THE MAGISTRACY (ENGLAND)-CON- Press an opinion that that should not

TAGIOUS DISEASES ACTS.

continue, inasmuch as there was an appeal under the Acts for an unfortunate woman from the examining surgeon to a justice of the peace, and here they would be the same person?

SIR WILLIAM‍ HARCOURT renewed his assurance that inquiry would be instituted. In any event some communications must pass before coming to any decision.

MR. HOPWOOD asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is the fact that one or two more surgeons employed in the compulsory examination of prostitutes under the Contagious Diseases Acts have been made justices of the peace, in order that they may carry out the Acts in a twofold capacity, administering and executing the Law; whether he will state by what Minister such gentlemen were recommended to Her Majesty for ap-cretary to the Admiralty, Whether the pointment; whether he approves of such a confusion of duties; and, whether the individuals in question should not be called upon to make their choice in respect of those Acts to act either as magistrates or as surgeons only?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT: I have been previously asked a similar Question by my hon. and learned Friend. If he has any grounds for thinking that the persons he refers to have been improperly appointed, or that they have misconducted themselves, and if he will state such grounds, I will cause the subject to be inquired into. I have no knowledge whatever that the appointments in question have been complained of.

NAVY—THE TROOPSHIP “NEMESIS.”
VISCOUNT NEWPORT asked the Se-

troopship "Nemesis," which conveyed a portion of the 7th Hussars to the Cape, was inspected and reported favourably upon by an official acting under the orders of the Admiralty before she was chartered by the Government for the conveyance of troops?

MR. TREVELYAN: Sir, the information which the noble Viscount asks I gave to the House of Commons in answer to a Question of the 9th of May, and I felt bound then to give it, accompanied by an explanation of some length, because it concerned the reputation of the Transport Department, a Department which has never deserved better of the country than during the operations connected with the recent disturbances in South Africa. I have got a short Report here which I have had prepared for the noble Viscount, and which I will

MR. HOPWOOD reminded the right hon. and learned Gentleman that he had written to him naming three individuals at Devonport, Windsor, and South-give him privately; but it contains ampton acting as magistrates, and he asked whether they ought to perform these double functions; and, if so, whether that state of things was compatible with the Public Service?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT said, he would make inquiry. He understood from his hon. and learned Friend that these persons ought not to fulfil the duties he spoke of; but that must depend upon the nature of the duties, as to which he could not give an opinion until he had inquired.

MR. HOPWOOD: Double duty. MR. CARBUTT asked the right hon. and learned Gentleman, in reference to his answer to the Question of the hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Stockport, whether they were to understand that due inquiry would be made into that matter; and, if it were found that the gentlemen referred to were acting in the double capacity, he would ex

nothing which I have not stated publicly in the House, except that the Nemesis has made her return voyage in such a satisfactory time that there is reason to believe that her behaviour on the way out was mainly due to the bad weather which she encountered. If the noble Viscount wishes, I will read the Report now; but the House is already in possession of the information which it contains.

VISCOUNT NEWPORT said, that in consequence of this answer he would, on a future day, ask whether it had come to the knowledge of the Admiralty that the troopship Nemesis broke down between this country and the Cape on several occasions, that her boilers were in an unsafe condition, that she ran short of provisions, and that the privations of those on board were so great that the troops had ultimately to be transferred to the Calabria to finish the voyage?

POST OFFICE-POSTAL ORDERS. MR. FRASER-MACKINTOSH asked

the Postmaster General, Whether his attention has been called to the fact that none of the Scottish Banks have seen their way to comply with the conditions required, in order to enable them to cash postal orders for their customers; and, whether, as there are no banks available through which crossed postal orders can be cashed, local post offices have been authorized to cash all such orders, whether crossed or not; and, if not, how payment of postal orders crossed generally, or to a particular bank, can be ob

tained in Scotland?

In answer to a Question by Mr. HEALY,

rantee was given by any respectable inMR. FAWCETT said, that the guahabitants of the district.

CYPRUS-CATTLE PLAGUE.

MR. ARTHUR ARNOLD asked the Vice President of the Council, Whether it is true that an importation of cattle from Cyprus by a Member of this House has been prohibited by the Privy Council; and, if so, for what reason?

MR. MUNDELLA: Sir, it is true that an application to land some goats, not cattle, from Cyprus has been refused by the Privy Council. There has been a very bad outbreak of cattle plague at Cyprus, which has destroyed large num

MR. FAWCETT, in reply, said, that on the 29th of April last, certain arrangements were announced with the view of obviating, as far as possible, the incon-bers of animals in the island, and which venience with reference to the cashing of postal orders. He was glad to say that these arrangements had been so much approved of by the bankers generally, that a great number immediately adopted them. The others were adopting them every day, and he believed that, with a single exception, they had been adopted by the Scottish banks; and, therefore, he hoped the incon

venience to which the hon. Member referred no longer existed.

POST OFFICE-TELEGRAPHS IN

was suppressed with great difficulty. Council of December 15, 1879, the landMoreover, by the General Order of ing of animals from the dominions of the Sultan was strictly prohibited, as a precaution against rinderpest; and as Cyprus is included in the dominions of the Sultan, we could not admit the animals in question to quarantine. On the grounds, therefore, of illegality and of risk, we felt bound to refuse any relaxation of the Order.

ARMY-AIDES-DE-CAMP TO THE

QUEEN.

CAPTAIN PRICE asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is the case that in the regular Army, and also in the Navy, officers hold the appointment of A.D.C. to the Queen for limited periods, but that in the Militia and Yeomanry these appointments are held for life; and, if so, whether he would consider the advisability of limiting the appointments in these services to a period of five

RURAL DISTRICTS. MR. ROUND asked the Postmaster General, If he will consider whether it is possible to allow telegraph extensions to be made in rural districts under guarantee on easier terms than those which at present prevail, and which require not only the payment of working expenses and interest on outlay, but also the repayment during the period of the guarantee of the capital sum ex-years? pended?

MR. FAWCETT, in reply, said, that telegraphs were always extended when it was reported that the extension was likely to pay. In other cases, where a report was made to the contrary, the extension was allowed under a guarantee. He had considered whether anything could be done to reduce the amount of the guarantee, and he had already submitted to the Treasury some proposals which, if adopted, would reduce the guarantee.

MR. CHILDERS: Sir, in reply to the hon. and gallant Gentleman, I have to inform him that aides-de-camp to the Queen in the Army and Navy do not hold their appointments for fixed periods of five years, but until promotion to generals' or flag rank, and that these appointments are salaried. In the Auxiliary Forces there is no rank above that of colonel, and, consequently, the appointments continue for life, and they are purely honorary. I will consider the suggestion which he has made; but in no

case could it, if adopted, apply to pre- I mentioned some time ago that Sir sent aides-de-camp.

ARMY-MILITIA BANDS.

CAPTAIN PRICE asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he will consider the propriety of making an allowance to Militia Regiments for their bands, as in the Line Regiments?

MR. CHILDERS: Sir, there is no intention to alter the present system as to Militia bands. The bandsmen are paid as Militiamen. I may add that fife and drum bands are maintained throughout the year as part of the permanent Staff.

SOUTH AFRICA - THE TRANSVAAL

(NEGOTIATIONS).

Owen Lanyon had received leave of absence. He is now on his way to Europe, but was, when we last heard of him, in Newcastle, ready to reply to any questions the Commissioners might wish to put. As to the fourth and fifth parts, of Sir Owen Lanyon's despatches, and I have to say that we have given most will consider if there are any others which we can give before the debate

comes on.

CRIMINAL LAW — INEQUALITY OF
SENTENCES.

MR. MACFARLANE asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been called to three sentences reported in the "Times" of the 27th instant, the first being the case of a man named Hunt, who was con

intoxicated, killed his wife, and, having been told by the Chief Justice "that human life was a precious thing," was sentenced to six weeks' hard labour; the second being the case of a man named Lewis, who, being sober, killed a young woman with whom he lived, and was sentenced by the same judge to five years' penal servitude; the third being the case of a man named Banks, who, for stealing some indiarubber cuttings, was sentenced by the Common Serjeant to twelve months' hard labour; and, if he will take into his consideration the inequality of these sentences?

BARON HENRY DE WORMS asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether Her Majesty's Go-victed of manslaughter for having, while vernment, before concluding peace with the Boers, took any, and, if so, what, steps to ascertain from the Local Government in the Transvaal what the conduct of the Boers was in the outlying districts, and the true facts of the case; whether Sir Owen Lanyon was consulted as to the advisability of making peace, and generally as to the proposed terms, either before or during the progress of the negotiations; whether Sir Owen Lanyon has already been relieved of his functions; whether any Despatches have passed between Sir Owen Lanyon and Her Majesty's Government; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will, prior to the Debate on the affairs in the Transvaal, place them in their entirety upon the Table of the House?

MR. GRANT DUFF: Sir, when the hon. Member put down the first part of his Question, I think it had escaped his recollection that from nearly the commencement of the outbreak until the conclusion of peace communications between Her Majesty's Government and the Local Government of the Transvaal were interrupted by armed force. He must also have forgotten that the Local Government of the Transvaal was during the war shut up in Pretoria, and quite unable to obtain authentic information about the "conduct of the Boers in outlying districts, or the true facts of the case." As to the second part, I have to say that Sir Owen Lanyon was not, and in the nature of things could not have been, consulted. As to the third part,

Mr. Childers

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT: Sir, the Question of the hon. Member seems to be founded on the idea that I am responsible for sentences. That responsibility is placed very wisely in the Judicial, and not in the Executive Department. The power of the Executive Department to interfere with sentences is very limited indeed. If a case is brought before the Secretary of State, and there is any good ground for reducing a sentence, that, after consultation with the Judge, is occasionally done. But the hon. Member suggests that I should review three sentences and bring them to a comparative equality. That I cannot do. In some cases the sentences may be too light; but I have no power to aggravate a sentence. I ought to mention that I had an opportunity of conversing with the Lord Chief Justice on this subject yesterday; and he stated to me that the reason why, in one of

these cases, the sentence might appear | stated in the leading journal of Tuesday, too light was that, in his opinion, the that the Irish Executive have reprething was as nearly as possible an acci- sented to the Cabinet the necessity of dent, and he almost doubted whether adopting measures for the suppression there should be a conviction. The jury of the Land League? recommended the prisoner to mercy, and he thought it right to pass a light sen

MR. MACFARLANE gave Notice that on going into Committee of Supply he would move the following Resolu-jesty's Government intend to retain in tion :

those statements to send a telegram to the Irish Office in Dublin for information, and I will read to the House the precise terms of a telegram I received in reply, which will tend, I think, to relieve a good deal of public anxiety, which, undoubtedly, the Government for the moment shared with them. The telegram is as follows:

"The County Inspector at Ennistelegraphs this morning as follows:- Attended yesterday to protect procses-servers serving writs on Colonel O'Callaghan's tenants. Police fired on by people; shots exchanged; no one shot on either side.'" [Laughter.] He did not know whether that laugh showed satisfaction or not. MR. T. P. O'CONNOR: We laughed in common with the Benches opposite. MR. GLADSTONE (continuing to read the telegram)

"Effected service in spite of opposition. County Inspector and a party of 20 men fired at from a plantation at Fortaunbeg at 9.30 p.m., when returning to Ennis. One horse shot under police car; no policeman hit. The County Inspector of Donegal telegraphs that on Tuesday last he proceeded in gunboat to Arranmore Island with police force, landed, and served certain summonses. They met with no opposition whatever. Report in this morning's papers is, therefore, untrue.'

a woman who held a house in the town at a nominal rent of £5, and who was five years in arrears, and would pay nothing. I gather from the evidence that she was afraid to pay; but she did not pay anything, and Lord Kenmare paid the expenses of her passage to America. The fifth case was that of a tenant who was a-year and a half in arrear of rent, But the essential feature with regard to and who was re-admitted as caretaker. the whole five cases is this-that in the full conviction and knowledge of my noble Friend, in every one of them the tenant was able, and thoroughly able, to pay. The cases illustrate the enormous mischief done, and the enormous responsibility incurred, by those who advise the tenants in Ireland who are able to pay their rents not to pay them.

LORD EUSTACE CECIL inquired of the Secretary of State for War, whether he was in a position to contradict the statements made in some of the papers as to the Cavalry charge said to have taken place in Clonmel?

MR. CHILDERS: Sir, all I can say with reference to the case referred to by my noble Friend, and as to other cases, is that the statements which have appeared are very much exaggerated indeed. If my noble Friend will be good enough to repeat his Question after the Recess, I shall be in a position to afford the House full information as to all the circumstances.

That is all the information we have received. With respect to a Question of the hon. Member for Galway Town (Mr. T. P. O'Connor), making inquiry of me as to certain evictions on Lord Kenmare's estate at Kenmare, I have to say that I have made inquiry on the subject MR. PARNELL gave Notice that after of the Lord Chamberlain, and my noble the Recess he would ask the Secretary of Friend, feeling it was not right that at-State for War, whether the statement as tention should be called in this House to the late Cavalry charge at Clonmel, to any proceedings of his which might which appeared in the "Freeman's be connected with the present difficulties Journal" of yesterday, was true-to the in Ireland without his making known effect that the Cavalry charged a crowd the facts of the case, I have, therefore, consisting of about two dozen men and received the following information from women and children who were standing the noble Lord :-Out of more than on the footpath listening to the advice of 1,000 tenants on his estate at Kenmare the Rev. Mr. Byrne, and slashed their there have been five recent evictions. swords about in a fearful manner? Of the tenants evicted, two defended the actions of ejectment brought against them, and Lord Kenmare obtained verdicts against them from Dublin juries in the month of February last. One of the remaining cases was that of a woman and her children, who appealed to Lord Kenmare to get rid of the stepfather, who married the woman, on account-I will not go into the particulars-of his personal misconduct rendering him untrustworthy. Another was the case of Mr. Gladstone

MR. CHILDERS said, he would answer the Question on Friday week.

MR. O'DONNELL asked the Prime Minister, whether he had examined into the accuracy of the statement with respect to the Kenmare estate with which he had just favoured the House?

MR. GLADSTONE, in reply, said, that he had made no examination of the accuracy of the statement, and should make none. He had absolute and implicit confidence in Lord Kenmare's