ance of Custom House Officers at hours which were called "overtime," in connection with the loading and discharge of cargoes of vessels, a sum of £23,288 13s. 5d. has been so levied at four Ports in 1887-namely, London, Liverpool, Hull, and Glasgow; if he has observed that in this way salaries of Custom House Officers have been increased in such instances as the following: namely, £445 made into £611 48.; £380 made into £581 28. 10d.; £320 made into £518 78. 6d. ; £300 made into £436 0s. 8d.; £250 made into £355 68. 4d.; £192 10s. made into £297 38. 5d.; £185 made into £294 128. 9d.; and, if, in the face of these facts, he will say what he is doing to alter the system by which such excessive pressure of charges comes upon the shipping and mercantile interests of the country? SIR HERBERT MAXWELL (A LORD of the TREASURY) (Wigton) (who replied) said: The important and difficult subject referred to in this Question has engaged the personal attention of my hon. Friend the Secretary to the Treasury before now, and has received much consideration from the Board of Customs. Without giving any definite pledge, I can assure my hon. Friend that we will use our best endeavours to arrive at some solution which will increase the facilities to trade without injury to the public interests involved. PUBLIC MEETINGS (METROPOLIS) THE RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH. MR. J. ROWLANDS (Finsbury, E.) (for Mr. PICKERSGILL) (Bethnal Green, S.W.) asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, By whose direction and with what object the police, on Sunday last, visited the premises at Bow of Mr. James Branch, and made inquiries for him, and also for the names of those who took part in a meeting over which he presided, held on the previous evening at Hackney Wick to protest against the action of the Government in Ireland; and, whether new instructions have recently been issued to the Metropolitan Police with regard to their attitude towards public meetings; and, if so, what are those in structions? THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.): I am VOL. CCCXXI. [THIRD SERIES.] informed by the Commissioner of Police that, in accordance with the usual practice, a sergeant of police, in order to supplement his official Report, called on two gentlemen who were present at the meeting and asked who the speakers were. It is usual to ask for such information, and it is readily given. There was no ulterior motive whatever in the call made on those gentlemen. No new instructions have been issued to the police with regard to their duties at public meetings. MR. J. ROWLANDS: Do I understand that it has always been the custom with the police in the Metropolis to ask for the names of speakers at public meetings? MR. MATTHEWS: It would be the duty of the police to report what happens at a meeting; and if an Inspector or a Superintendent did not know the exact names it is usual to inquire of those who do know. MR. CREMER (Shoreditch, Haggerston): May I ask how long that prac tice has been in force, and when the order was issued? MR. MATTHEWS: I cannot give the hon. Gentleman any precise date. So far as I know, it has been a continuous practice. Certainly I found it in existence, and I have made no alteration. MR. J. ROWLANDS: I wish the right hon. Gentleman could give the information asked. I have been connected with many open-air meetings in the Metropolis-["Order, order!"]and have been responsible for many["Order, order!"-and I have never yet been asked-["Order, order!"]— I have never yet been asked-I repeat I have never yet been asked by the police to give any such information. MR. SPEAKER: Order, order! If the hon. Gentleman wishes to ask a Question arising out of the Answer of the Secretary of State it is competent for him to do so. MR. WOOTTON ISAACSON (Tower Hamlets, Stepney): Will the right hon. Gentleman kindly tell the House whether he will bring in a Bill, or exercise some authority, to prevent the making of the Sabbath hideous in the East End of London through these open-air meetings? [No reply.] U UNITED STATES-SEIZURE OF ENGLISH VESSELS IN ALASKAN WATERS. MR. SHIRLEY (Yorkshire, W. R., Doncaster) (for Mr. GOURLEY) (Sunderland) asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the seven vessels seized by American cruisers in Alaskan waters, and ordered to be released, had been liberated; and, whether Her Majesty's Government had published notices to British subjects in Canada warning them against infringing the United States Fishery Regulations? PROROGATION OF THE PARLIAMENT. MISSIONERS; The House went;-and a Royal Commission to that purpose having been read, the Royal Assent was given to several Bills. And afterwards Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech was delivered to both Houses of Parliament by the Lord High Chancellor (pursuant to Her Majesty's Command). Then a Commission for proroguing THE LORD CHANCELLOR said- By virtue of Her Majesty's Commis sion, under the Great Seal, to us and other Lords directed, and now read, we do, in Her Majesty's Name and in obə THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster) (who replied) said: The Dominion Government have not reported whether the order for the release of the vessels against which legal proceedings had been instituted was carried out. In reply to the second part of the Question of the hon. Member for Sunderland, I may state that Her Majesty's Government do not pub- | dience to Her Commands, prorogue this lish notices relating to public affairs in Canada; and there is no doubt that the persons in the Dominion interested are fully acquainted with the United States Fishery Laws and Regula-ingly prorogued to Wednesday the tions. Parliament to Wednesday the Thirtieth day of November next, to be then here holden; and this Parliament is accord Thirtieth day of November next. PROTEST AGAINST NEGATIVING THE MOTION FOR THE SECOND READING OF THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE (NO. 2) BILL. HOUSE OF LORDS, TUESDAY, 13TH SEPTEMBER, 1887. "DISSENTIENTE "1. Because No. 1 Bill had been ordered to be read a second time on 18th "of September. "2. Because that day, being two days before the day for which Mr. "Woodall's Bill was appointed in the House of Commons, it is clear that the "Amendment of the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was only a postponement of the Bill until after its consideration in the House "of Commons. "3. Because that Bill, not being presentable before 20th of July, the cyprès "doctrine was applicable, and it was only impossible to proceed with the first Bill "before and not after 18th July, 1887. "4. Because the 'postponement' of the Reform Bill on 12th March, 1852, was proved not to be a rejection, as a further postponement was moved by Lord John Russell on 4th June, 1852; and if Parliament had been sitting at "the end of three lunar months, it would, according to Order, have been again "before the House of Commons. "5. Because No. 2 Bill, being framed after the admission, on July 19th, of women to the municipal franchise in Ireland, the Preamble of No. 1 Bill would "not have granted to them the Electoral Franchise, and the Preamble to No. 2 "Bill alone would have effected that object. "6. Because on both Bills the time for registration this year would have ex"pired before the passing of either of them. "7. Because the authority of the Summary of Debates by The Times, which was relied on, is not equal to Hanɛard, not yet published. 8. Because the Order of the Day for a Second Reading, being discharged, "applies only to the day on which the Bill appears on the Minutes for that day. "9. Because if the Notice of the first Bill, being appointed for Second Read"ing, as desired, on 12th August, had appeared in the Notices for 16th August, "on 15th August, 1887, the opinion of the House of Lords would have been asked "as to its remaining on the Notice Paper, and three weeks' suspense and doubt "would not have ensued. "10. Because No. 2 Bill was only made necessary by the sudden announce"ment that the Order for Second Reading of No. 1 Bill was a lapsed Order. "11. Because the age of the Mover of the second Bill made it advisable for "him to withdraw his Notice to renew the No. 1 Bill in the next Session, the said "Bill being still on the Minutes as 'on Progress.' VOL. CCCXXI. THIRD SERIES.] "DENMAN." [To precede Public General Acts. | "Α N Act to apply certain sums out of the | 11. An Act for giving facilities for the converConsolidated Fund to the service of the years ending on the thirty-first day of March one thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven and one thousand eight hundred and eightyeight. (Consolidated Fund (No. 1).) 2. An Act to provide, during twelve months, for the Discipline and Regulation of the Army. (Army (Annual).) 3. An Act to amend the Acts relating to County Courts so far as regards the payment of certain expenses connected with County Courts. (County Courts (Expenses).) 4. An Act to amend the provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Fishing Boats) Acts. (Merchant Shipping (Fishing Boats).) 5. An Act to amend the law respecting the Customs Duties of the Isle of Man. (Isle of Man (Customs).) 6, An Act to amend the Supreme Court of Judicature Act (Ireland), 1877. (Supreme Court of Judicature (Ireland).) 7. An Act to amend the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876. (Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, Amendment.) sion of India Four per Cent. Stock into India Three and a half per Cent. Stock, and for other purposes relating thereto. (Conversion of India Stock.) 12. An Act to amend the Bishopric of Truro Act, 1876, and the Truro Chapter Act, 1878. (Truro Bishopric and Chapter Acts Amendment.) 13. An Act to extend, in certain cases, the provisions of the Superannuation Act, 1859, and to extend and otherwise amend the provisions of the Colonial Governors (Pensions) Acts, 1865 and 1872. (Pensions (Colonial 14. An Act to apply the sum of thirteen milService).) lion six hundred and seventy-five thousand six hundred and fifty-nine pounds out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the year ending on the thirty-first day of March one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight. (Consolidated Fund (No 2).) 15. An Act to grant certain Duties of Customs and Inland Revenue, to alter other duties, and to amend the laws relating to Inland Revenue. (Customs and Inland Revenue.) 8. An Act to amend the Incumbents of Bene-16. An Act to amend the law respecting the fices Loans Extension Act, 1886. (Incumbents of Benefices Loans Extension Act, 1886, Amendment.) 9. An Act to remove the Disabilities of the Police to vote at Parliamentary Elections. (Police Disabilities Removal.) 10. An Act to enable His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught to return to England for a limited time for the purpose of being present at the celebration of Her Majesty's Jubilee without thereby resigning his command in Bombay. National Debt and the charge thereof on the Consolidated Fund, and to make further provision respecting Local Loans. (National Debt and Local Loans.) 17. An Act to amend the Metropolis Management Acts. (Metropolis Management (Battersea and Westminster).) 18. An Act to amend the Trusts (Scotland) Act, 1867. (Trusts (Scotland) Act, 1867, Amendment.) 19. An Act to provide for the Fencing of Quarries. (Quarry (Fencing).) |