given nor proposed to be given); and, whether those Petitions are in accordance with the Standing Orders of the House?

SIR CHARLES FORSTER, in reply, said, the Committee on Public Petitions had great difficulty in reference to this question, and he, as Chairman of it, advised them to take an enlarged view of the matter. Still, every case should stand upon its own merits; and while the Committee were prepared to take a liberal view of it, they came to the conclusion that the Petitioners should not ask for public money.

ARMY-WINCHESTER BARRACKS.

QUESTION.

MR. SIMONDS asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is intended to make additional accommodation in the Winchester barracks to provide for the depôts of the Hampshire Regiments, the 37th and 67th, still in Fort Elson?

MR. GATHORNE HARDY: Some of the accommodation for this purpose has already been provided, but in order that an entire battalion may remain at Winchester, in addition to providing for the depôts of both the Rifle and county regiments, it is necessary to add some married quarters, as well as to make other additions and alterations, for which plans have been prepared; but some time will be required for the completion of the whole. When the additional accommodation is provided, the depôts mentioned will be moved to Winchester.

THE SLAVE TRADE-THE SULTAN OF

ZANZIBAR.-QUESTION.

SIR JOHN KENNAWAY asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he can give the House any information as to the Proclamation for the Suppression of the Slave Trade lately made by the Sultan of Zanzibar, and as to the steps proposed to be taken by Her Majesty's Government, to support and assist the Sultan in carrying out the same?

MR. BOURKE: The Proclamations alluded to are in these words

"Proclamation.

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

"(Seal of His Royal Highness Seyed Barghash.) "From Barghash bin Saeed bin Sultan.

"To all whom it may concern of our friends on the mainland of Africa, the Island of Pemba, and elsewhere.

"Whereas, in disobedience of our orders and in violation of the terms of our Treaties with Great Britain, slaves are being constantly conveyed by land from Kilwa for the purpose of being taken to the Island of Pemba. Be it known that we have determined to stop, and by this order do prohibit all conveyance of slaves by land under any conditions; and we have in

structed our Governors on the coast to seize and

imprison those found disobeying this order, and to confiscate their slaves.

"Published the 22nd of Rabea el Awal, 1293 (being equivalent to 18th April, 1876.) "True translation.

"JOHN KIRK,

"Her Majesty's Agent and Consul General."

(Enclosure 4 in No. 04.)

"Proclamation.

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

(Seal of His Highness Seyed Barghash.) "From Barghash bin Saeed bin Sultan. "To all whom it may concern of our friends on the mainland of Africa and elsewhere.

"Whereas slaves are being brought down from the lands of Nyassa, of the Yao, and other parts, to the coast, and there sold to dealers who take them to Pemba against our orders and the terms of the Treaties with Great Britain. Be it known that we forbid the arrival of slave

caravans from the interior, and the fitting out of slave caravans by our subjects, and have given our orders to our Governors accordingly, and all slaves arriving at the coast will be confiscated.

"Published the 22nd of Rabea el Awal, 1293

(being equivalent to 18th of April, 1876).

"True translation.

"JOHN KIRK,

"Her Majesty's Agent and Consul General."

The Slave Trade Papers are printed annually; therefore, in the usual course, these particular Papers would not be laid before the House before next Session; but as considerable interest is felt upon the subject, I will lay Dr. Kirk's despatch and the Proclamations on the Table this evening. Suggestions have been made to Her Majesty's Government as to certain steps which may be taken with the view of dealing more effectually with the land traffic; and those suggestions have been sent to Dr. Kirk to

report upon. It will be necessary to

wait for his answer before decision any can be come to. Meantime, when we heard of the issue of the Proclamations,

"Express to Sultan the gratification of Her Majesty's Government at the measures adopted by His Highness for suppressing slave traffic in his dominions. You will receive further instructions by post when we receive reply to my despatch of April 20, 1876."

CRIMINAL LAW-THE ESCAPED FENIAN PRISONERS. — QUESTION.

MR. O'CONNOR POWER: Sir, as you have pointed out to me within the last few minutes that the terms of my Question are irregular, because they contain an insinuation of want of candour against the First Lord of the Treasury, I shall put it in the following form:Whether the Governor of Western Australia availed himself of the first opportunity of informing Her Majesty's Government of the escape of the six Fenian prisoners, and at what date did the Government first receive intelligence of the escape?

MR. DISRAELI: The occasion on which I spoke of those prisoners in Western Australia was on the 22nd of May. The first intimation that Her Majesty's Government received of the escape of those prisoners from Western Australia was on the 5th of June.

CUSTOMS-MEMORIAL OF OFFICERS.

QUESTION.

MR. M'CARTHY DOWNING asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether any reply has yet been vouchsafed to the Memorial signed by 923 clerks and officers of Customs, praying for an immediate amelioration of their condition, which Memorial was forwarded to the Treasury by the Commissioners of Customs early in last April; and, if not, when it may be?

MR. W. H. SMITH: In reply to the Question of the hon. Member, I beg to state that a Memorial signed by 923 clerks and officers was received, but it was direct from them. It has been referred to the Board of Customs, but no Report has been received. The following letter has been placed in my

Mr. Bourke

"Dear Sir,-The present Session is rapidly drawing to a close, and our claims for increased pay have not yet been properly met by Her Majesty's Government."

MR. M'CARTHY DOWNING: I rise to Order. Is the hon. Gentleman justified in reading a letter in answering a Question?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Member can do so in the exercise of his discretion if he so desires.

MR. W. H. SMITH: The letter is as follows::

"Accountant and Controller General's Office, H.M.'s Customs, London, E.C.

20th June, 1876. "Dear Sir,-The present Session is rapidly drawing to a close, and our claims for increased pay have not yet been properly met by Her Majesty's Government. It behoves us either to put on a "spurt" at this juncture or to suffer with what patience we can another year's delay. The general opinion here is that a combined and well-directed attempt should at once be made to obtain for our memorial (which was forwarded to the Lords of the Treasury on the

sideration.

5th of April last) an early and favourable conthan by everyone in the Customs Service at once asking his representatives in Parliament, as well as any other Members to whom he can obtain access, to bring the matter without delay individually, collectively, by question, by deputation, or in any manner which may be deemed most effective, under the notice of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. I, therefore, earnestly request that you will, without delay, write to your representatives in Parliament, asking them to use their influence in the direction above indicated. There is every reason to believe that

This end cannot be better attained

a strong and united effort of the whole service, even at this eleventh hour, would ensure our

complete success. Trusting to hear from you very soon, I have the honour to remain, dear Sir, your obedient servant,

"JOHN M. BAMFORD."

I need not say that a letter of this description circulated among officers of the Customs must place great difficulty in the way of the Treasury in dealing with a respectful Memorial presented to the Treasury. I trust the House will consider it was an unfortunate attempt on the part of an officer of Customs to obtain consideration for the Memorial.

FISHERIES (IRELAND)—CAPE CLEAR

ISLAND.-QUESTION.

MR. M'CARTHY DOWNING asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Why the fishery harbour at Cape Clear Island, recommended by the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries, and approved of by the Board of Works, and for which the local contributions required by the Board have been raised, has not been proceeded with; and to know when the works may be commenced?

SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH: I am informed by the Board of Works that it is due to delays on the part of those locally interested in this work that it has not been proceeded with. The applicants for the grant were informed by the Board on the 22nd of January, 1875, that if one-fourth (£875) of the estimated cost of the work (£3,500) was locally subscribed, the Board would recommend the Treasury to sanction a grant of the remainder. The Board heard nothing further for more than a year, and concluded that the Memorialists were unable to collect the necessary amount. Since that date the Board have been informed, in March last, that the required amount would be forthcoming in the locality; but in the meantime the Treasury have agreed to undertake certain other important harbour works connected with the Irish fisheries, which must therefore take precedence of the harbour at Cape Clear.

will introduce a Clause in the Cattle Disease (Ireland) Bill, allowing retrospective compensation to that date in cases where cattle having that disease died or were slaughtered, and reliable proof thereof can be given?

SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH: There have been some reports of deaths among cattle in Ireland from disease since the 1st of January last, but I am happy to say they are not very numerous. I can see no reason why compensation should be granted to the owners of cattle which have died of this disease, nor to owners who have voluntarily slaughtered their cattle affected with it, not being compelled to do so by the provisions of any Order in Council. My hon. Friend is aware that no order has, as yet, been made for the compulsory slaughter in Ireland of animals affected with pleuro-pneumonia; and therefore any such retrospective compensation as his Question suggests could not, I think, be properly granted, to say nothing of the great practical difficulties which would attend any attempt to assess it.

EXHIBITION COMMISSIONERS OF 1851 -THE FINANCIAL POSITION.

QUESTION.

MR. J. R. YORKE asked the Secre

tary of State for the Home Department, Whether he can inform the House of the financial position of the Commissioners for the Great Exhibition of 1851, or of the prospect of making the large funds in their hands available for the promotion of science and art; and, whether the Commissioners have made any Report to Her Majesty since that of the 15th of August 1867; and, if so, whether he has any objection to lay it upon the Table of the House?

MR. ASSHETON CROSS: As the subject is one which naturally excites. some interest, perhaps the House will allow me to read a short statement which I have received from the Commissioners with respect to it. They say

"The property of the Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851 consists of land returning no income, of exhibition galleries leased or lent to the Government, of land let on building leases, and of house property. Their available income at the present time is about £2,000 per annum. mode in which the land now returning no inTheir financial position will depend upon the come is dealt with, that is to say, whether let on building leases or reserved for public purposes.

The Commissioners have lately determined to sell on building leases some of the outlying portions of the estate, and to employ £100,000 of the money thus obtained in erecting on their estate a building for a museum of scientific instruments, for a library of works on science for the use of the students at South Kensington, and for public examination rooms, which are much needed. The building would also be available for other objects of scientific education. An offer to this effect has been recently made to Her Majesty's Government, and the matter is

now under consideration. The Commissioners propose to expend a further sum in establishing scholarships to give the more promising students of provincial institutions and colleges of science and art the benefit of study in the science and art classes at South Kensington. The Commissioners made a Report of the annual International Exhibitions from the 1st of May, 1871, to

the 31st of October, 1874, which has been laid before Her Majesty."

be debated as soon as possible before the end of the Session.

MR. DISRAELI: If the House will allow me, I will postpone my answer to the Question of my hon. Friend until we come to the Orders of the Day. It would be somewhat inconvenient to reply to it now.

ARMY-KING GEORGE OF HANOVER.

QUESTION.

MR. BIGGAR asked the First Lord of the Treasury, If it is true, as stated in the papers, that recently the Ex-King of Hanover was gazetted a General in the British Army and his son a Colonel in the British Army?

MR. DISRAELI: Mr. Speaker, it

TURKEY-THE EASTERN QUESTION.

QUESTION.

MR. CHAPLIN asked the honourable Member for Portsmouth, If he intends to proceed with the Motion on Friday which stands first in his name on that day?

MR. T. C. BRUCE: I am very anxious to proceed with that Motion if it can be done without inconvenience to the negotiations at present going on. I am informed that certain Papers material to the questions involved in my Motion have not yet been laid before the House, and in that case it might be inopportune for me to proceed. I therefore beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he considers that a discussion should take place in the present state of the negotiations, and whether it would or would not be inconvenient to the public service? I also wish to ask whether the Government are prepared, at this particular period, to give those explanations without which such a discussion would lose a great deal of its value. If the discussion would be inconvenient, I shall have no alternative but to withdraw my Motion. But I trust the right hon. Gentleman will give me an assurance that he will give me the earliest opportunity which the negotiations will allow to bring forward my Motion, and will place me in the same fortunate position in which I now stand upon the Paper. The question is one of the greatest importance, and ought to

Mr. Assheton Cross

exercise of her undoubted and gracious prerogative, has conferred upon her Royal relative the Duke of Cumberland, a Peer of this realm, and upon his eldest son, the right of wearing the British uniform by conferring upon him the commission of General and upon his son that of Colonel in our Army. I need not add, unless it be for the information of the hon. Gentleman, that these appointments are purely honorary.

ARMY-THE PENSION WARRANT.

QUESTION.

MR. PATESHALL asked the Secretary of State for War, If it is intended to increase the pensions of soldiers?

MR. GATHORNE HARDY: A Committee that recently sat at the War Office on this subject proposed various alterations in the existing Pension Warrant, and these proposals have been for some time under the consideration of the Treasury, and until their decision is arrived at I am unable to state what, if any, alterations will be made.

INDIAN AND COLONIAL MUSEUM.

QUESTION.

MR. FAWCETT asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is intended to build an Indian and Colonial Museum on the Victoria Embankment; if so, whether he can state the probable cost of erecting and maintaining such museums, and also from what sources the necessary expenditure would be defrayed?