africa and will be quartered at garrison battalions are under orders for Pietermaritzburg (until quarters are ready at Pretoria), Standerton, Bloemfontein, and Harrismith. It was found impracticable to house more than a few of their families in Malta and Gibraltar, and it was, therefore, held to be preferable in the best interests of the men and their families to remove them to South Africa. The additional cost of a garrison battalion in South Africa as compared with a line battalion is about £20,000 a year; but against this a saving of £10,000 a year now paid as separation allowance to the in the Mediterranean should be set off. families which cannot be accommodated

MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE: What is the percentage of married men?

MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER: Very large. In one case there are, I believe, 300. T

Military Weapons--The Sword. SIR THOMAS DEWAR (Tower Hamlet, St. George's): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the Government have yet decided to dispense with the use of swords for active service in the field; and, if so, will he state by what weapon they will be supplanted.

MR. ARNOLD-FOSTER: No, Sir. The cavalry retain their swords. Swords, however, have been withdrawn from the artillery.

Somaliland Operations.

MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state what is the total number of troops now employed in Somaliland; and what is their monthly cost.

MR. ARNOLD FORSTER: The troops employed in Somaliland amount to 1,336 British and 7,026 native, or 8,362 in all. The monthly cost of the operations may be taken at £115,000.

Sales of Military Stores.

SIR HENRY FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can give the House any estimate of the cost price of the various items which form the excess appropriations in aid of Votes, 6, 7, 9, and 10 of the Army Estimates, the proceeds of which realised £3,230,000.

MR. ARNOLD - FORSTER: I am afraid that it is not possible to give this information. An enormous quantity of surplus animals and stores of every description and in various conditions had to be disposed of at the end of the war in South Africa. Large quantities were sold to the Civil Governments of the new Colonies, and the balance was disposed of locally on the best terms possible. But the proportion which the amounts realised bore to the original cost price could not be estimated.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.): And large quantities of stores were also publicly burnt.

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been drawn to an appeal made to the Viceroy by Mr. Malabari, editor of East and West, to reconstitute village councils in India, and to the reply given by Lord Curzon; and whether he will give support to a scheme for increasing the usefulness of these village councils.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. BRODRICK, Surrey, Guildford): I am not acquainted with the Paper referred to, and have no doubt that the Government of India will give careful consideration to any scheme of before them. the nature indicated that may be laid

Aden Boundary Commission.

MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he can state the cost up to the present date of the Aden Boundary Commission, including the cost for troops; what is the number and composition of the troops employed in the protectorate of Aden; and what has been the total loss of life since the delimitation began.

MR. BRODRICK: The normal garrison of Aden is about 2,400 men. The total number of troops in the Aden Protectorate on the 1st January last were :— 2,077 British officers and men; 1,891 native ditto. Of these the troops employed at the present moment, in connection with the demarcation, are:1,018 British infantry, 1,038 native infantry, 90 native cavalry, 461 native sappers, with six guns of British mule battery and six guns of native camel battery. The casualties reported since the commencement of the delimitation have been :-Killed: Non-commissioned officers and men - four British, seven native, and one native surveyor. Wounded- Officers: Two British, one native; Non-commissioned officers and men: Seventeen British, fourteen native. I have not yet received full accounts of the expenditure.

India-Official Secrets Amendment Bill.

MR. HERBERT ROBERTS: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will state the nature of the modifications proposed by the Select Committee of the Legislative Council of the Governor-General in the Official

MR. BAYLEY: I will put another Question on this later on.

Secrets Amendment Bill; and whether any action without consulting the he can now give the House an assurance Governor, whose attention shall be drawn that the Bill will be confined to naval to the matter. and military matters, and that the modifications referred to will provide for the retention in the Bill of those clauses in the original Act of 1889 which define the conditions under which a prosecution can be instituted and which place the onus of proving guilty intention upon the prosecution.

Mr. BRODRICK: I have not received the Report of the Select Committee on the Bill, and do not know whether they have reported or what modifications they have proposed in it.

The Transvaal Labour Ordinance.

Transport of Chinese Labourers'
Families.

DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the importer will in each case pay for the cost of transit of wives and families of Chinese labourers to South Africa indentured under the Ordinance; and, if not, who will bear the

cost.

*MR. LYTTELTON: It is proposed to stipulate that the importer will pay.

DR. MACNAMARA: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will say who will pay the cost of re

MR. SYDNEY BUXTON (Tower Hamlets, Poplar): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will delay his final assent to the Transvaal Labour Ordinance (Intro-patriation of Chinese labourers and their duction of Asiatics) until he has drawn up, placed upon the Table of the House, and given the House an opportunity of discussing the regulations which are to govern Clause 33 of the Ordinance dealing with the question of the wives and children of the indentured labourers.

*THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. LYTTELTON, Warwick and Leamington): I am not prepared to give the pledge asked for.

MR. JOHN ELLIS (Nottinghamshire, Rushcliffe): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government have now sanctioned the Transvaal Ordinance respecting Chinese labour, whether the regulations connected therewith have been framed; and whether he will now lay upon the Table a copy of these documents.

*MR. LYTTELTON: The answer to all these Questions is, No.

Workmen's Compensation in the
Transvaal.

MR. BAYLEY (Derbyshire, Chesterfield): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will put into force in the Transvaal the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1897.

*MR. LYTTELTON: The matter is not one in which I am prepared to take

wives and families in cases where the indenture has been completed, and in cases where the labourer seeks to return to China before completing the terms of the indenture.

*MR. LYTTELTON: It is proposed that the importer should pay in the case of completed indentures. In that of incomplete indentures the question of the cost of return passages will be taken into account in computing the amount the labourer has to pay for his breach of

contract.

The Chinese Minister's Suggestions on
the Transvaal Labour Ordinance.
DR. MACNAMARA: I beg to ask the
whether the conference proposed in his
Secretary of State for the Colonies
letter of 15th February to the Foreign
Office for the purpose of incorporating
the suggestions of the Chinese Minister in
the Ordinance for the importation of
Asiatic labourers into the Transvaal has
yet been held; if not, whether he can
say when it will be held; and whether
the Ordinance and the regulations which
accompany it will be laid before the
House in the form as modified by the
conference before final adoption by the
Imperial Government.

*MR. LYTTELTON: The Conference will be held directly. In answer to the

second Question of the hon. Member I am | Chinese in the Transvaal, whilst shut up unable to give any undertaking.

DR. MACNAMARA: As I gather from the answer of the right hon. Gentleman that the Ordinance will probably be adopted before this House has had an opportunity of discussing the details, I will ask permission at the close of Questions to move the adjournment of the House.

Amendment of Regulations.

DR. MACNAMARA: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the regulations which will accompany the Ordinance for the importation of Chinese labourers into the Transvaal may be varied without reference to the Imperial Government.

*MR. LYTTELTON: Any amendments of the regulations will be communicated to me, and Lord Milner will be instructed that no important amendment should be that no important amendment should be made without previous communication with the Secretary of State.

Boer Protest Against Chinese Labour.

MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any evidence that General Botha and the other Boer leaders who have protested, in the name of the Boers in the Transvaal, against the importation of indentured Chinese to work in the mines, were actuated by unworthy motives; whether, if so, he will lay that evidence upon the Table of the House; and whether he has replied to the protest of General Botha and the other Boer leaders.

*MR. LYTTELTON: I would refer the hon Member to the reply to the letter of the Boer leaders published at page 22 of Cd. 1899 on Monday last and to my statement in debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday last. †

Missionary Enterprise among the Chinese

Labourers.

MR. LABOUCHERE: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any attempts to convert the

+ See (4) Debates, cxxix., 1543.

in the compounds attached to the mines, will be prohibited unless with their assent; and whether the same facilities to approach them, if any are given, will be granted to the clergy of all religions and of all religious sects.

*MR. LYTTELTON: I think I may safely undertake on behalf of the Transvaal Government to answer both Questions in the affirmative.

Cost of Cabling Transvaal Documents.

MR. LABOUCHERE: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the telegram sent to him by Lord Milner, in regard to an offer from a Boer to contest with General Botha the Chinese issue in the Transvaal in any district, was paid for out of either the money of the taxpayer in this country if so, which; whether, if paid for out of or of the taxpayer in the Transvaal, and if so, which; whether, if paid for out of public moneys, General Botha and the other Boer leaders who are opposed to the introduction of Chinese labour will be afforded the same financial facilities to transmit to him their views on questions before Parliament; and whether he has replied to the protest of the Boer leaders, and, if so, will he lay that reply upon the Table of the House.

*MR. LYTTELTON: The letter from Mr. Van Rensburg referred to was, as I understand, telegraphed at the expense of the Transvaal Government just as was the letter from the Boer leaders published with my reply in Cd. 1899. It must be left to Lord Milner to judge what documents are of sufficient importance to justify him in transmitting them to the Secretary of State for his information.

MR. LOUGH: I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has noticed that the last Paper circulated from the Transvaal contained ten pages of extracts from nine South African newspapers; whether any of this newspaper matter was telegraphed, and, if so, what was the cost of doing so; and whether he will consider the desirability of directing that Colonial Governors should not swell

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