THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHE- | Commission under the Washington QUER, in reply, said, he had heard Treaty, and when the Commission is from time to time suggestions for the expected to meet; and, whether there is erection of an Indian and Colonial any prospect of a satisfactory settlement Museum, and, among other plans, of of the questions raised between Canada one to erect a building for the purpose and the United States in relation to the on the Thames Embankment. No defi- use of the American canals, and the nite proposal had, however, been sub- imposition of duty on packages containing mitted to the Government on the sub- fish imported into the United States? ject, nor was there one at present under their consideration. He could, therefore, give the hon. Gentleman no information as to the probable cost of erecting and maintaining such museums, or as to the sources from which the necessary expenditure would be defrayed. NAVY-H.M.S. "RALEIGH."-QUESTION. MR. ANDERSON asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, If he has any information as to a Court Martial stated (in the "Daily News" of the 19th and other papers) to have been held at Lisbon, to inquire into the collision between H.M.S. "Raleigh" and a Portuguese ship of war, and resulting in blame being attributed to the British ship, with a probable claim on this Country for damages; if it be true, as reported, that Captain Tryon of the "Raleigh," soon after the collision, asked for a Court Martial and was refused; and, if the Admiralty proposes to deal with the matter by a secret inquiry, or how? any MR. BOURKE: Communications are going on with the United States Government as to the appointment of a third Commissioner, and it is hoped that they will shortly agree to take the necessary steps for the completion of the Commission. Mr. Ford, the British agent to the Commission, who visited Canada last autumn, has recently gone to Newfoundland to assist the Newfoundland Government in preparing their portion of the case to be submitted to the Commission. As to the second Question, I can only say it would be impossible within the limits of an Answer to a Question to state exactly the way in which the case at present stands, involving, as it does, many complicated questions of detail between the two Governments. Papers will shortly be laid on the Table upon the subject. In the meanwhile, I think I may say that the questions are in a fair way for a satisfactory settlement. EXPLOSION AT HAMILTON. QUESTION. MR. HUNT: A Court of Inquiry-EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES ACT, 1875— not a court martial, as stated in the newspapers-was held at Lisbon to inquire into the circumstances of the collision between Her Majesty's ship Raleigh and a Portuguese corvette, and the Court exonerated the captain of the latter, but I have heard nothing of claim for damages. Captain Tyron, of the Raleigh, did not ask for a court martial. A Court of Inquiry was ordered by the Admiralty, which was held in the usual manner; and the Admiralty, after perusing the Report of the Court, was satisfied with the account given by Captain Tyron and his officers of their conduct in the matter. TREATY OF WASHINGTON-CANADIAN FISHERY COMMISSION.-QUESTION. MR. E. JENKINS asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the United States Government has now taken the necessary steps to complete the organization of a Fishery VOL. CCXXX. [THIRD SERIES.] MR. RAMSAY asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he has received information of the occurrence of an explosion of dynamite at a place within one quarter of a mile of the barracks near the town of Hamilton, and within a few hundred yards of the railway station at the same town, whereby a number of persons have been killed; and, if he would state whether the dynamite was stored at the place where the accident occurred by authority of the Home Office; and, if so, whether he would state the precautions which were enjoined to secure the life and property of the inhabitants of Hamilton in the event of such an explosion at a place so near the town? MR. ASSHETON CROSS, in reply, said, that information was duly sent to the Home Office of the explosion referred to by the hon. Member. He K ordered an Inspector appointed under the Act to make inquiry into the circumstances, and it was found that the dynamite which exploded was stored illegally, and not in any place authorized by the Act. His conclusion on a prima facie view of the case would be that the person in charge of the dynamite had committed an offence, not only under the new Act, but under the old one. The matter was in the hands of the authorities. PARLIAMENT-ORDER-PRIORITY FOR MOTIONS.-QUESTION. MR. RITCHIE asked the honourable Member for West Cumberland, Whether, seeing it has been stated from the Chair, that according to the Rules of the House a Member could give Notice of only one Motion with a view of obtaining under the ballot priority for such Motion, and that if several Members combined to enter their names on the Notice Paper with the view of giving Notice of one and the same Motion the rule of the House was thereby practically evaded, he intends to proceed with the Motion which stands in his name for Friday 14th July? MR. PERCY WYNDHAM: Sir, I think the hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets will see, upon consideration of the whole of this case, that in asking me this Question it is practically whether I consider there has been such a breach of the Rules of this House as should induce me to withdraw my Motion from the Order Book. He is asking me to decide a point which it is not for me to decide, and putting upon my shoulders a responsibility which rests upon the shoulders of the House. This is a question of very great interest to private Members, and the object of the Motion is of very great interest to people in this House and out-of-doors. Had the question been decided on Monday there might have been a possibility of bringing the matter forward this Session. We have just heard on high authority that we are very near the close of the Session. The Motion of the hon. Member for Canterbury (Mr. Butler-Johnstone) was withdrawn on the very day when I gave Notice of my Motion, and therefore practically to erase this Motion from the Order Book would prevent its coming on again this year. I have always understood that the universal practice Mr. Assheton Cross amongst Members of this House not to take up any question or Bill which was in the hands of another Member was a matter purely of courtesy and good feeling between Members, and had nothing whatever to do with the Rules of the House. If there is a question of sufficient interest to engage the attention of many Members instead of one, I do not see why on that account it should be deprived of the greater chance of gaining the attention of the House which it would otherwise There are two possess. ways of getting rid of a Motion-one by the action of the Member himself, and the other by the action of the House after debate, and sometimes on division. I do not intend to put the House to that trouble; but I understand, Sir, that the Question of the hon. Member is exactly the same as that twice put to you by the hon. Member for Glasgow (Mr. Anderson), and which you refused to answer. I therefore cannot, on the suggestion or hint of any one, withdraw this Motion. If you, Sir, from the Chair, say you think there has been an evasion of the Rules, or of the spirit of the Rules, of the House, which should necessitate my withdrawing this Motion, I shall not hesitate to give Notice of its withdrawal. MR. SPEAKER: The hon. Member has imposed on me rather a serious responsibility. He says if I am prepared to state that, in my judgment, such an evasion of the Rules of the House has taken place as to justify the striking out of his Motion from the Paper, he will abide by my decision. Now, if the hon. Member was acting in combination with other Members to get undue priority for his Motion under the Ballot, I do think that such an evasion has taken place of the Rules of the House as would involve the striking out of the Motion from the Paper on the day on which it was put down. But I must leave it to the hon. Member himself to determine whether he has been acting in good faith to the House, or whether he has been acting in combination with other Members to obtain undue priority for his Motion. ARMY MOBILIZATION OF THE FORCES. QUESTION. MR. J..HOLMS asked the Secretary of State for War, When the Government propose to submit to the consideration of the House the scheme, together with र an estimate of the cost, for the Mobiliza- | from standing for the representation tion of the Forces, which has appeared in the Army List since December last; and, whether, seeing that a Bill has been passed by the House of Commons for calling out two of the eight Army Corps composing such scheme for Autumn Manoeuvres, Her Majesty's Government will name an early day for the discussion of the scheme? MR. GATHORNE HARDY, in reply, said, with reference to the first part of the Question, that he had no intention to bring the subject before the House further than had been done on the Estimates. As sufficient provision had been made, he did not intend to submit any additional Estimates to the House. He might remark that the House had not sanctioned the calling out of the Army Corps, but had merely sanctioned the use of certain land for the purpose of mobilization. There was on the Paper a Notice relating to mobilization generally, and he had no intention to interfere with it. LOANS (IRELAND).—QUESTION. MR. DODSON asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is his intention to introduce a Bill this Session on the subject of the outstanding balances in respect of loans of public money for various purposes in Ireland? MR. W. H. SMITH: In reply to the hon. Member's Question, I have to state that there is an intention to introduce a Bill on the subject his Question refers to in the course of the present Session. PARLIAMENT LEITRIM COUNTY ELECTION-QUESTION. MR. GATHORNE HARDY: I trust the House will allow me to allude to a Question put on Wednesday by the hon. and gallant Member for Galway (Captain Nolan) during my absence on that day. It was a Question serious in itself, and the course which the hon. and gallant Member took on Wednesday, as far as I can understand his remarks-for I did not hear them, and only became acquainted with them in the way Members are obliged to do when not presentseemed to have implied either that the Military authorities or the Government had taken such part with the view of hindering the gentleman alluded to of an Irish county now vacant. "If any Officer stationed at Newbridge has "Full Report called for by telegraph from General Commanding at Curragh on Captain O'Beirne's case was received here by special messenger last night too late for London post, but went by this morning's post, and will reach you to-night. Nothing was known of this case here until your telegram of the 20th was received. The facts are these:-On 16th instant Captain O'Beirne applied to his Commanding Officer for leave, for electioneering purposes, for a period beyond the power of that officer to grant. He offered, however, all he could-48 hours, and referred Captain O'Beirne personally to the General Commanding at the Curragh. Captain O'Beirne, on the 20th, did not see the General. On the 21st Captain O'Beirne applied through his Commanding Officer for leave from the 22nd until the declaration of polling for county Leitrim, which was immediately granted by General Seymour." Subsequent to that, and in consequence of the Government sending another telegram, they received very shortly before I came down to the House another telegram from the Deputy Adjutant General in Ireland the Secretary of War at all; and it was quite obvious to me, when the hon. and gallant Member applied to me on the subject, that my first duty was to ascertain what had occurred in Ireland, and that I had no right to interfere with the discipline of the Army or to take any steps until I knew what had been done. It appears now that Captain O'Beirne was delayed by his own fault, because he had permission to obtain leave earlier if he chose, but did not ask until the 21st, and then immediately received the leave which he applied for. CAPTAIN NOLAN: I trust the House will permit me to offer a few words of explanation. The Secretary of State for War has overwhelmed me with telegrams and Reports, received since I brought this question before the House. What has happened out of the House is this-and it shows the importance of bringing these questions before the House, for although I waited 44 hours. "Your telegram just received. A full tele- after bringing this matter under the gram has been already sent to you this morning. On the 16th instant Captain O'Beirne asked his notice of the Government, the only inCommanding Officer for several days' leave for formation I received was of a meagre electioneering purposes. Colonel Stewart re- and unsatisfactory character. But the plied that he had only power to grant two days' moment this question is before the leave. Captain O'Beirne said that would do him no good. The Colonel then told him he had House, I am, as I have said, overpermission to go and see the General Command-whelmed with Reports and telegrams. ing at the Curragh. Captain O'Beirne went to Now, Sir, the course I pursued has been the Curragh that evening, but finding the Brig- stated to a great extent by the Secretary ade Office closed he did not go to the General's of State for War. I applied to him at private residence or take any further steps. General Seymour knew nothing of the matter 4 o'clock on Monday, but until Weduntil a regular application for leave from Cap-nesday, at 12 o'clock, I received no intain O'Beirne, which was sent in on the 20th was received on the 21st. It was immediately granted." formation as to what had been done in Ireland; and when I did receive some information then from an official telegràm, it was that the officer could only receive leave for seven days, which was quite insufficient to conduct a county election. The Secretary of State has admitted that my Question was down on the Paper on Tuesday, when the right hon. Gentleman was here, and at his request I postponed it. And I postponed my Question in the most formal manner by public Notice in this House. The words I used, following the advice of a Member who sat near me, were-"I will postpone the Question until this evening, or, if more convenient, until to-morrow.' So that the right hon. Gentleman had full Notice of it. I certainly knew he was at Shoeburyness, as I publicly stated in the House yesterday. The right hon. Gentleman says this is a military question; but I think it is sufficiently political for any other Mi nister to have given me an answer. | welfare. The House will perhaps best The inference the House may draw is, form an opinion as to the expediency of that there has been a great deal of fric- discussion at present upon the affairs of tion between different Departments, as Turkey if I place before them, as accuit took 44 hours to obtain a telegram. I rately as it is in my power to do, the cannot say whether it was the fault of exact position of affairs. The Great the Government, of the General in Ire- Powers, although they may have differed land, or of the Colonel. Even if I could, on other points, have unanimously I should be sorry to do so. All I can agreed upon one-namely, that after the point out is, that there has been a great events which have happened at Condeal of friction and delay which, so far stantinople, and the accession of the as it extended to telegraphic messages, new Sultan, it was just and expedient seems to have been totally removed as that he should not be unduly pressed, soon as the question became one not of but that he should have sufficient time letting an opposition candidate go to the to survey his position, and to decide poll, but of vindicating the Ministry. | what, in the opinion of his Ministers and We then had a full Report. As to Counsellors, was the best course by Captain O'Beirne's applying for leave which he might extricate himself from or not, that is the very question on which his difficulties and bring about a state of I asked for information, which I could affairs more satisfactory to Europe. not obtain. It is evident, however, With this view the Sultan has published from the Secretary for War's statement, a Proclamation, which grants a general that he did make an application; and an amnesty to all his subjects in Herzegoofficer asking for leave to contest a vina and in Bosnia, and at the same county, and surrounded by military time has announced a suspension of authorities-let me inform the House hostilities. In what manner this Profrom personal experience-is in a very clamation has been received by the Indifferent position from a Member speak- surgents we have no formal evidence, ing in this House under privileges which which is the necessary consequence of have grown up during 400 or 500 years, their having no Provisional Government and which are very necessary for the or recognized head. But so far as we protection of some individuals. can now form an opinion from what is occurring in those countries, the Proclamation has, at least, elicited some inert sympathy; because we have it in evidence that it has been in the power of the Turkish authorities to revictual the most important stronghold in Herzegovina without any difficulty, though the attempt to do so a few weeks ago caused a severe and sanguinary struggle, and I might say more than one sanguinary struggle. I may also observe that we have reason to believe that communications are at this moment passing between the Government at Constanti TURKEY-THE EASTERN QUESTION. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. MR. DISRAELI: I will now, with the permission of the House, answer the Question of my hon. Friend (Mr. Bruce)-whether it will be convenient for the public service that we should enter at once into some discussion on the present state of affairs in Turkey; and, if not, whether I could feel it my duty, when the occasion serves, to facilitate that discussion in this House? Her Majesty's Government appreciate-en-nople and various bodies of other subtirely appreciate the sage forbearance -I will even say the patriotic reservewhich has been extended to the Government in circumstances of difficulty, and which has induced the House to refrain from discussing affairs the public notice of which we may assume might be inconvenient. I myself trust that this forbearance will not be abused, and I can assure the House that there is no wish on the part of Her Majesty's Government that we should take advantage of it for any other object than that of the public From its own jects of the Sultan. What may be the |