tions under the 11th section of the Act | next twelve months, he will endeavour, of 1871. With reference to the 515 through the Foreign Office, to induce cases mentioned, the chief reason why Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, and more prosecutions have not been made other exporting countries to prevent the is, that the section only provides for cases loading of ships with deck cargoes? in which the owner or others actually send a ship to sea in an unseaworthy state. The Board of Trade have, under the 12th section of the Act of 1873, stopped ships from going to sea, thereby intercepting the offence which would come under the 11th section of the Act of 1871. There was a clause in the dropped Merchant Shipping Bill which has been passed in the Unseaworthy Ships Bill, elaborated and improved by the hon. and learned Member for Durham (Mr. Herschell), by which the Board of Trade will be empowered to proceed against persons who attempt to send or take unseaworthy ships to sea. That, with improved legal machinery, will probably make the law much more effective in future. SIR CHARLES ADDERLEY: Sir, assuming it to be possible, which it probably is not, for the Governments of the countries referred to to legislate between this time and next winter, it would scarcely become this Government to suggest to them the legislation they should adopt. The suggestion of such legislation, if confined to British ships, would in effect be to ask those countries to impose on British shipping restrictions which they do not impose on their own. If not so confined, it would amount to an interference with the municipal law of those countries which could scarcely be justified. I, however, hope and believe foreign countries are taking steps in co-operation with this country for security against the improper loading of ships. IRELAND-INTERMEDIATE EDUCA TION-MODEL SCHOOLS.-QUESTION. MR. WARD asked the Chief Secre tary for Ireland, Whether, having regard to the Report of the Royal Commission in 1870 on Primary Education in Ireland, that "the Model Schools have failed to accomplish the objects of their institution, and that the cost of their further maintenance is not justified by the result produced," and their recommendation that the existing provincial Model Schools "should be gradually discontinued," Her Majesty's Governmendations of the Commission; and, ment will give legal effect to the recomwhether they will consider the advisability of applying the money now expended on the Model School system to the development of Intermediate Education in Ireland? SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH, in reply, said, no doubt, before the Government could propose any scheme in reference to intermediate education, it would be necessary to consider the posi tion of the model schools. The Government would pay every possible attention to the recommendations which had been made by the Commissioners, but it was not the intention of the Government to give effect to them. He would add that the model schools were considered to be of great importance in certain parts of Ireland, where they did, to a great extent, what was necessary for the purposes of secondary education. MR. WARD gave Notice that he would next Session draw attention to the Report of the Commissioners, in reference to intermediate education in Ireland. RAILWAY TRAINS-COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PASSENGERS AND GUARDS.-QUESTION. MR. H. B. SHERIDAN asked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether it is the intention of the Board of Trade to insist upon Railway Companies complying with the Act of Parliament which requires "That an efficient means of communication shall be established between the passengers and guards of certain Railway trains; " whether, with a view to this result, the Board of Trade will fix a time at the expiration of which they will cause proceedings to be taken for the recovery of penalties under the Act against such Companies as have not by that time established "an efficient means of communication;" and, whether, as to certain trains, there is not a penalty incurred by Railway Companies for every compartment of every carriage where there is no communication, or where such communication is inefficient? POST OFFICE-THE TREASURY COM- QUESTION. MR. E. J. REED asked the Postmaster General, If he will lay upon the Table of the House, Copies of the Documents sent in by Mr. Scudamore to the Treasury Committee on Telegraphs; and, whether Mr. Scudamore will be authorized to offer observations upon the Report of the Treasury Committee, and if such observations will be laid upon the Table of the House? LORD JOHN MANNERS, in reply, said, the Report was made to the Treasury, and that he had no control over and documents sent in by the Committee. As to the second part of the Question, he had no doubt that any observations which Mr. Scudamore might offer upon that Report would be duly considered by the Treasury. He was unable, at present, to state whether the Paper could be laid on the Table of the House. NAVY-REPORTED DISORDERS ON QUESTION. MR. E. J. REED asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, If he will inform the House what grounds exist for the statement that disorders had recently occurred on board Her Majesty's ship 'Triumph ?" SIR CHARLES ADDERLEY: Sir, the Board of Trade has no power to initiate any system of communication between passengers and guards in railMR. HUNT, in reply, said, that the way trains; and, although only three of reports which appeared in some of the the companies have had their systems of newspapers during the last few days communication approved by the Board with regard to the Triumph were scanof Trade, it is not my intention, at dalous fabrications. There was a slight present, to institute any proceedings substratum-very slight-for the report. against such companies as have not Some of the dockyard police had, on complied with the provisions of the Regu- one or two occasions, missiles-such as lation of Railways Act, 1868, in this re-wedges of wood or bits of rope-thrown spect. The reason for this is that the at them from the topgallant forecastle, whole question is now being considered and it had been ordered to be cleared. by the Royal Commission on Railway There had been an inquiry, and it was Accidents, under the presidency of the found there was no existence of bad feelDuke of Buckingham, whose Reporting amongst the crew of the ship against will, I hope, shortly be made; and any recommendations they may make on the the commander. QUESTION. subject shall have my anxious and im- LANDED ESTATES COURT (IRELAND). mediate attention. The last paragraph of the hon. Gentleman's Question is one upon which I am unable to offer an opinion, and must be decided by a Court of Law. MR. KAVANAGH asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether, having regard to the representations addressed to the Government by persons interested in the sale and purchase of land, as well as by both branches of the legal profession in Ireland, in favour of appointing a second Judge to the Landed Estates Court, he will now state whether it is the intention of the Government to fill up the vacant judgeship? SIR MICHAEL HICKS - BEACH: Sir, the Government have decided to advise Her Majesty to fill up at an early date the Judgeship now vacant of the Irish Landed Estates Court. It is intended, as soon as arrangements can be made for the purpose, and legislation on this subject will be proposed to Parliament early next Session, that the Judge to be appointed, in addition to his share of the present work of the Landed Estates Court, shall perform other important duties connected with the same subject which are at present performed by another high legal official, whose office it will, consequently, be proposed to abolish. LAW AND JUSTICE-DEGREE OF SER JEANT-AT-LAW.-QUESTION. SIR CHARLES W. DILKE asked Mr. Attorney General, Whether, under the New Judicature Act, the existence of the degree of Serjeant-at-Law will serve any public purpose; and, whether the Government have considered to whom, in the event of the Serjeants Inn claiming to be maintained, the title and property belong? CRIMINAL LAW-THE CASE OF ROBERT GORDON.-QUESTION. MR. SHERRIFF asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been directed to the Report of the case of Robert Gordon, a child eight years of age, who for placing a few pebbles on the Midland Railway has been sentenced by the Reverend G. R. Gray, Chairman of the Alcester Bench of Magistrates, to one month's imprisonment and five years in a reformatory; and, whether he will make further inquiry into the circumstances of the case, and take such steps as he may deem necessary ? MR. ASSHETON CROSS, in reply, said, that he had made an inquiry into the case. It was quite true that such a sentence was passed upon this boy, who did place eight pebbles upon the railway, and that, he need hardly say, was a very dangerous practice, and must be put a stop to. This boy had been several times cautioned, not for putting pebbles on the railway, but for throwing stones. at trains when passing. The magistrates acted, he felt sure, upon a deep sense of responsibility of what they thought was right. He believed that one, if not two, of the boy's brothers had been sent to a reformatory, in order to remove them from the influence of their parents. In this case, however, the magistrates had exceeded their powers, as the boy, being under the age of 10 years, they were not justified in sending him to a reformatory except he had been THE ATTORNEY GENERAL: Sir, previously charged for a like offence; in answer to the hon. Baronet, I have to and though it appeared he had been state that, by the Judicature Act of 1873, charged with a like offence by a policeit is provided that it shall not be ne- constable, yet he had not been charged cessary for a Judge of the Supreme in the sense required by the Act of ParCourt to possess the qualification of liament, and therefore he (Mr. Cross) being a Serjeant-at-Law, and that the had remitted that part of the sentence. new Judicature Act which has just He had himself a horror of sending chilpassed in no way affects the position of dren to prison. No doubt, the best a Serjeant-at-Law. Under these cir- thing that could have been done would cumstances, the Question "whether the have been to give the boy a sound whipexistence of the degree of Serjeant-at-ping. He was in communication with Law will serve any public purpose "is one upon which the hon. Baronet is quite as qualified to form an opinion as I am. With reference to the second part of his Question, I can only state that, so far as I am aware, the Government have not considered "to whom, in the event of Serjeants Inn claiming to be maintained, the title and property belong." Mr. Kavanagh the visiting justices as to what should be done with the boy, and he should be disposed to act upon their recommendations as to his release after a certain period. CRIMINAL LAW-THE CASE OF MR. EDWARD JENKINS (for Mr. MUNDELLA) asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If it is true, as stated in the following paragraph from the "Morning Post," that:: "Colonel Baker was in the first instance placed in a different reception cell at Horsemonger Lane Gaol to the other prisoners, and throughout his term of punishment he will be kept separate from them. He is allowed to wear his own clothing, to buy his own food, to furnish his rooms-he has had two allotted to him-with what is reasonable, necessary, and not extravagant; to have wine at his own cost not exceeding one pint, or malt liquor not exceeding one quart, per day. He is not required to do any work, to clean his apartment, make his bed, or perform any menial office, all these being done for him by an officer of the prison. He may have any unobjectionable books or newspapers which he chooses. He may write or receive letters or papers, but these must in the first instance be examined or read by the governor. Lastly, he may see his friends in his apartment between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m." and, if so, who is responsible for maintaining the discipline of the prison; and, whether the same regulations would apply to other criminals convicted of the same offence? MR. ASSHETON CROSS: Sir, perhaps I may be allowed to answer the last part of the Question first. By the Gaol Act, 28 & 29 Vict. c. 126, s. 67, in every prison to which the Act applies, prisoners convicted of a misdemeanour, and not sentenced to hard labour, are to be divided into two divisions, one to be called the first division; and whenever any person is convicted of misdemeanour and sentenced to imprisonment without hard labour, it is lawful for the Court or Judge before whom the prisoner is tried to order such prisoner to be treated as a misdemeanant of the first division, and not to be deemed a criminal prisoner within the meaning of the Act. When the learned Judge who tried this case sentenced the prisoner, and made out the warrant of commitment, it was stated in the warrant that he was to be considered as a first-class misdemeanant. He would therefore fall under the first division of misdemeanants who are not sentenced to hard labour; and, that being so, he would come under the ordinary prison rules, which were sanctioned long ago, the effect of which is to place the prisoner in the category of prisoners alluded to in the Question of the hon. Member. The hon. Member will see that it is no question of action either on the part of the Home Office or on that of the visiting justices, but simply a question of law, the prisoner having been so sentenced. METROPOLIS-LIGHTING OF ST. JAMES'S PARK.-QUESTION. MR. J. G. TALBOT asked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether, considering that the enclosure of St. James's Park is now open long after dark in the winter months, he will take any measures for lighting the Park? MR. W. H. SMITH, in reply, said, he had been desired, in the unavoidable absence of the First Commissioner of Works, to state that his noble Friend would give, during the Recess, his most anxious consideration to the question of the lighting of St. James's Park. IRELAND-THE HARBOUR OF ARDGLASS.-QUESTION. MR. J. ORMSBY GORE (for Lord EDWIN HILL-TREVOR) asked the Secretary to the Treasury, If the Government will take any steps next Session to provide for the re-construction of the Harbour of Ardglass, in the county Down? MR. W. H. SMITH, in reply, said, that a scheme had been prepared, and a Bill would be introduced next Session. MERCANTILE MARINE-THE LOSS OF THE "COSPATRICK." QUESTION. MR. HAYTER asked the President of the Board of Trade, What steps he proposes to take in order to carry out the recommendations of the Court of Inquiry held at Greenwich into the burning of the Emigrant Ship "Cospatrick," specially with regard to the proper stowage of the boats and the weekly exercise of the crews of both emigrant and passenger ships at fire and boat stations? SIR CHARLES ADDERLEY: Sir, the Court which inquired into the loss of the Cospatrick by fire made three recommendations. The first was, that in wooden vessels there should be bulkheads to cut off communication with the hold as in iron ships, and that has been seen to as far as possible. The second | hon. Member for Dundee, not satisfied was, that there should be better stowage with the result of the division on that of boats, and that they should not be Amendment, challenged a division on stowed keel upwards. That point is the substantive Motion, and this was under consideration of a Departmental really taking a division on the principle Committee; but its decision has been of the Bill. That was a result for which delayed by the illness of Captain Forster, he (Mr. Beresford Hope) had vainly the chief Emigration Officer of the Board looked, and for which he was much of Trade. The third was, that there indebted to the hon. Members opposhould be a boat drill on board emigrant site. ships. To these recommendations we have called the attention of shipowners throughout the country; but, at the same time, I beg to state that we do not think it desirable that imperative orders should be issued for compliance with them, and much less that compliance with them should be enforced by special legislation directed to that end. PARLIAMENT THE PROROGATION. QUESTION. MR. DILLWYN asked, Whether there would be a Sitting of the House to-morrow, and whether the House would meet on Friday? THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, it would not be necessary to ask the House to meet tomorrow. The House would meet at 12 o'clock on Friday for the Prorogation. INCREASE OF THE EPISCOPATE MR. BERESFORD HOPE said, that, in consequence of the answer given by the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he should move that the Order of the Day for going into Committee on the Bill, which had been more than once on the Paper, should be read and discharged. He wished, at the same time, to express his thanks to the hon. Members for Chelsea (Sir Charles Dilke) and Dundee (Mr. Edward Jenkins) for the great services they had rendered to his cause by the course they had taken on Monday night. There never had been a division on the main principle of the Bill until the hon. Member for Chelsea moved to substitute another day for that which he proposed for the postponement of the Bill. The Sir Charles Adderley MR. SPEAKER said, that no discussion on the merits of the Bill would be in Order on the present occasion. MR. BERESFORD HOPE said, he would bow to the authority of the Chair, but would take the opportunity of giving Notice that it was his intention to raise the question again next year. A Petition signed by between 4,000 and 5,000 of the clergy had been presented in favour of the Bill, although in consequence of some ignorance of the Forms of the House the signatures of only about 1,000 could be received. The fact, however, remained that one-fourth of the clergy of England had formally declared their assent to the Bill. Next Session he should re-introduce it at the earliest possible moment, and if he could only then find as good a friend as the hon. Member for Dundee had been this year, he trusted that he might be able to pass this Bill. MR. MONK said, that having voted in the minority the other night, he begged to state that he was as much in favour of an increase in the Episcopate as his hon. Friend the Member for the Cambridge University; but he thought the question had never been fully considered by the House. MR. SPEAKER said, that any debate on the Bill would be entirely out of Order. Motion agreed to. Order discharged; Bill withdrawn. SEA WALL, SHEERNESS. QUESTION. MR. E. J. REED asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether he has received a Memorial from some of the inhabitants of Sheerness relative to the unsafe condition of the sea wall in front of Marine Town; and, whether any steps have been taken by his department in the matter? |