May, 1900, and this Order was made Council acting as the local education under the Public Health Acts. The authority will levy and collect the Board carefully considered the proposed rate necessary for educational purincreases of salary and felt unable to poses, or whether it is intended that approve of them. the Council shall issue a precept to the overseers of the poor for the amount of education expenses required for the overseers to levy and collect the education rate and pay it over to the treasurer of the said authority. Auxiliary Forces-Establishment Statistics. SIR CHARLES DILKE: To ask the Secretary of State for War what is the present deficiency in officers in the Auxiliary Forces, Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteers, as compared with the establishment, and also in relation to the numbers actually serving in the ranks. (Answered by Sir Robert Finlay.) The Council will issue their precept to the overseers of the poor to collect the amount and pay it over to the Council. Education Bill-Religious Instruction MR. CHARLES M'ARTHUR (Liver (Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) The figures are as follows:-Deficiency : Militia, 675; Yeomanry, 419; Volunteers, 2,095. Included in the numbers pool, Exchange): To ask the First Lord deficient are seconded officers numbering 381, 60, and 239, respectively. The numbers deficient in establishment of the various arms are:--Militia, 20,407; Yeomanry, 8,106; Volunteers, 71,398. of the Treasury whether, under the Education Bill, the sanction of the Board of Education will be required to alterations in trust deeds which have the effect of modifying the character of the religious instruction to be given in the school, or of giving an appeal to the Bishop or other ecclesiastical authority, where no provision for such an appeal previously existed; if so, from what date the alterations will be subject to confirmation; and, if not, whether he proposes to add any provision of the character suggested. (Answered by Mr Balfour.) The Bill gives no power to alter trust deeds except as regards the appointment of managers. Any other alterations of trust deeds must be made under the law as it now exists. (2.15.) QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. Cost of Somaliland Operations. *SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether any estimate has been formed of the probable cost in the present financial year of the preparations for the future Somaliland campaign. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR Education Bill-Rating by Urban District WAR (Mr. BRODRICK, Surrey, Guildford): Councils. MR. D. A. THOMAS: To ask Mr. Attorney General whether, under the Education Bill, an Urban District As far as can be foreseen, the probable cost in connection with the Somaliland expedition during the present financial year will not exceed £250,000. cost and character of the work and supplies required for railway undertakings now in progress in West Africa. THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN, Worcestershire, E., for Mr. J. Chamberlain): The West Atrican railways are being constructed departmentally, and not by contract. Messrs. Shelford and Son are the Consulting Engineers, and are not in any sense contractors for the work. No complaints of the kind referred to have been received. MR. THOMAS BAYLEY: Are they constructing the line? MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN: I do not know what meaning the hon. Member attaches to the word "constructing." MR. THOMAS BAYLEY: There is a wide difference between the engineer and the person who is constructing the line. MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN: I have said that they are the Consulting. Engineers. Sultan of Sokoto and the Niger MR. EMMOTT (Oldham): I beg to ask the Postmaster General, as representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies, if the treaty concluded between Sokoto specifically stated that the the Niger Company and the Sultan of treaty was granted to the Niger Company and to its assigns; and if, in view of the interest taken in the matter by Lancashire and other industrial centres trading with West Africa, he will lay upon the Table of the House a Copy of the treaty, and also the despatches showing the efforts which have been made to induce the Sultan of Sokoto to recognise the Crown as transferees of the treaty and treaty rights, and the efforts to establish friendly relations generally; and whether he will give instructions that friendly assurances shall be at once conveyed to the Sultan of Sokoto and to the Sultan of Kano, by special missions or otherwise, that the contemplated military preparations and movements of troops are merely of the nature of police protection for the British and French Delimitation Commissioners, and that nothing of a hostile or unfriendly nature to Sokoto or Kano are intended thereby. SIR CHARLES DILKE had on the Paper the following Question: To ask the Postmaster General, as representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies. whether, in the treaties of 1885, 1890, and 1894, between the Emirs of Sokoto and the Niger Company, the Company was recognised as receiving its powers from and as representing the Crown; and if he will explain the circumstances under which it is alleged that Sokoto declined to recognise the transfer of the powers of the Company to the Imperial Government, and will lay upon the Table a copy of any communications which passed at the time the transfer took place, and, whether every endeavour will be made in connection with the AngloFrench boundary delimitation to prevent the suspicion of the Mohammedan Emirs being excited by the composition of the armed escort. MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN: Perhaps I may be allowed to answer the two questions together. By the treaty of the 25th of June, 1894, the Sultan of Sokoto expressly recognised the Royal Niger Company as receiving its powers from and representing the Queen of Great Britain. Two of the three treaties have been published in Hertslet's "Map of Africa by Treaty." The treaty of 1894 has not been printed there, but is in the same terms mutatis mutandis as the treaty with Gandu of the same year. The word "assigns" is not used in any of the treaties, but the treaty of 1885 was made with the Company "or other with whom they may arrange." Sir F. Lugard's messenger to the Sultan, informing him of the transfer was treated with indignity, and to messages sent subsequently the Sultan has returned a defiant reply. The actual text of the communications which have passed between the High Commissioner and the Sultan is not in the possession of His Majesty's Government, and no Papers on the subject can usefully be laid before the House at present, but Sir F. Lugard's annual Report for the last year, in which his relations with Sokoto and Kano are referred to, will shortly be published. Sir F. Lugard's policy has always been to cultivate friendly relations with the Sultans, if possible, and he has no doubt done all in his power to avert any suspicions which might be excited by the military arrangements necessary for the protection of the Boundary Commissioners. MR. EMMOTT: May I ask whether any new provisions have been introduced which would in any way account for the remarkable change that seems to have occurred in the relations between the Emir and the Government? MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN: I think not. I had, however, better ask for notice of any additional Questions. Flash Point of Petroleum. MR. TULLY (Leitrim, S.): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is aware that Dr. Dupré, the Home Office chemist, stated in a speech at Sutton that there Ishall be no legislation raising the flash point of petroleum from 73° Abel closetest; whether Dr. Dupré has been called on for any explanation of this speech, and what has been the result. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. AKERS DOUGLAS, Kent, St. Augustine's): The speech to which, as I understand, the hon. Member refers, consisted of remarks delivered at least five years ago by Dr. Dupré in the course of discussion at a meeting of the Sutton Scientific and Literary Society. The words. in the Question do not accurately represent what was said, as far as recollected. Dr. Dupré's remarks were known in the Home Office at the time, and I find nothing which I feel called upon to ask him to explain. Vaccination. can be *SIR FRANCIS POWELL (Wigan): I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether it is the intention of the Government to introduce, in the course of next Session, a measure extending the duration of or MR. TULLY: How is it that the selections for these offices are all Englishmen? MR. AUSTEN They are not. THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. WYNDHAM, Dover): The infringement of Mr. Sweeney's sporting rights consisted in this, that the shot from the service rifle was fired at long range, and before he himself could fire. the coastguard to use the rifle for sportIt was wrong, no doubt, for the officer of ing purposes. But the temptation was and no further notice of the matter has great and the wrong was unintentional, been taken beyond warning him not to do it again. Irish Dispensary Appointments. MR. TULLY: I beg to ask the Chief Ireland whether he can state if any Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of appointments have yet been made to the vacant dispensary appointments in the counties of Louth, Waterford, and Wexford, for which the branches of the Medical Association have decided that no candidates will apply unless the salaries are fixed at £200 a year; and what steps have the Local Government Board taken in the matter. MR. WYNDHAM: There is no vacancy in the County Wexford. In Louth an election to fill the one vacancy in that county is fixed to take place on Tuesday next. In Waterford the question of re-arranging the boundaries of the vacant district is still under the con sideration of the Guardians. Irish Land Conference. MR. TULLY: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether any expert official from the Land Commission Department will be directed to attend and assist with CHAMBERLAIN: official statistics the conference between the representatives of landlords and tenants promoted by the committee of landlords presided over by the Earl of Dunraven. Blacksod Bay Coastguard. Ireland whether he has received a MR. WYNDHAM: The official complaint that on the 28th ultimo the statistics issued from time to time by the Land Commission have been published in the form of annual reports and returns, which have been presented to Parliament. The Commissioners, I have no doubt, would be quite willing to supply, on application, copies of such documents to the conference, but beyond this no directions could be given. MR. TULLY: As this is going to be the greatest meeting of the century, they ought to have the best expert advice. Rathmullan (Donegal) Pier. MR. O'DOHERTY (Donegal, N.): I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to representations from the inhabitants of Rathmullan, county Donegal, requesting a grant out of the moneys voted by the Marine Works Act for the extension of the existing pier at Rathmullan; and whether, seeing that the proposed extension of the pier has been recom. mended by the officers of His Majesty's ships anchored off Rathmullan, he will comply with this request. MR. WYNDHAM: I am not yet in a position to make any pronouncement upon the question of the allocation of the moneys provided by this Act. MR. O'DOHERTY: When may' we expect an announcement ? MR. WYNDHAM: I shall be going into the matter in Ireland in January. Roman Catholic Catechist for the Armagh Union. MR. O'DOHERTY: I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Local Government Board (Ireland) wrote to the Armagh Board of Guardians with reference to the appointment of a Roman Abraham, William (Cork, N. E.) Catholic catechist in that union, and requesting the guardians to obtain from the Roman Catholic chaplain a report as to whether the lady appointed was qualified to perform the duties of catechist to the Roman Catholic children in the workhouse, and whether, seeing that the guardians refused to comply with this request, he will state what further action the Local Government Board purpose taking in the matter. MR. WYNDHAM: The facts are correctly stated. The matter is at present engaging the attention of the Local Government Board. MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS. That they have agreed to Militia and Yeomanry Bill; Osborne Estate Bill; Local Government (Ireland) (No. 2) Bill; Mail Ships Bill; Glasgow Confirmation Bill, without Amendment. Corporation (Water and General) Order London Water Bill, with Amendments. LONDON WATER BILL. Lords Amendments to be considered tomorrow, and to be printed. [Bill 310. SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE (EXEMPTION FROM THE STANDING ORDER). (2.25) Motion made, and Question put "That the Proceedings on Consideration of the Lords Amendments to the Education (England and Wales) Bill, if under discussion at Twelve o'clock this day, be not interrupted under the Standing Order (Sittings of the House)."-(Mr. A. J. Balfour.) 55. AYES, The House divided :-Ayes, 182; Noes, (Division List, No. 634) | Balcarres, Lord Bowles, Capt. H. F. (Middlesex |