the Treasury that, as the prosecution was undertaken by the Crown, and as no case was made out for the consideration of the jury, Mr. Fraser should be reimbursed for his necessary expenses out of the public funds? after against the sash, and fell on the outside as it exploded. It is believed that the act was prompted by a feeling of revenge towards Mr. Nickol for evidence which he gave in court lately against some poachers in the district;" and, if any arrests have been made and, if not, whether the Government intend to apply for additional powers for the better protection of life and property in Scotland? CAT THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. M'LAREN): Sir, the Executive in Scot land have sufficient power to deal with any agitation that may arise. But, as long as the land agitation in Scotland is in the hands of two hon. Gentlemen opposite, who lately addressed meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow, I am contident that it will not be necessary to put those powers into execution. The matter referred to in the Question had no connection with any agrarian movement, and it is undergoing investigation by the authorities. SOUTH AFRICA-THE TRANSVAAL WAR (CASUALTIES). MR. STANLEY LEIGHTON asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he can state what is the total loss in killed, wounded, and incapacitated by sickness amongst Her Majesty's forces in the late war with the Boers, and what is the approximate estimate of loss among the camp followers and teamsters ? MR. CHILDERS: Sir, I cannot yet give a full answer to the hon. Member's Question, especially the latter part. But the numbers of killed and wounded are -officers, 29 killed and 20 wounded; non-commissioned officers and men, 366 killed and 428 wounded. We have no Returns of death from sickness. THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. M LAREN): Sir, the prosecution referred to by the hon. Member was instituted sultation by Crown counsel. Although very careful inquiry, and after conthe case broke down at trial, the learned Judge who presided expressed his opinion that it was a proper case to be brought to trial; and after reading the Papers I have no hesitation in concurring in that opinion. There are no public funds out of which the costs of an accused person can be paid, and I do not think that this is a case for proposing a special Vote for the expenses to which the accused party has been put. POST OFFICE-COMMUNICATION WITH THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND. MR. CAMERON asked the Postmaster General, Whether he is able to state if arrangements have been made with the Highland Railway Company by which an acceleration of the mails between Perth and the North may be effected; and, whether he is aware of the great loss and inconvenience suffered by those now engaged in the fishing on the West Coast of Scotland, in consequence of the delay in repairing the cable to Stornoway, and if he can hold out any hopes that the cable will be put into working order within a short time? MR. FAWCETT, in reply, said, that no arrangements had been entered into with the Highland Railway Company for the acceleration of the mail referred to; but negotiations were about to be entered into with that Company. With regard to the second part of the Question, the delay in the repair of the cable to Stornoway was due to the difficulty of obtaining a cable ship. He hoped. steps would be taken to obviate that difficulty in future. He was glad, however, to be able to state that a few days since a suitable cable vessel was obtained, and that vessel was now being got ready with the greatest speed possible. It would proceed to Stornoway in the course of a day or two, and he hoped no delay would occur again, the police under sub-inspector Barry of Ballinamon, when out assisting bailiffs to serve ejectments on the "King" property near Ballinamon did, when they found a house tenantless, search it, and, if they found no one in charge drank all the milk and sucked all the eggs they could find on the premises; and, if the allegation is true, will he take means to have the guilty parties punished? MR. W. E. FORSTER: Sir, I have made inquiries into the facts of this matter, and I am glad to say that these charges against the constables are quite unfounded. Major Traill has been acting for the last fifteen months for another resident magistrate absent on sick leave, the Government will at once take steps to appoint a competent person in the place of the absent official? MR. W. E. FORSTER: Sir, I have instituted an inquiry into the circumstances referred to in the Question, and what I understand to be the case is this. Sixteen persons were arrested on a charge of assault in September last at the place named, and detained in the lock-up. Three of these persons were the persons alluded to in the Question. Two of them who had committed the offence were convicted by the magistrate LAW AND JUSTICE (IRELAND) - AL-named; but this conviction was illegal, MR. HEALY asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If his attention has been called to the proceedings in the Exchequer Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland on the 25th April, in the case of Egan v. Traill, the defendant being a resident magistrate of Parsonstown, and the action one of three brought against him for having illegally sentenced to imprisonment and hard labour persons who had been arrested by the police on a charge of assault, Mr. Traill having gone on a Sunday to the police barrack where the men were in custody, and although they offered bail and asked to be remanded to petty sessions, refused to postpone the cases, and imposed on the men sentences of imprisonment varying from eight days to one month. The men were in gaol for the whole of these respective periods, and the affidavit stated that they had to sleep upon plank beds; whether Baron Fitzgerald stated when refusing Mr. Traill's application, that he "had sentenced three several men to imprisonment illegally;" whether when excusing Mr. Traill's conduct his counsel stated that he, being only a major in the Army, "could not be expected to know the law accurately as he was not a lawyer;" whether the Government will consider Major Traill's removal from such a responsible legal position, and upon whose recommendation Major Traill was appointed, and by whom it was sanctioned; and, whether if it be true, as appears from the Return of Stipendiary Magistrates lately presented to this House, that Mr. Sexton because they were tried at the gaol by one magistrate, and not at petty sessions before more than one magistrate. I have received no official report of the proceedings referred to, nor of the language used by Mr. Justice Fitzgerald at the trial; but I have no reason to believe that it has been inaccurately given in the newspaper reports. The commitment was made by the magis trate in ignorance of the law; and Major Traill has been sufficiently penalized for the error he made by becoming the defendant in three actions. He was appointed by the late Government to do duty in the place of the resident magistrate, who had asked for leave of absence, and has since resigned in consequence of ill health. A successor to Major Traill will be sent to Parsonstown in a few days' time. CRIME (SCOTLAND) ALLEGED OUT. RAGE AT BRAEHEAD, DUNFERMLINE. MR. SEXTON (for Mr. BIGGAR) asked the Lord Advocate, If his attention has been called to the following paragraph from the daily newspapers: head, near Dunfermline, about midnight on "A daring outrage was committed at BraeSunday. While Thomas Nickol, coachinan at Lassadie House, and his wife and family were sitting at the fireside they were startled by a terrific noise, and on going to the door they found at a little distance from the window of the room in which they had been sitting a flask, about five inches in length by three inches in diameter, which had evidently been filled with some explosive substance and a lighted fusee applied to it. It is presumed that the perpe trators of the outrage must have thrown the flask with the intention that it should pass through the window; but, fortunately, it struck 1 the Treasury that, as the prosecution was undertaken by the Crown, and as no case was made out for the consideration of the jury, Mr. Fraser should be reimbursed for his necessary expenses out of the public funds? against the sash, and fell on the outside as it exploded. It is believed that the act was prompted by a feeling of revenge towards Mr. Nickol for evidence which he gave in court lately against some poachers in the district;" and, if any arrests have been made and, if not, whether the Government intend to apply for additional powers for the better protection of life and property in Scotland? THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. M'LAREN): Sir, the Executive in Scotland have sufficient power to deal with any agitation that may arise. But, as long as the land agitation in Scotland is in the hands of two hon. Gentlemen opposite, who lately addressed meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow, I am contident that it will not be necessary to put those powers into execution. The matter referred to in the Question had no connection with any agrarian movement, and it is undergoing investigation by the authorities. SOUTH AFRICA-THE TRANSVAAL the camp WAR (CASUALTIES). MR. STANLEY LEIGHTON asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he can state what is the total loss in killed, wounded, and incapacitated by sickness amongst Her Majesty's forces in the late war with the Boers, and what is the approximate estimate of loss among followers and teamsters? MR. CHILDERS: Sir, I cannot yet give a full answer to the hon. Member's Question, especially the latter part. But the numbers of killed and wounded are -officers, 29 killed and 20 wounded; non-commissioned officers and men, 366 killed and 428 wounded. We have no Returns of death from sickness. THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. M'LAREN): Sir, the prosecution referred to by the hon. Member was instituted after very careful inquiry, and after consultation by Crown counsel. Although the case broke down at trial, the learned Judge who presided expressed his opinion that it was a proper case to be brought to trial; and after reading the Papers I have no hesitation in concurring in that opinion. There are no of an accused person can be paid, public funds out of which the costs and I do not think that this is a case for proposing a special Vote for the expenses to which the accused party has been put. POST OFFICE-COMMUNICATION WITH THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND. MR. CAMERON asked the Postmaster General, Whether he is able to state if arrangements have been made with the Highland Railway Company by which an acceleration of the mails between Perth and the North may be effected; and, whether he is aware of the great loss and inconvenience suffered by those now engaged in the fishing on the West Coast of Scotland, in consequence of the delay in repairing the cable to Stornoway, and if he can hold out any hopes that the cable will be put into working order within a short time? MR. FAWCETT, in reply, said, that no arrangements had been entered into with the Highland Railway Company for the acceleration of the mail referred to; but negotiations were about to be entered into with that Company. With regard to the second part of the Question, the delay in the repair of the cable to Stornoway was due to the difficulty of obtaining a cable ship. He hoped. steps would be taken to obviate that difficulty in future. He was glad, however, to be able to state that a few days since a suitable cable vessel was obtained, and that vessel was now being got ready with the greatest speed possible. It would proceed to Stornoway in the course of a day or two, and he hoped no delay would occur again, WILD FOWL ACT, 1880-SALE OF BIRDS. | Whether he can give the House any innature of the conflicts that have recently formation with regard to the origin and taken place between the Albanians and MR. JACOB BRIGHT asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he can state what is the opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown with regard to the right to offer for sale birds which, under the Wild Fowl Act of 1880, it is lawful to kill? SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT, in reply, said, he had consulted the Law Officers of the Crown with regard to the matter referred to in the Question, and their opinion was that on the construction of the Statute it was doubtful; but as the question was one likely to come before the Courts for decision, it would not be desirable to express any definite opinion on the subject. If the decision opinion on the subject. If the decision should be adverse legislation would be necessary. ARTIZANS' AND LABOURERS' DWELL INGS ACT (1868) AMENDMENT ACT, 1879, SECTION 18-PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1875, SECTION 90. MR. J. HOLLOND asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether any action has been taken by the local authorities under "The Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings Act (1868) Amendment Act, 1879;" and, if so, whether any account of the funds spent in carrying out the Act has been presented by the local authorities in accordance with Section 18; and, whether the Local Government Board has made any bye-laws under Section 50 of "The Public Health Act, 1875?" MR. DODSON: Sir, as far as I have been able to ascertain, action has not been taken by the local authorities under this Act, except in two or three instances. Forms of account of expenditure have been sent by the Secretary of State and the Board to all the urban authorities; but the Returns received do not show any expenditure, save in one or two cases. The Local Government Board have issued model bye-laws under Section 90 of the Public Health Act, 1875, and are now making suggestions to the local authorities on the point. The actual making of the bye-laws rests, however, with the local authorities, and not with the Board. TURKEY-THE ALBANIAN LEAGUE. MR. SUMMERS asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the Turks? SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: Sir, ever since the murder of Mehemet Ali, which was allowed to remain unpunished, the inhabitants of North-East Albania, who had already shown their discontent with Turkish rule, have assumed a very independent attitude towards the Ottoman officials. The Albanian movement, which was fostered by the Porte in order to resist the surrender of Dulcigno to Montenegro, could not be suddenly sup pressed when the Porte were ultimately compelled to carry out that arrangement. This agitation increased in November, at the moment of a successful resistance offered to the conscription in the northeastern districts of the Vilayet of Kos sovo. The head-quarters of the Albanian League were first at Prisrend; but it gradually extended its influence southward, till it embraced nearly the whole. of the Vilayet of Kossovo. About the month of February, emissaries were sent to Middle Albania and Scutari to agitate for autonomous Albania; but they did not meet with much success. As it was stated the League were ready to furnish a corps of 20,000 men for hostilities against Greece, the Porte found it advisable to temporize with them; but the authority of the Porte was practically in abeyance till troops began to move up to Uscup, at the end of February; and in April the League was defeated by Dervish Pasha. THE ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC -OUTRAGES UPON NATIVES COM. MITTED UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. MR. SUMMERS asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether his attention has been called to the statements of Captain Turpie, the Rev. Thomas Neilson, and others, to the effect that outrages are being constantly perpetrated with impunity upon the natives of the islands of the South Pacific by white men sailing under the British flag; and, whether he is able to give the House any information on the subject; and, if not, whether he will cause strict inquiry to be made? MR. GRANT DUFF: Sir, our attention having been drawn some time ago to these statements in the newspapers, my noble Friend the Secretary of State | 1863, it would not be convenient to pick directed a letter to be addressed to the out for present publication portions of a London Missionary Society, asking for very long correspondence, which was of any particulars as to the time, place, immense bulk, in 1838 and 1864. and nature of any such outrages, expressing likewise his regret that missionaries should not at once report such cases to the naval or colonial authorities, or to Her Majesty's High Commissioner in the Western Pacific. MR. MONTAGUE GUEST asked, whether the hon. Baronet would be willing to lay on the Table the despatch conveying the assurance given to Lord Lyons by M. de St. Hilaire in regard to Tunis? SIR CHARLES W. DILKE, in reply, FRANCE AND TUNIS-THE HARBOUR said, that despatch contained assurances OF BISERTA. MR. OTWAY asked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether there is any objection to lay upon the Table of the House a Report as to his Survey of the Harbour of Biserta made some years ago by Admiral Spratt? MR. TREVELYAN: Sir, the manuscript of this Report is not in the records of the Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty; but doubtless it is the same as appears in the published journal of the Royal Geographical Society for 1846. The Report is accompanied by a very clear map, and may be found at page 251 of the volume, which is volume 16 of the series. FRANCE AND TUNIS-THE KROUHMIR MR. OTWAY asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true that a considerable number of French troops have been landed in the Bay of Biserta, contrary to the protest of the Bey of Tunis; whether this act, under such circumstances, does not constitute an act of war against the Government of Tunis; and, if so, whether it has been preceded or followed by a declaration of war against the governing power of Tunis; and, whether he will lay upon the Table apers in the Foreign Office relating to the subject during the Government of Lord Palmerston, about the year 1863? which were repeated last week, so there were two despatches, and these would ultimately be laid before the House; but it was not desirable to do that at this moment. The substance of these asself, and were also stated in the other surances had been stated twice by himHouse by Lord Granville on Friday last. ARMY RE-ORGANIZATION-THE NEW MR. FITZPATRICK asked the Se cretary of State for War, Whether, who are now forty years of age will be under the new warrant, senior Captains promoted to the rank of Major (substantive) on 1st of July, or whether they will be compelled to retire on that day? MR. CHILDERS: Sir, in reply to the hon. Member I have to state that there are several classes of captains of 40 years of age, and that, without entering into much detail, I could not explain how they will be dealt with. But, as a general rule, I think that an officer proposed to be promoted and liable to retire as a captain on the same day would probably be promoted. LIEUT.-COLONEL MILNE-HOME asked the Secretary of State for War, If the Regulations intended to take effect on the 1st July 1881 will preserve to all officers who have wholly or partially purchase rights the same pecuniary advantages on retirement that are given by the Warrant of 1878; and, also, if his attention has been called to the apparent anomaly under that Warrant of officers who may, in certain instances, lose by promotion in respect of retiring pension, and if he will in the forthcoming Warrant provide against the recurrence of such cases? SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: Sir, it is true that French troops have been landed in the Bay of Biserta, and that Her Majesty's Government have received from the Bey of Tunis a protest against the violation of his territory; but his Highness at the same time states that MR. CHILDERS: Sir, I do not know he continues to be at peace with France, the particular case which the hon. and and the Consul of France still holds re-gallant Member has in view; but, lations with the Bardo. With regard speaking generally, the effect of the to the presentation of the Papers of proposed changes will be that all |