MR. O'DOHERTY (Donegal, N.), speaking on behalf of the Donegal County Council and the urban and rural districts, protested against the way in which the line, as originally proposed by the promoters, had been cut short by the Committee of the House of Lords.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. WYNDHAM, Dover) expressed the hope, on the principle that half a loaf was better than no bread, that objection would not be taken at this stage to the Lords Amendments. At the same time, speaking on behalf of the Irish Government, he regretted that the Bill did not authorise the construction of the railway to Letterkenny, which would, undoubtedly, have been of enormous benefit to the fish industry of Donegal, and would have helped to give proper effect to the large sums of public money which had been spent at Burtonport and other places. But he hoped the promoters of the Bill, having so good a case, would resume their efforts on a future occasion.

Hastings Harbour Bill [Lords]. ported, with Amendments; Report to lie upon the Table, and to be printed.

MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS.

That they have agreed to Patriotic Fund Bill; Sugar Convention Bill; Naval Works Bill; Post Office Sites Bill; Ireland Development Grant Bill;

without Amendment. Airdrie and Coatbridge Tramways Orders Confirmation Bill Lerwick Harbour Improvements Act (1877) Amendment Order Confirmation Bill; without Amendment.

Ulster and Connaught Light Railways Bill; with an Amendment.

Strabane, Raphoe, and Convoy Railway Bill (by Order). Lords Amendments considered. Lords Amendment, in the Title, page 1, line 2, leave out "Railways," and insert "a Railway,' the first Amendment, read a second time.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment." Debate arising.

And it being after a quarter past Two of the Clock, the proceedings on consideration of the Lords Amendments Chairman of Ways and Means, till this were postponed, by direction of the Evening's Sitting.

PETITIONS.

EDUCATION ACT, 1902.

Petition from Loughborough, for repeal; to lie upon the Table.

RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC.

TRAMWAY ORDERS.

Copy presented, of Report by the Board of Trade of their Proceedings under The Tramways Act, 1870, during the session of 1903 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.

RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.

Copy presented, of Returns of Accidents and Casualties as reported to the Board of Trade by the several Railway Companies in the United Kingdom during the six months ending 30th June, 1903, together with Reports of the Inspecting Officers of the Railway Department to the Board of Trade upon certain Accidents which were inquired into [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.

RAILWAY SERVANTS (HOURS OF
LABOUR).

Copy presented, of Return, in pursuance of Section 4 of The Regulation of Railways Act, 1889, of Railway Servants of certain classes who were on one or more occasions during the month of December, 1902, on duty on the railways of the United Kingdom for more than twelve hours at a time; or who, after being on duty more than twelve hours, were allowed to resume work with less than nine hours rest [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.

PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

Return presented, relative thereto [ordered 2nd July; Sir Edgar Vincent]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 329.]

GAS UNDERTAKINGS (LOCAL
AUTHORITIES).

Return presented, relative thereto [ordered 1st May; Mr. Bonar Law]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 330.]

GAS UNDERTAKINGS.

Return presented, relative thereto [ordered 1st May; Mr. Bonar Law]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 331.]

GAS COMPANIES (METROPOLIS). Copy presented, of Accounts of the Metropolitan Gas Companies for the year 1902 [by Act]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 332.]

RAILWAY SERVANTS (HOURS OF
LABOUR).

Copy presented, of Report by the Board of Trade of their proceedings under the Railway Regulation Act, 1893, during to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. the year ended 27th July, 1903 [by Act]; [No. 333.]

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

Copy presented, of Report by the Board of Trade on their Proceedings and Business under the Weights and Measures Acts [by Act]; to lie upon the Table, and to be printed. [No. 334.]

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Copy presented, of Report for the year 1902 on the Museums, Colleges, and Institutions under the administration of the Board of Education [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Copy presented, of General Reports on Higher Education, with Appendices for the year 1902 [by Command; to lie upon the Table.

BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Copy presented, of Return showing the Number of Persons on the Teachers' Register under Regulation 52 (a) of the Teachers' Registration Regulations 1903 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.

forwarding a Report on the Riots at Kishiniev [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.

TRADE REPORTS (ANNUAL SERIES).

Copies presented, of Diplomatic and Consular Reports, Annual Series, Nos. 3052 to 3055 [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.

EAST INDIA (AGRICULTURAL BANKS). Committee on the Establishment of CoCopy presented, of Report of the operative Credit Societies in India [by Command]; to lie upon the Table.

Paper laid upon the Table by the Clerk of the House.

CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS

(LONDON).

Further Return relative thereto [ordered 2nd August, 1894; Mr. Francis Stevenson]; to be printed. [No. 336.]

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CIRCULATED WITH THE VOTES

Disposal of Sewage from Walmer
Marine Barracks.

MR. HARWOOD (Bolton): To ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if the Admiralty intend that the sewage from the marine barracks and the hospital at Walmer shall continue to be discharged crude into the sea unless the Walmer District Council establishes an improved sewage system; and will he explain why the Admiralty have refused to bear the cost of relaying the drain pipes on its own property.

(Answered by Mr. Pretyman.) The position as between the Admiralty and the Deal Council is as follows: The Admiralty look to the council, as the sanitary authority within whose district the marine barracks are situated, to provide an efficient drainage system, and until that is done the Admiralty drainage must of necessity go into the sea as hitherto. The refusal of the Admiralty to bear the cost of relaying the barrack drains is due to this work being rendered necessary solely through the omission of the council to make proper provision in their drainage

scheme for dealing with the Admiralty property. The council have been repeatedly urged to revise their scheme in such a way that it will take the sewage from the Admiralty property without the necessity of relaying the drains, the cost of which they at present wish to put upon the shoulders of the Admiralty. The Admiralty have endeavoured to meet the council in a generous spirit, and have offered to relieve them of a portion of the expenditure to the extent of £1,450, including £500 for re-connecting the house drains, provided the council will bear the remainder, viz. the cost of relaying the main barrack drains, estimated at £1,600.

Prize Firing on H.M.S. "Highflyer." MR. HARMSWORTH (Caithnessshire): To ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will explain why prize firing was not carried out during the current year on H.M.S. "Highflyer,' which is the flagship of the admiral com manding on the East Indian Station.

(Answered by Mr. Mr. Arnold-Forster.) Prize firing was last carried out by H.M.S. "Highflyer" on the 24th and 25th September, 1902. No special report has been received as to the reasons for prize firing not having been carried out up to the present date in the current year, but it is probable that there has been no convenient opportunity, the vessel being under orders to return home. I may add that the "Highflyer" has expended the full practice allowance of ammunition on other firings, and has lately carried out some very instructive exercises in the shape of long range firing, with regard to which useful and interesting reports have been forwarded to the Admiralty.

an

(Answered by Mr. Ritchie.) I have seen a newspaper report of the recent case of the Attorney-General v. Humphrys, to which I presume the hon. Member refers, but I am informed that it does not give accurate account of Mr. Justice Gibson's remarks. The procedure in revenue cases in Ireland is regulated by the Rules of the Supreme Court (Ireland), 1900 (Revenue), made by the LordLieutenant on the recommendation of the Judges of the Supreme Court, of whom Mr. Justice Gibson was one, and the Rules are signed by him. If any change is desired in the procedure, it is open to the Judges to make new Rules. It is not considered that income tax payers in Ireland are at any disadvantage as regards legal proceedings, as compared with taxpayers in Great Britain.

Postal Order Business in England and Ireland.

MR. FIELD: To ask the Secretary to

Fleet.

MR. HARMSWORTH: To ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the fact that the contest for the trophy for long range firing in the Mediterranean Fleet has shown that only 135 hits were scored out of 962 rounds with the six-inch gun; and whether any report has been received by the Admiralty explaining the fact that only 14 per cent. of hits were made.

respective amounts of issues and payments of postal orders during each of the last ten years in Ireland and England respectively; also the amount expended for each of those years on the upkeep of the postal order branch in London, as distinct from the amount expended in connection with postal order work in the Accountant's Office, Dublin, and the Office of the Controller and AccountantGeneral, London.