plated in the measure, or, indeed, to arrive at any decision whatever regarding it.

CRIME AND OUTRAGE (IRELAND —

RIOTS AT MONAGHAN,

DR. COMMINS Roscommon, S.) for Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Monaghan, S. asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Commission of Inquiry, about to be issued by the Government to inquire into the recent riots at Belfast, will be empowered to investigate the deplorable currences of the 8th instant at Monaghan; and, whether the conduct of the magistrates, paid and unpaid, in the several places where riots recently occurred will be investigated by said Com

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. STANSFID Halifax (who replied) said: The Irish Government do not think it necessary to have a sworn inquiry into the occurrence at Monaghan. The whole affair did not last more than half-an-hour. Not more than 30 or 40 persons were engaged in it. And there is every reason to suppose that it had its origin in a personal and not a party or political motive. As regards Belfast, the inquiry will extend, as already stated, to the action of the magistrates.

MR. SEXTON Sligo, S.: Can they compel the attendance of witnesses?

M. STANSFELD: I do not know. I will make inquiry.

ment respecting them, with the view of obtaining immediate protection for British trade with the Island, and without waiting for the decisions of courts of law upon matters connected with other grievances; and, whether he has any objection to lay upon the Table Copies of the communications received in answer to the inquiries which have been made by Her Majesty's Government on the subjects referred to?

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF

STATE (Mr. BRYCE Aberdeen, S.): The only matter respecting which Mr. Godden has solicited the intervention of Her Majesty's Government is the alleged excessive assessment of ground tax on his property in Curaçao. Her Majesty's Minister at the Hague was instructed to represent this case unofficially to the Netherlands Government, and to ask if there were any remedy for Mr. Godden against the injustice of which he complains. The substance of the reply of the Netherlands Government was communicated to Mr. Godden on March 2 last. There would not be any public object to be gained in return for the expense involved in printing and distri buting to Members of both Houses the Correspondence which has passed on the subject. Her Majesty's Government have no cognizance of the other griev

ances referred to in the hon. Member's

Question; but they will be very willing to do what they properly can on Mr. Godden's behalf on learning from him

the nature thereof.

SALE OF LAND AT ELTON, CO,
LIMERICK.

THE NETHERLANDS GOVERNMENT-LANDLORD AND TENANT (IRELAND -
ALLEGED OPPRESSIVE PROCEED.
INGS TOWARDS MR. GODDEN AT
CURACAO,

MR BANISTER FLETCHER(Wilts, Chippenham asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, with reference to the acts of oppression to which Mr. Godden, a British merchant, has been subjected by the Dutch, authorities in Curaçao, would he state whether the representation which has been addressed to the Netherlands Government on the subject was an thcial representation by Her Majesty's Government; whether Her Majesty's Government are aware that three of the grievances complained of are not affected by any question of law; and, if so, whether they will make a further repre

DR. COMMINS Roscommon, S.) for Mr. FINUCANE Limerick, E. asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the interest in the farm of Mr. Edmond Davoren, of Elton, county Limerick, was advertised for sale on the 12th of June by his landlord; whether three days before sale the sheriff of county Limerick wrote to Mr. Davoren that the sale would not take place till the 19th instant; whether the sheriff, notwithstanding such notice, sold, in Mr. Davoren's absence, the interest in his farm on the 12th June, the date originally fixed; and, whether such sale is illegal; and, if so, will the Government take steps to prevent such

that all telegrams in favour of Mr. Macintyre's appointment were to be despatched free of expense to the senders; whether Mr. William Duncan, solicitor, of Dingwall, is an applicant for the Secretaryship of the Crofters' Commission; and, whether, in his professional capacity, this gentleman has been repeatedly concerned in evictions, and is so at the present moment?

THE COMPTROLLER OF THE HOUSEHOLD (Mr. MARJORIBANKS) (Berwickshire) (who replied) said: I absent in Scotland. In his absence I regret that the Lord Advocate is have to say that this and the following Questions have very recently been put upon the Paper. The information required has been asked for, but has not yet reached the Scottish Office. With regard to Mr. William Duncan, there is no information at the Scottish Office that would lead to the inference suggested.

MR. FRASER-MACKINTOSH Inverness-shire for Dr. MACDONALD Ross and Cromarty asked the Lord Advocate, Whether the Crofter Commissioner, Mr. | Macintyre, at various rural and urban MR. SEAGER HUNT Marylebone, telegraph offices in the counties of Ross, W. asked the Chief Secretary to the Inverness, and Sutherland, gave orders, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether

whether, in the absence of a detective who happened to be a Catholic, the cases were removed and forwarded to the consignee, via the North Wall,"

and, whether he will take steps to inform himself what foundation there is for the statement?

the Commissioners of Tithe Rent Charge | Furthermore, we would ask the authorities are pressing the landowners in Ireland for payment of Tithes, even when no rent for the period claimed has been received; whether proceedings for the appointment of a receiver have been threatened in the case of Mr. Penn Gaskell, of Shanagarry, county Cork, for Tithes due up to May 1886, when the rents on his estate have only been paid up to March 1885, and those only upon a reduction of twenty-five per ent. upon the rents already reduced to the extent of fifteen per cent. making a t tal reduction of, say, forty per cent.; whether the Tithe Commissioners will be instructed to make a reduction corre sponding to the reduction of rent; and, whether the Government will undertake to repeal the Act of 1872, 35 and 26 Vie. e 90, so that a re-valuation fixed on the average price of corn for the previous seven years may be ready?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD Mr. STANSFEID Halifax who replied said: The Land Commissioners state that they never press for the payment of tithe rent-charge if they are satisfied that no rent has been received, and that the reason for non-payment is not--what is often the case-that other claims ranking after theirs have been paid, leaving their prior claim unpaid. In the case of Mr. Penn Gaskell, of Shanagarry, county Cork, he owed in May last three halfyears' rent-charge, and offered to pay one The Commissioners asked for the payment of a year's charge, which was actually due on November 1, 1885. Mr. Penn Gaskell replied by asking for time until July 1 next, and his application was granted. The Commissioners have no power to make a reduction in the amount due to them.

IRELAND- IMPORTATION OF NORDEN

FELT CARTRIDGES,

MR. BIGGAR Cavan, W., for Mr. O'KELLY Roscommon, N asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Whether his attention has been called to the following paragraph in The Freeman's Journal of 12th June:Apropos of the Civil War' which the Orange leaders threaten to wage at some fire date, we would like to know if it is a futtist 2 caws of Nordent at cartriges, e sturg

1,000 each, and consigned to an Irish Perni une nnected with Orange Jelitis, were do. tained for two days at Holyhead recently.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD Mr. STANSFFLD Halifax) (who replied said: Tho Irish Government have seen the paragraph referred to. The cartridges were consigned legally to Lord Ardilaun, and the consignment and removal from Holyhead were with the full knowledge of the authorities. The greater number of the cases contained only 96 cartridges each; the largest not more than 350. It is understood they are intended for private use at Lord Ardilaun's residence in the West of Ireland.

MR. SEXTON Sligo, S.,: Have the Government satisfied themselves that Lord Ardilaun intends to use all these 20,000 cartridges?

MR. STANSFELD: I am afraid I cannot do more than read the answer sent to me; but, as I said to the hon. Member a while ago, I will make any inquiry he wishes.

NATIONAL EDUCATION IRELAND — THE EXAMINATIONS. DR. KENNY Cork, S. asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland have recently issued a rule to the effect that, at the examination commencing July 5th, in case the sum of the values given in any subject to the several answers be not equal to at least thirty-three per cent. of the maximum marks, no value will be assigned to the answering, and the teacher will be regarded as having failed on that subject; whether failure in any one subject involves failure in the whole examination; whether, in the past, twenty per cent. was the minimum required for a pass in each subject; what proportion of the successful candidates for promotion or classification at the examinations held in July 1885 obtained thirty three, or more than therty three, per cent. the now proposed minimum in all the obligatory sub. Jets; and, whether he can state on Whose responsibility this rule was intro

duced?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL | Government does not bear out all the GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. STANS- allegations in this Question; but, as a FELD) (Halifax) (who replied) said: The number of prosecutions arising out of the Commissioners of National Education occurrence are now pending, it is better proposed to raise the minimum per- not to enter into particulars at the present centage of marks required for teachers' time. The hon. Member has privately qualification in any subject from 20 to asked to have the matter inquired into by 33; but the change is not to take effect the Resident Magistrate of the district; until July, 1887. It is the case that but, as that gentleman will probably take candidates must pass without failure in part in the adjudication of the case, the any subject in their respective pro- Irish Government consider that he should grammes of examination. The infor- not be asked to prejudice himself by an mation asked for regarding the exami- ex parte inquiry beforehand. The order nation held in July, 1885, cannot, I am for transfer of Sergeant Price was not informed, be made out without consider- due to complaints against him in former able trouble and expense. cases of disturbance, and he was retained in consequence of strong representations of the value of his services to the locality.

CRIME AND OUTRAGE (IRELAND)

RIOT AT STEWARTSTOWN.

JAPAN-REVISION OF TREATIES. MR. BADEN-POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale) (for Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT (Croydon) asked the Under Secretary of Stute for Foreign Affairs, Whether a Convention is now sitting for the purpose of revising the Treaties of 1858 and 1866 between this Country and Japan; whether he is aware that Mr. John Hartley and other merchants, being British subjects, have claims against the Japanese Government (in consequence of the violation of those Treaties on the part of that Government, which have not yet been settled; and, whether the signing of a now Treaty will prejudice those claims; and, if so, whether Her Majesty's Government will refuse to sign the Treaty until the Japanese Government have settled such claims?

DR. TANNER (Cork Co., Mid) (for Mr. REYNOLDS) (Tyrone, E.) asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is a fact that, on Saturday evening the 22nd of May, about eight o'clock, an armed mob of Orangemen marched from Tullyhogue to Stewartstown, and proceeding to the Catholic Chapel, where a mission was being conducted by the Passionist Fathers, commenced playing party tunes, shouting "To with the Pope," and throwing stones at the congregation; whether it is a fact that several women and children were seriously injured; whether, in consequence, a riot took place between the Catholics and the Orangemen; whether Mr. Robert Wood requested Messieurs Hunt and Chambre, the other magistrates present, to give instructions to the police to disarm and disperse the Orangemen, but they refused; whether THE UNDER SECRETARY OF it is a fact that Sergeant Price, of the STATE Mr. BRYCE) Aberdeen, S.): Police Force, received information early A Conference is now sitting at Tokio for in the afternoon of the expedition, but the purpose of revising the existing neglected to communicate it to Mr. Treaties between Japan and Foreign Wood, who lives within three minutes' Powers. The case of Mr. Hartley is walk of the Police Barrack, or to pro- well known to Her Majesty's Governcure an adequate force for the protec-ment, and Questions in reference to it tion of the Catholic population; and, whether, in consequence of complaints against the said Sergeant Price in former cases of disturbance, an order was made for his removal from the district, and why such order has not been carried, out?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD Mr. STANS. FELD Halifax who replied said: The information in the possession of the Irish

were asked in Parliament in February and March, 1884, and so recently as July last. My Predecessor stated that successive Secretaries of State had arrived at the conclusion that Mr. Hartley's case was not such as to justify diplomatic interference. I am not aware of any other claims by British merchants. The new Treaty, it concluded, will not prejudice the claims of British subjects.

THE MAGISTRACY (IRELAND)-MR. P.

O'BEIRNE-THE NATIONAL LEAGUE.

THE SURVEYOR GENERAL OF ORDNANCE (Mr. WOODALL) Hanley) who replied, said, the Martini breechblock was retained in the new MartiniEnfield rifle because, after inquiry, it was

professional advisers that no sufficient grounds existed for re-opening the question as to the pattern of breech action. His Royal Highness the Commander-inChief concurred in this recommendation, and it was finally approved by the Se cretary of State.

MR. BIGGAR Cavan, W. (for Mr. JUSTIN M-CARTHY Longford, N.) asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieu-reported to the Secretary of State by his tenant of Ireland, If it is true that Mr. Patrick O'Beirne, of Castlepollard, was, in 1884, recommended to the Lord Lieutenant of the county of Westmeath, by the Granard Board of Guardians, for the Commission of the Peace, and that the recommendation was refused on the ground that he was then a member of the National League, and had been a member of the Land League, and that the same recommendation was sent, about two months ago, to the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and again refused; if the reason for the refusal was the same in the latter instance as in the former; and, if the Government are of opinion that no man is qualified for the Commission of the Peace in Ireland who is a member of the National League, or was a member of the Land League?

LAW AND JUSTICE ENGLAND AND WALES - DEVON QUARTER SESSIONS -CASE OF CHARLES TOWILL

MR. HOWELL Bethnal Green, N.E.) for Mr. SEALE-HAYNE) (Devon, Ashburton) asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been directed to the case of Charles Towill, who was sentenced at the Devon Quarter Sessions, on the 7th of April last, to six months' imprisonment, with THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL hard labour, for stealing a bundle of GOVERNMENT BOARD Mr. STANS- hay valued at 18. 6d., and recommended 1 Halifax who replied said: It is to mercy by the jury on the ground the fact that Mr. O'Beirne was recom-"that there was no real evidence that mended in 1884 to the then Lord Chancellor Sir Edward Sullivan by the Granard Board of Guardians for the Commission of the Peace, and was not appointed. The Executive are not aware of the reasons for that result. The application is now before the present Chanllor, who has not yet come to a decision upon it. I understand there is no such rule of disqualification as is suggested in the last paragraph of the Question.

ARMY ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT)-
SMALL ARMS - THE MARTINI

BREECH-BLOCK.

he stole the hay;" and, whether, under these circumstances, he will take steps to revise or remit the sentence?

THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.: The attention of the Secretary of State was not called to this case until the Question of the hon. Member appeared on the Paper. He is now making careful inquiry into the circumstances, and when this is completed the hon. Member will be informed of the decision arrived at.

PALACE OF WESTMINSTER-VENTI.

LATION OF THIS HOUSE.

MR. ISAACS (Newington, Walworth) asked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether a report has been received from an independent professional ex

MR. HENNIKER HEATON Canterbury asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether the statement, reported in The Times of the 17th instant to have been made the previous day, at the Royal United Ser-pert who has been consulted as to the vice Institution, by Colonel Arbuthnot, Royal Artillery, Superintendent of the Royal Small Arms Factory, to the effect that the Martini breech-block is to be retained in the new Enfield Military Rifle, by the "express orders" of him self, when Secretary of State for War, is true; and, if so, on what grounds he took this action?

drainage of the Palace of Westminster; whether such report approves the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Ventilation of the House as to the remedial measures to be undertaken in regard to such drainage; and, whether the works involved will be carried out during the forthcoming Recess?