interfere with these poor women in the | cutta; and, whether he and Lord Ripon future and thereby prevent them from approve the action of the Government of earning an honest living, and, in the Bengal in endeavouring to suppress this case of one of them, from supporting her form of work by Protestant missionaries aged parent and her family? which has hitherto been unmolested? SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT, in reply, said, that since the hon. Member had given Notice of the Question he had had an opportunity of inquiring into it, and he found that summonses were issued as stated in the Question; but that it was on the application of the shopkeepers in the neighbourhood, which, in the particular spot mentioned, was very crowded, and it was complained that the baskets that were put there interfered with the narrow footway. There had been proposals made to the women who sold flowers there to take a station at a spot not very far distant. That, however, they did not seem disposed to adopt; other summonses had consequently been issued. He had communicated with the police on the subject, and they, as well as himself, were averse to persons engaged in these harmless occupations being interfered with. The Chief Superintendent of Police had communicated with the President of the London Flower Brigade Mission, and it was hoped that, with the co-operation of the Mission, the flower girls would be induced to remove to new stations selected for them. In the meantime the summonses had been withdrawn. ENDOWED SCHOOLS (IRELAND) LEGIS LATION. LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is his intention, during the coming Recess, to prepare a Bill dealing with the Endowed Schools of Ireland? MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that the Report of the Commissioners would be considered; but as he could not tell what would be the General Business or the Irish Business of next Session, he could not say at what time a Bill would be introduced. INDIA PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES IN CALCUTTA. MR. DALRYMPLE asked the Secretary of State for India, Whether it is true that six Protestant missionaries have been or are about to be put upon their trial for open air preaching in Ĉal THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON, in reply, said, that no official information on the subject referred to had been received at the India Office; but on reference to the Indian newspapers he found that three Protestant missionaries had been prosecuted in the Magistrate's Court at Calcutta for disobeying an order of the Commissioner of Police prohibiting the holding of open air preaching in the enclosed squares of Calcutta, except by permission in writing. The magistrate, on July 3, decided that the Commissioner of Police was not legally empowered to make such an order, and that in doing so he had acted ultra vires. Other missionaries were summoned on a similar charge; but the cases against them had not been brought forward. Since the judgment of the magistrate was delivered, the Calcutta Missionary Conference had communicated with the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, who had replied in a conciliatory spirit, proposing an amicable discussion of the subject with a view, if possible, of reconciling all conflicting interests and securing the maintenance of peace and order during preaching in the enclosed squares of Calcutta. Although he had received no official information, he had heard very fully in an unofficial manner from the Viceroy in reference to those proceedings. The action taken by the police and municipal authorities was in no way instigated by the Viceroy or the Indian Government. The Viceroy, in fact, knew nothing of the proceedings until he read an account of them in the newspapers, and he had done all in his power to promote a friendly settlement of the matter, which he hoped would now be arrived at. ARMY-HEAVY RIFLED ORDNANCECASE OF MR. LYNALL THOMAS. MR. LEAKE asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he has read a Petition presented to the House by Mr. Lynall Thomas begging that his claims in connection with the invention and introduction into the services of large rifled guns may be referred to a Select Committee of the House; and, whether he will, in consideration of all the cir cumstances of the case, accede to an in- | Admiralty to extend the same compasvestigation, as prayed for by Mr. Thomas, sion to them, and it would be difficult, and thereby terminate a litigation which if not impossible, to refuse them what appears to have impoverished that gen- was granted to Mr. Thomas. tleman without securing for him the compensation awarded by a special jury in the suit of Thomas v. the Queen tried before the Chief Baron in February 1877, and amounting in full to £8,790 118. 6d. ? MR. CHILDERS: Sir, I asked my hon. Friend to postpone until to-day this Question, which he originally put down at short Notice for the 25th of July, and I have thus been able to read carefully the shorthand-writer's notes of the trial before the late Lord Chief Baron in February, 1877, and the arguments and judgment of the Divisional Court of Queen's Bench in June, 1877. The facts are, shortly, these. Mr. Lynall Thomas claimed to have originated certain improvements in heavy ordnance, and he sought to have certain expenses, incurred in 1854 and subsequent years, re-imbursed to him, together with a payment for the value of his invention. After repeated refusals on the part of successive Secretaries of State, he commenced proceedings at law against the War Department, and in March, 1877, obtained a verdict for £6,500, a portion of the expenses which he stated he had incurred, and was entitled to recover, under a contract with the War Office. In June, 1877, the War Office applied to the Full Court to set aside the verdict on the ground that no such contract existed, and that the verdict was against the evidence, and the Full Court unanimously decided that no contract existed so as to entitle Mr. Thomas to prefer any claim against the Crown, and they let it to Mr. Thomas to appeal. He has not appealed, and the judgment is, therefore, final. My hon. Friend now asks me whether I will accede to an investition of the subject by a Select Committee of the House of Commons. I regret that I cannot consent to this course. Mr. Thomas has, in my opinion, no claim, legal or equitable, on the Exchequer; and if, out of compassion for him, a Committee were appointed to review the decisions of the responsible Ministers of the Crown, commencing in 1860, and of the High Court of Justice four years ago, the House would be called upon by the shoals of speculative inventors who have made claims on the War Office and Mr. Leake WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACT, 1878— THE DECIMAL SYSTEM. MR. A. M. SULLIVAN asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he is aware that, although many of the principal jewellers and silversmiths have complied with the provisions of "The Weights and Measures Act, 1878," whereby the adoption of a decimal system of weights, with the ounce troy and grain as bases, was made compulsory on jewellers and silversmiths, no effort has been made to enforce this provision generally; and, whether he will direct measures to be taken either to repeal the section, or compel its uni form observance ? MR. CHAMBERLAIN said, he had been requested by his right hon. Friend of the troy system of weights for certain to reply to this Question. The adoption articles was made permissive, not comPulsory, by the 20th section of the Act referred to in the Question of the hon. and learned Member. He had no power to enforce the uniform adoption of the principle, nor did he think it desirable. CORRUPT PRACTICES AT ELECTIONS— REPORTED MAGISTRATES. MR. ANDERSON asked Mr. Attorney General, If all the justices of the peace whom the Lord Chancellor recently called upon to show cause why they should not be removed from the Bench in consequence of corrupt practices in connection with Parliamentary Elections, have now either resigned or been struck off the roll; and, if so, if he will lay upon the Table a complete list of them? MR. T. COLLINS asked whether it was the intention to publish a list of these magistrates? THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES), in reply, said, it had been decided that 28 Justices of the Peace had been guilty of corrupt practices in connection with Parliamentary Elections, and one death reduced the number to 27. Of that number, 25 had been directed by the Lord Chancellor that their names should be removed from the Commission of the Peace, and of been unsuccessful in arresting the party. There had been nine charges in connection with the Sandwich Election, and in all cases verdicts of guilty had been returned. In Macclesfield there were two, and verdicts of guilty in each case. INDIA-(FINANCE, &c.)-ANNUITIES AND FURLOUGH PAY. MR. O'DONNELL asked the Secrethe fact, as stated in the "Statesman tary of State for India, Whether it is of 1st July, 1881, that, during the year 1878-9, more than three millions ster these 14 had resigned. Several of the other cases, for good and sufficient reasons, were under the consideration of the Lord Chancellor. In answer to the Question whether he would lay on the Table a complete list of those Justices who had resigned or been struck off the rolls, he would say that complete lists of the names of those Justices had already been published in the districts in which they exercised jurisdiction, and it was known in those localities that they had received this practical censure from the Lord Chancellor; and, as there might be very different degrees in the breaches of the law which they had committed-ling were paid from the Revenues of many of them being of a purely technical character-he must say that he did not think it would be fair to lay on the Table a full list, inasmuch as to do so would be to presumably include in the same category all the offending Justices, without reference to the relative gravity of the offences which they had committed. He thought they had already received sufficient punishment without the additional disgrace of being thus placed together. If, however, the hon. Member wished to move for a Return of the names, he was in a position to do so, and then it would be for the House to take upon itself a responsibility which he (the Attorney General) did not see his way to assuming. MR. HEALY wished to ask whether the hon. and learned Gentleman was aware that 200 persons were now incarcerated in Ireland without any trial, and that no distinction was made between John Dillon or any of the remainder ? MR. J. COWEN asked if all the prosecutions contemplated had been instituted, and if the Attorney General could state how many had resulted in a conviction? THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES) said, that all the prose cutions had been proceeded with that it was intended to take, except two cases of poor persons at Sandwich, who were stated to have emigrated, or, at least, there seemed no way of making them amenable. He would not enter into a complicated account of what had taken place at Boston; but there had been one conviction, in two cases the jury had been discharged without a verdict, and in one instance no service of summons could be effected, and although a warrant had been issued, this had so far India to persons not resident in India whether the Government will take any as annuities and furlough pay; and, steps to diminish this annual drain on the Indian taxpayers? THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON, in reply, said, the sum mentioned in the Question of the hon. Member was accurate; but he must point out that, in the case of covenanted servants, a large portion of the pensions had been paid by tion of the pensions had been paid by the persons who received them in the shape of a percentage of 4 per cent upon their incomes during the whole period of their service. The whole questo a Committee of Council for investigation of these charges had been referred tion and report, and it was found that it was not possible materially to reduce "this annual drain" on the Revenues of India. The only way in which this charge could be hereafter reduced would be the further employment in important positions of Natives of India. Several suggestions on that subject had been made from time to time by the Home Government to the Government of Inof impressing the importance of this dia; and no opportunity would be lost upon them. MR. O'DONNELL asked whether any appreciable progress had been made in India in important positions? the direction of employing Natives of said, that undoubtedly progress was being made in that direction. THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON INDIA-OUTBREAK OF PRISONERS. MR. O'DONNELL asked the Secretary of State for India, Whether it is a fact that an outbreak has occurred in the gaol of Gulburga, in which a large number of native prisoners and Sepoys have been killed and wounded; and, | rupees a month was paid to the Ameer whether he can state the exact number as Governor of Candahar for six months of casualties, and what steps are being taken to ascertain the causes of the outbreak? THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON, in reply, said, that Gulburga Gaol was in the Native State of Hyderabad, and belonged to the Nizam, and that no official Report had been received on the subject. EGYPT-THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. MR. BOURKE asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, What measures have been proposed by the Government of France for improving the judicial system in Egypt; and, whether these proposals have been made in concert with England and the other Powers now represented upon the judicial tribunals in Egypt? after the evacuation. In addition to this, war materials had on various occasions been given to the Ameer-first, four 18pounder smooth-bore guns, two 8-inch howitzers, 12 9-pounder breech-loading field guns, and 22 mountain guns, all of Afghan manufacture, and forming part of the war material taken from the Afghans at Cabul. They were given to Abdurrahman on our evacuation of Cabul. We also gave him, in March, 1881, 100 cartridges per gun for 9,182 muskets and rifles already in the Ameer's possession, and 3,000 Enfield rifles, and three smooth-bore batteries of 18 guns, were given to the representatives of the Ameer on the evacuation of Candahar by the British troops in April last. As far as the last part of the Question was concerned, he had no reason to believe that the Government of India had any intention to afford to the Ameer any further had he any reason to suppose that there was any intention-at all events, no proposition had been made by the Government of India to the Home Government-to employ an Anglo-Indian force in Afghanistan. SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: No, Sir; no such measures have as yet been pro-assistance of the same description, nor posed; but Her Majesty's Government, in concert with the Government of France, are engaged at the present time in examining the result of the labours of the International Commission with a view to offer any observations that they may have to submit thereupon before the re-assembling of the Commission in November. AFGHANISTAN-BRITISH ASSISTANCE TO THE AMEER OF CABUL. SIR HENRY TYLER asked the Secretary of State for India, To be good enough to state to the House in general terms the total amount of assistance-in money, guns, military stores, or otherwise, that has been afforded, out of British and Indian resources, up to the present time, to Abdurrahman, Ameer of Cabul; and, whether it is intended, now that his army has been so completely defeated in the neighbourhood of Candahar, to afford the Ameer any further assistance of the same description, or to employ Anglo-Indian forces in Afghanistan? THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON, in reply, said, he had no objection to repeat the information which he gave to the House on the 27th of June. The money given to the Ameer was 391 lakhs of rupees, which included 9 lakhs found in the Treasury at Cabul in October, 1879. A further sum of 50,000 Mr. O'Donnell CHANNEL ISLANDS-THE ISLAND OF GUERNSEY AND THE BURIAL ACT. MR. RICHARD asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, What steps have been taken to bring the Burial Act of 1880 into operation in the Island of Guernsey; and, when it is likely the inhabitants will have the benefit of the measure, of which they have been deprived for nearly twelve months, by the refusal of the local authorities to obey the Order in Council requiring them to register the Act? SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT, in reply, said, he was sure the hon. Member would feel that the peculiar constitution of the Channel Islands, and their loyal inhabitants, was one which required to be treated with great consideration, and he hoped in Guernsey to overcome the difficulties which had arisen in regard to this measure as they had been overcome in Jersey, by the good feeling of all parties concerned. THE HISTORICAL MSS. COMMISSION. SIR R. ASSHETON CROSS asked the Secretary to the Treasury, What progress is being made by the Historical | Natives while Cabul was in a state of LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH: Sir, since the issuing of the first Commission in 1869, about 500 collections of manuscripts of historical interest have been examined and reported upon by the Commissioners. Accounts of the contents of most of these collections have been published in seven Reports. An eighth Report is now in type, and will, I am told, be presented before the end of the Session. It will contain more, and more varied, historical information than any of its predecessors; also an alphabetical list of all the collections examined since the issuing of the Commission. No Report was issued last year, because the terms of the Commission do not require one to be issued annually. INDIA-CHARGES AGAINST HYAT KHAN. MR. O'DONNELL asked the Secretary of State for India, Whether it is true that Hyat Khan, a member of the Indian Civil Service, is about to be tried on charges of selling his protection to natives of Afghanistan during the occupation of Kabul by General Roberts; whether there has been already a private investigation into the charges against Hyat Khan; whether the trial will be public; and, what steps, if any, the Indian Government have taken to obtain evidence in connection with the case? THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON : Sir, the Government have already instituted a confidential inquiry into certain charges of extortion and corruption which have been brought against Hyat Khan, who was in our political employment at Cabul, and they have now deIcided that the whole matter shall be subjected to a formal and public investigation, which will be conducted by Mr. Smith, Judge of the Chief Court of the Punjab. We have no information as to the steps likely to be taken to secure the presence of witnesses from Cabul. It is not a matter with which the Home Government of India could properly interfere. MR. O'DONNELL asked whether it was true that the charges of corruption and extortion against Hyat Khan were founded on the fact that he had sold his protection as Political Agent to the THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON : The charges of corruption and extortion brought against Hyat Khan were various in their character, and I cannot say, without reference to Papers, whether they include the exact point mentioned by the hon. Member. They were, however, no doubt, of a very serious character. No doubt, it is of great importance that witnesses should be brought from Cabul; but as the Indian Government have determined to have a public inquiry into the matter, I have no doubt that they will take the necessary steps to secure that the inquiry shall be full and satisfactory. It would be obviously improper for me to say anything further on the matter at the present moment. POST-OFFICE PILLAR BOXES. MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR asked the Postmaster General, Whether the regulations as to posting newspapers are different for town and for suburban pillar-boxes; and, if so, whether he the restrictions upon posting newspapers would result from an extension of that ARMY ORGANIZATION-THE 79TH SIR PATRICK O'BRIEN asked the Secretary of State for War, Is it in MR. CHILDERS: No, Sir, it is not. ROYAL WARRANT-AR- MAJOR-GENERAL FEILDEN asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether general officers retired under Article 107 (of New Warrant) for non-employ |