battalion possessing its full complement the first time on April 1st; and some of men, and in every other respect little friction had arisen, as might be efficient. The Secretary of State had expected, in bringing it into working. adopted the clôture system, and never Delay in issuing pensions had, no doubt, even answered his letter. He believed caused inconvenience-it did not deserve that no single battalion was at that the name of hardship--to the pensioners moment in a state of efficiency. Last in some districts who, it must be reyear there were several changes, the membered, received their payments three changes to territorial regiments, which months in advance; but the greatest had created more confusion than any- care would be taken to avoid any such thing else since Babel; then there were delay on future occasions-it having various changes in the uniforms. The now only been caused by temporary cirsystem of paying pensioners had also cumstances incidental on introducing a been changed, with the result that the large change of system. As regards the pensioners, who were poor men, upon condition of the battalions forming the one occasion had to wait for their pen- First Army Corps, he admitted that at sions. He did object to change in itself; present there was a larger proportion of he disliked changes which produced no young soldiers in these battalions than advantageous result. He would like to was desirable; but this was the unavoidknow, as he was addressing the House, able result of having suddenly to raise whether the recent change in the form their establishments to a strength much of Gazette announcements to the com- in excess of what they had been hitherto. mands of regiments and battalions in- This increase could only be made by dicates any change in the position or rapidly recruiting into them. It must pay of commanding officers? take some time to harden these battalions; but as soon as the newly-fixed establishments were in order, this hardening process would progress rapidly, and in future years the condition of the battalions in question would be satisfactory.

VISCOUNT BURY considered that there was much to be said in regard to the administration of the Army, and asked that the next stage of the Bill should be put down as the first Order, so that noble Lords who took an interest in the Army might have an opportunity of addressing the House.

THE EARL OF MORLEY, in reply, said, the criticisms of the noble Earl upon the Army were of so general a character that they did not require answering upon the present occasion. As regarded the Question put by the noble Earl, he would say that the change in the form of Gazette announcements to the commands of regiments indicated no change whatever in the position or pay of commanding officers. The reason for the change in practice referred to was that there were now two lieutenant colonels in each battalion-one subordinate, the other in command-and it would be on many grounds desirable and convenient that the appointment to the command of a battalion or regiment should be announced in The Gazette, though the officer so appointed had already reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. In reference to the new scheme for paying military pensions by postoffice orders, he differed from the noble and gallant Earl, who stated that the change would produce no beneficial results-he believed, on the contrary, that it would be of great benefit to the pensioners, who would not in future be obliged to attend at their pension Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a acoffices every quarter to receive their cordingly, and committed to a Committee pensions, a practice which often inter- of the Whole House To-morrow.

fered with their employments, and was productive of other inconveniences. The scheme had been put in operation for

LORD CHELMSFORD said, he wished to point out that, as regarded the appointments of two lieutenant colonels, it was not a new regimental arrangement. In 1858, when he was appointed to the 95th Regiment, there were then two lieutenant colonels in all regiments in India. No practical inconvenience was then found in gazetting these appointments in the manner which existed before the recent change was made.

THE EARL OF MORLEY said, that he proposed to put this Bill down for Committee to-morrow.

House adjourned at Seven o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter past Ten o'clock.

WAYS AND MEANS-considered in Committee- ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY-SERFinancial Statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer-The Resolutions. PUBLIC BILLS-Second Reading-Parliamentary Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Practices) [21] [First Night], debate adjourned; Bankruptcy Law Amendment [87].

Society's employés, having stolen a quan- | consider the case of Mr. Joseph Smyth tity of whiskey that came by railway of Columbkill, in the county of Longwith the Society, they got drunk upon it, ford, who has been confined for six and beat and severely outraged each months in Dundalk under a warrant other, and then charged the peaceable charging him with being reasonably Roman Catholic inhabitants of the lo- suspected of having taken part in incality with a party outrage? timidation; whether the district to which Mr. Smyth belongs is not and has not been peaceful and well conducted; and, whether, under the circumstances, he will direct that Mr. Smyth be released from prison?

MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, Mr. Boland had been in communication with the Local Government Board, and that body was instituting an inquiry into the matter.

ARMY-SENIOR MAJORS-EXTRA PAY.
COLONEL O'BEIRNE asked the Secre-

is the intention of the Government to | Union by Mr. T. Boland, in connection take any steps for the formation of a with the late election of guardian for harbour of refuge on the South Eastern Belturbut electoral division, and on Coast; whether their attention has been what grounds has an inquiry been redirected to the advantages possessed by fused?" Dungeness for that purpose; and, whether the memorials addressed to the Board on this subject will be printed? MR. CHAMBERLAIN, in reply, said, the hon. and gallant Gentleman who had put the Question would see that it would not be right for the Government to propose an inquiry of the kind suggested unless they had made up their mind that at the conclusion of the in-tary of State for War, Why the advanquiry they would recommend to Parlia- tage of extra pay granted to the two senior Majors of a Battalion of Infantry ment the construction of harbours of reof the Line, or of a West India Regifuge at the national expense. That was a very large question, which concerned ment, by Art. 185-I. of the Royal not only the East Coast of Scotland, as 1881, has not been similarly extended Warrant for Pay, &c. dated 25th June was shown by the Question on the same subject by the hon. Member for East to the two senior Majors of a Regiment Kent. It would involve an expenditure will rectify this anomaly by a revised of Cavalry of the Line; and, whether he of many millions in the provision of har-Warrant, granting the same advantage bours of refuge which could be shown to be necessary at different parts of the coast of the Three Kingdoms. He was sorry to say that past experience, with reference to this matter, hardly justified the Government in taking any such course. The provision of harbours of refuge by

the State had not been, on the whole, very economical or efficient. This subject was fully discussed some 20 years ago, and the proposal to construct large harbours at the public cost decided against. Under these circumstances, the Government certainly would not be prepared to recommend the House to embark in any considerable undertaking of the kind. In reply to the latter part of the Question of the hon. Member for East Kent, he had to say that only one Memorial had been received advocating the formation of a harbour on the South Eastern Coast. There was no intention on the part of the Board of Trade to print it; but if the hon. Member liked to move for it, he saw no objection to its publication.

to Cavalry Majors as the Infantry Majors have obtained by the above-named Warrant?

hon. and gallant Friend, I have to point MR. CHILDERS: In reply to my Infantry, Majors of three years' service out to him that in the Cavalry, as in the as such will receive the higher rate of pay. The special and temporary allowance to the two senior Majors of an Infantry Battalion were granted to protect them against a loss which cannot occur Majors, if qualified and recommended in the Cavalry, in which all the existing for promotion, became, under the new establishment, Lieutenant Colonels.

THE OPIUM TRADE-THE CHEFOO
CONVENTION.

MR. PULESTON asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true, as stated in the public papers, that Her Majesty's Government, through its Representative at Pekin, is in communication with the Government of China in regard to the trade in opium between India and China; and, if so, at what stage matters have arrived?

SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: Her Majesty's Government have been in communication for a considerable time with the Chinese Government, through Her Majesty's Minister at Pekin, respecting the opium trade and the arrangement on the subject conditionally agreed to in the

Chefoo Convention.

have been adjourned pending the consideration by Her Majesty's Government of a new proposal for the settlement of this question recently made by the Chinese Government. Sir Thomas Wade telegraphed, on the 9th of February last, that he was reporting fully on that proposal, and Her Majesty's Government are now awaiting his Report.

EDUCATION (WALES)-REPORT OF

DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE.

ditions?

The negotiations | away the pasture land from the tenants some years ago, without reducing their rents, and is the present struggle for restoration or reduction of rent; and, did he, or the Home Secretary, order Captain M'Caul to send the police to Skye, without consulting the Glasgow magistrates; and, if so, did the order instruct Mr. M'Caul to refuse all information to his superiors, the Lord Provost, Magistrates, Members of the Corporation, and Citizens of Glasgow? The hon. Member said he also wished to know whether MR. PULESTON asked the Vice Pre- the police who went on this expesident of the Council, Whether the Go-dition were armed with revolvers; and vernment have approved the Report of whether civil officers were entitled to the Departmental Committee on Educa- be armed when going upon such expetion in Wales; and, whether he can state that a measure to give effect to its recomTHE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. mendations will be shortly introduced? BALFOUR): I have made inquiry with MR. MUNDELLA: The hon. Member the view of enabling me to answer this for Devonport asks whether the Govern- Question; and the information I have ment have approved the Report of the received is, that till about 70 years ago Departmental Committee on Education the piece of hill pasture in question was in Wales. My answer is that the Go- occupied by the tenants of several small vernment propose to legislate on the townships in the neighbourhood. At that lines of that Report, and have announced time it was taken from them, and their their intention to do so in Her Ma-rents were reduced from £280 in the jesty's Speech at the opening of Parliament. In a later Question my hon. Friend the Member for Merthyr (Mr. Richard) asks me whether I expect soon to introduce the promised measure. I can only say that we shall be ready to introduce the measure as soon as there appears any reasonable prospect of making progress with it.

ARMY-RE-ENGAGEMENT.

COLONEL COLTHURST asked the Se

be

cretary of State for War, Whether he will make known to the Army that private soldiers enlisted before August 1870, i.e. under the Act of 1867, may allowed to re-engage, on the recommendation of their respective commanding officers, if of good character and other wise eligible?

MR. CHILDERS: Yes, Sir; the pledge which I gave to the House on Monday last, that the rule for the reengagement of privates shall be made perfectly clear, will be fulfilled, and the perfectly clear, will be fulfilled, and the necessary order will issue shortly.

LANDLORD AND TENANT (SCOTLAND)

-THE EVICTIONS IN SKYE. MR. BIGGAR asked the Lord Advocate, Did Lord Macdonald, in Syke, take

aggregate to £200, at which latter figure they have stood since then. After the pasture ground was resumed, it was used as a market stance, and as a place for impounding strayed cattle. As it was uninclosed, the cattle and sheep of various persons were grazed upon it by tolerance, but not under lease or any other agreement. It was let for the first time about 17 years ago, and the animals belonging to the tenants in the neighbourhood were then excluded from it. No alterahad continued to be paid down to the tion was made upon their rents, which last few months without complaint. In answer to the second part of the Question, I have to say that neither the Home Secretary nor I gave any order, or had any communication with Captain M'Caul or the Glasgow police authorities on the subject of sending policemen. The application to the Glasgow authorities was made by the Sheriff, under the 90th section of the Police Act of 1866. The

made to Captain M'Caul, but to the application was not, in the first instance, Lord Provost; and, the Lord Provost having assented, the Sheriff addressed a requisition to the Chief Constable, under

which the constables were sent. I believe it is the case that the Sheriff did express the opinion that it would be desirable