dence contained in those Papers was most conclusive that not only did the principle of competitive examination enable them to avoid the difficulty of selection on which the noble Marquess had laid great stress, but also to hit upon a method which, upon the whole, gave them the best material for their purpose. With regard to any advantages to be held out to young men undergoing a probationary training for the Indian Civil Service at the Universities, he hoped that the University of London would not be excluded from the benefits of such an arrangement. Young men trained at King's College and University College, London, would not only have the advantages of University discipline and instruction, but could follow the practice of the Courts much better in London than in a University town.

In reply to Lord WAVENEY,

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY, said, that in the regulations which had been made in reference to the teaching of the languages in question, there had been no desire to make any special provision which should be more favourable to Oxford or Cambridge than to any other University, but simply that an advantage should be given to the University which made provision for such teaching. The University of London had a concrete form, various Colleges being combined with it. There was nothing in the regulations which limited them to Oxford and Cambridge, and it might be desirable to bring the University of London within them.

WILD FOWL PRESERVATION BILL. (The Lord Henniker.)

(NO. 134.) THIRD READING. Bill read 3 (according to Order). LORD COLVILLE of CULROSS, who said he had placed an Amendment on the Paper, pointed out that grouse and blackcock shooting commenced on August 20th and ended on December 10, and yet all through the months from December to May blackcock was offered for sale at a shop in the Strand. might be told that the birds came from Norway; but that was no reason why the law should be evaded, and thus be an inducement to persons to resort to poaching in this country. He would

He

not move his Amendment because he did not desire to obstruct the passing of the Bill, though it was in an imperfect form.

EARL GRANVILLE said, that he also had an Amendment on the Paper, but for the same reason would not move it. He hoped next Session a Bill amending the law would be brought forward.

LORD HENNIKER said, he must thank the noble Earl (Earl Granville) and the noble Lord (Lord Colville) for not impeding the progress of the Bill by inserting Amendments, and so, perhaps, defeating it for this Session, not only in the interest of sport, but in the interest of the consumer. He must state, in justice to the large dealers, that they were in favour of the Bill. He thought the thanks of the House were due to the noble Lord for calling attention to the fact that black game and other birds were sold out of season in London, but that hardly came within the scope of the Bill. Surely, the law was sufficiently stringent now to prevent these illegal sales. If, too, these birds came from Norway, he must remind the noble Lord that the game laws in Norway were far more stringent than our own. every hope the Bill would work well. It

He had

was drawn on the same lines as the Sea

birds Protection Act, and that had worked well. However, he would certainly take the suggestions made by the noble Earl and the noble Lord, and if it did not work well, he would endeavour to deal more completely with the question another year.

Bill passed.

BANKERS BOOKS EVIDENCE BILL. (The Lord Aberdare.)

(NO. 159.) SECOND READING. Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.

LORD ABERDARE, in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, its object was to facilitate the proof of transactions, according to bankers' ledgers and account books in legal proceedings. The Bill accordingly provided, first, that entries in such books should be admissible in all legal proceedings as prima facie evidence, on affidavit by a partner or manager that such entries had been made in the usual course of business; secondly, copies of such en

tries might be admissible on affidavit by a person who had examined them, that such copies were correct-in which case the originals need not be produced; and thirdly, on application of any of the parties the Court might order that such party be at liberty to inspect and take copies of any such entries relating to the matters in question.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR said, he had no objection to the principle of the Bill; but before it was finally passed, it would be necessary to have an accurate definition of what was a banker," within the meaning of the Bill; otherwise the books of private firms might be brought within its operation.

Motion agreed to; Bill read a second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Wednesday next.

POOR LAW AMENDMENT BILL. (The Lord President.) (NO. 150.) COMMITTEE. Order for Committee read.

EARL FORTESCUE expressed his regret that owing to indisposition he had been unable to be present on the second reading. He now wished to express his general approval of the Bill, and his hope that Her Majesty's Government, encouraged by the success which had attended their efforts to codify the sanitary legislation of the country, would persevere until they had reduced to order and system the chaotic mass of Poor Law legislation which had accumulated since the passing of the new Poor Law in 1834. He would remind their Lordships that in the discussion on the second reading, the question was raised by several noble Lords as to the expediency of making Unions coterminous with counties. A Return when presented to Parliament in 1869, showed that out of 760 Unions in England, 590 were wholly in counties, and 170 were as to their great bulk in the counties-that was to say, not comprising more than a few parishes which were in two or more counties. The question of having Unions coterminous with counties would be a very difficult one to deal with. He thought the powers proposed to be conferred on the Boards of Guardians by the clauses comprehended under the division of "Poor Law Amendments" "' were many steps in the right direction.

Lord Aberdare

House in Committee.

Clauses 1 to 32, inclusive, agreed to, with Amendments.

EARL FORTESCUE moved, after Clause 32, to insert a new clause, having for its object the granting of medical relief, in urgent cases of accident or disease, on loan-that was to say, where the circumstances of the family or individual were not fully known at the time, the Guardians should pay for the medical relief, and obtain payment when the person or family relieved could afford to discharge the debt. Now, if a relieving officer gave an order for medical relief, and the Guardians did not afterwards sanction it, the medical practitioner could sue the relieving officer for the debt, and that became a matter of great hardship. The course which he now proposed would prevent many persons from becoming pauperized.

Moved, after Clause 32 to insert new clause

"Where medical relief is granted on loan, the guardians may declare that the same is so granted, and they may recover from the person to whom such relief is granted the reasonable cost of the same as if it were money relief granted on loan."

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON said, that he could not accept the clause, as he thought the present law enabled the Guardians to do all that was necessary.

THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY thought that many persons now obtained medical relief, who were perfectly well able to pay for the advice and medicine given.

After some discussion, in which Lord HENNIKER, Lord WINMARLEIGH, and Lord EGERTON of TATTON took part,

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON was understood to say that though he would not promise that any alteration in the clause could be made, yet he would before the Report consider the question again, and see whether anything could be done.

Amendment, by leave of the Commitwithdrawn.

tee,

EARL FORTESCUE moved to insert another new clause

"All medical or other relief given or ordered by the relieving officer or overseers in cases of emergency during the interval between the meet.

ings of the board of guardians shall be deemed to have been given on loan and be recoverable accordingly, unless either disallowed or allowed as relief by the board of guardians at their first or subsequent meeting.'

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON said, he objected to the clause on the same ground as he had objected to the previous one-namely, that the Guardians had now full power to do everything which the Amendment would enable them to do.

Amendment, by leave of the Committee, withdrawn.

ARMY-VETERINARY DEPARTMENT.

QUESTION.

MR. STACPOOLE asked the Secretary of State for War, If it has been decided whether the appointment of Principal Veterinary Surgeon in the Army is to be held for life, or only for a limited period like other Staff appointments in the Cavalry, which are held for five years; and, when he will be prepared to produce the new warrant relative to the Veterinary Surgeons which has been so long delayed?

MR. GATHORNE HARDY, in reply,

*

[245]; Ex

PUBLIC BILLS-Ordered-Waste Lands and Peasants Dwellings (Ireland) Second Reading-Winter Assizes hausted Parish Lands* [252]. Select Committee-Metropolis Gas (Surrey Side)* [204], nominated; Arklow Harbour Improvement [199], Sir George Balfour added. Committee Elementary Education [155] R.P.; Crossed Cheques [112]—R.P. Committee - Report Provisional Orders (Ireland) Confirmation [220]; Elementary Education Provisional Orders Confirmation (Hailsham, &c.) [223]-(Hornsey) * [224]. Withdrawn-Ecclesiastical Assessments (Scotland) * [106]; Clerk of the Peace and of the Crown (Ireland) [119]; Civil Bill Courts (Ireland) * [82].

*

Principal Veterinary Surgeon should be appointed for seven years, the same as the Director General of the Army Medical department.

whether the sum there mentioned amounts to several millions sterling; whether it was with the authority of the Treasury that the Board of Inland Revenue did not collect the money that became due as Railway Passenger duty by the judgment of the House of Lords; whether the Commissioners of Inland Revenue did not overstep their duty when they took upon themselves to remit and rebate taxes legally due; and, if any steps have been taken by the Government to ensure that there will be no

remission of taxes without the consent of Parliament ?

MR. MACDONALD also asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If it be the intention of the Government to take any action this Session on the recommendations contained in the Report of the Select Committee on the Railway Passenger Duty which has been presented to the House; and, if not, if the present mode of assessment of the Duty is to be

3 B

continued, or if the Duty is to be assessed in accordance with the judgment of the House of Lords; and, whether the inspection and audit of the accounts of the Railway Companies of Great Britain, as carried on for the last seven years by an accountant of the Inland Revenue Department, as stated in the evidence of Mr. Rickman before the Select Committee, is still being carried on by that office; if not, what is being done in the matter?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, his attention had been called to the paragraph in the Report of the Select Committee on the Railway Passenger Duty, from which a passage was quoted in the Question of the hon. Member. The paragraph as it appeared in the Report of the Committee was fuller than that introduced by the hon. Member into his Question, for it ran thus

'Especially as by this omission either a considerable sum had been lost to the public revenue, or Parliament had been deprived of an earlier opportunity of dealing with the subject." He observed that these words were adopted not unanimously, but no doubt by a considerable majority of the Committee. He had not yet had the opportunity of seeing the evidence on which the paragraph was founded, and he apprehended it would be impossible for him to give a positive answer or to discuss the question until they saw the evidence. With regard to the second Question, he was unable to say whether any public money could properly be said to have been lost at all. Certainly he was unable to say, if any sum had been lost, that it amounted to several millions sterling. He believed the fact shortly was this-some 30 years ago an exception was granted from railway duty to railway passenger trains fulfilling certain conditions. There was no idea for many years that those conditions were not fulfilled by trains failing to stop at every station. From the year 1844 to 1867 the tax was remitted on a number of trains only. If the tax had been exacted from all trains, no doubt the duty would have amounted to a considerable sum; but he was informed that the amount which might under any circumstances have been received would not in any case have amounted to the sum the hon. Member seemed to suppose. He asked

Mr. Macdonald

The Board of Inland Revenue were advised that they had no power to collect that duty; at all events, they never asked the authority of the Treasury on the subject. Certainly, whatever might be the legal point in question, it would be inequitable to call on shareholders of the present day to pay money that might possibly have been demanded from shareholders some years before. With regard to the intentions of the Government, they waited till they saw the evidence and had time to consider it; but as to the question whether the present mode of assessing the duty was to be continued or a mode in accordance with the judgment of the House of Lords, he had to say that the present mode of assessment was not inconsistent with the judgment of the House of Lords. He was unable to give any answer to the latter part of the hon. Member's last Question. He did not know what evidence Mr. Rickman had given.

BULGARIA.-QUESTION.

MR. BAXTER asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is true that the British Consul at Adrianople has made reports, either to Sir Henry Elliot or to the Foreign Office, confirming the accounts published in the "Daily News" of the atrocities committed by the Turks in Bulgaria; and, whether it is not a fact that our Ambassador at Constantinople some time ago remonstrated with the Turkish Government in regard to these outrages?

MR. DISRAELI: Sir, if the right hon. Gentleman had asked the Question when he gave Notice of it, it would have been my duty to say that the Consul at Adrianople had made no reports confirmatory of the statements in The Daily News, and, consequently, that the Ambassador at Constantinople could have made no remonstrances on the subject. But since Notice was given of the Question we have received intimations of an interesting kind relating to the matter. I promised the House, on a former occasion, when the Government were in possession of authentic information on the

statement.

BRUSSELS-INTERNATIONAL EXHI

BITION-SICK AND WOUNDED

SOLDIERS.-QUESTION.

LORD ELCHO asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is intended to take advantage of the opportunity now afforded by the exhibition at Brussels by Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Switzerland, of the latest inventions and appliances for aiding and transporting sick and wounded soldiers in time of war, and send two or more Commissioners to inspect and report to the War Office upon that important

International collection?

MR. GATHORNE HARDY, in reply, said, that already Professor Longmore had been selected for the purpose, and he intended to associate with him a member of the Hospital Staff.

EGYPT-IMPRISONMENT OF GENERAL

KIRKHAM.-QUESTION.

SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFF asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true that a British subject named Kirkham was some time ago detained by the Egyptian authorities at Massowah on his way from Abyssinia to England; whether he is still imprisoned without trial; whether there is any prospect of his release; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will lay upon the Table any Correspondence which has taken place on the subject? He might add, that since he came down to the House he had heard it reported that General Kirkham died recently.

MR. BOURKE: Sir, in the beginning of June it came to the knowledge of Her Majesty's Government that the British subject alluded to in the Question of the hon. Member was imprisoned at Massowah. He is better known under the name of General Kirkham, late

time engaged in hostilities against the Egyptian Army. At the time that Her Majesty's Government were first informed of his imprisonment, they were also informed that he was suffering from alleged harsh treatment by the Egyptian officials at Massowah. Under those circumstances Her Majesty's Government brought these facts to the notice of the Egyptian Government, and on the 6th of June Cherif Pasha assured our Consular authority in Egypt that there was no foundation whatever for the statement that General Kirkham had been treated with any harshness; that he was supplied with everything that was necesexercise in the open air, and the consary for his comfort, and allowed to take finement to which he is subjected is no communicating with his political and stricter than is necessary to prevent his military allies and associates. As to the second part of the Question, being taken prisoner of war, he would, I conclude, there is any prospect of his release I am not be subject to any trial. unable to say at present. If my hon. Friend would like to see the correspondence he is welcome to do so, but I do not think that any advantage would accrue to General Kirkham by its being made public. I regret to hear that Kirkham has lately died, but Her Majesty's Government are in no way to blame for it.

Whether

NAVY-H.M.S. "VANGUARD."

QUESTION.

CAPTAIN PIM asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he will add to the Return, "Navy (Loss of the Vanguard), No. 98, I.," ordered by the House on the 14th March, an amended Return, containing a plate illustrating the "Wing Passage Bulkhead its purposes and uses," and other information as originally ordered, provided he is satisfied that it will not be necessary to hire a special artist and to go to great expense for copper plates?

MR. HUNT, in reply, said, if the hon. and gallant Member would call on him at the Admiralty, he would see what could be done in the way of accomplishing the object desired in the Question.