Commons Sitting of 14 August 1885

Preamble
The House met at a quarter before Two of the clock.
QUESTIONS.

  MRRCHANT SHIPPING—THE LOAD LINE COMMITTEE—IRREGULAR PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT.
  MR. WARTONasked the Secretary to the Board of Trade, Whether he has obtained any further information as to how the Report of the Load Line Committee came to be published in The Times newspaper?
  THE SECRETARY TO THE BOARD (Baron HENRY DE WORMS),in reply, said, that he was glad to be able to supplement the information he gave yesterday upon the subject. He had made inquiries respecting it, and had satisfied himself that the document in question had not been communicated by any official of the Board of Trade. He had also received a communication from Her Majesty's Printers, repudiating the suggestion that the Report in The Times had emanated from their office, and pointing out that the type from which the matter was printed was not set up by them at the time the Report must have reached the newspaper office.

ARMY (INDIA)—THE INDEPENDENT NATIVE STATES—THE MARTINIHENRY RIFLE.
MR. GOURLEYasked the Secretary of State for India, Whether, in consequence of his having decided that Na-

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tive Indian Regiments in the service of the Queen shall be armed with Martini-Henry rifles, it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to recommend that the armies of independent Native Princes shall be similarly armed?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Lord RANDOLPH CHURCHILL), in reply, said, that the subject was a very large one, and was surrounded with many difficulties. He was not aware that the arming of the regiments of the Native Princes of India with the Martini-Henry rifle had ever been considered by the Government of India.

CENTRAL ASIA—RUSSIA AND AFGHANISTAN—THE AFGHAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION.
MR. GOURLEYasked the Secretary of State for India, To be good enough to inform the House if the duties of Lord Granville's Afghan Boundary Commission have been completed; if so, whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to order its withdrawal, and arrange amicably between London and St. Petersburg the existing trivial dispute regarding Zulfikar?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Lord RANDOLPH CHURCHILL): The duties of the Afghan Boundary Commission have not yet been completed. It is not the intention of Her Majesty's Government at the present moment to order its withdrawal; but Sir Joseph Ridgeway and those who are under his command have done, and are still doing, good and useful work. I must altogether take exception to the adjective which the hon. Member (Mr. Gourley) has inserted in the last line of his Question, where he alludes to the dispute regarding Zulfikar as "trivial." I take exception to that adjective; but I may say that Her Majesty's Government are not altogether without some confidence that before long they may be fortunate enough to arrive at a satisfactory settlement of the remaining points of the Boundary question, which have not yet been decided upon.

ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE DEPRESSION OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY —REPRESENTATION OF AGRICULTURE.
MR. STORERasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, How it happens that
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on the Commission about to be appointed regarding the Depression of Industry in this country, including, as it is understood, the connection between the depression in Agriculture and the depression in other Trades acting and re-acting upon each other, at present no Member of that Commission has been appointed who is supposed to have any practical knowledge of Agriculture?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: Sir, I am not prepared to admit that there is no Member of the Commission who has practical knowledge of agriculture. The Question is, however, one which I cannot answer without Notice. I think my noble Friend (Lord Iddesleigh) is still in communication with one or two Gentlemen upon the subject, and it is possible that the result may be an addition to the Commission of some such Gentlemen as the hon. Member desires.
MR. CAUSTONasked whether it was not by an afterthought that the subject of agriculture had been added to the Commission?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: No, Sir; it was by no afterthought at all that the subject referred to is to be considered by the Royal Commission on Depression of Trade. Agriculture, as such, is not included within the scope of the inquiry, though, of course, the obvious connection between trade and agriculture will secure that the depression in agriculture, so far as it is influenced by the depression of trade, shall be considered.
The following List of the Commissioners appeared in The London Gazette, September 1:—
The Earl of IDDESLEIGH (Chairman), The Earl of DUNRAVEN, Right Hon. G. SCLATER-BOOTH, Sir JAMES ALLPORT, Knt., JOHN AURD, Esq., THOMAS BIRTWHISTLE, Esq., LIONEL LEWIS COHEN, Esq., JAMES PORTER CORRY, Esq., DAVID DALE, Esq., CHARLES JAMES DRUMMOND, Esq., WILLIAM FARRER ECROYD, Esq., HENRY HUCKS GIBBS, Esq., WILLIAM HENRY HOULDSWORTH, Esq., WILLIAM LAWIES JACKSON, Esq., GEORGE AULDJO JAMIESON, Esq., NEVILLE LUBBOCK, Esq., PHILIP ALBERT MUNTZ, Esq., ARTHUR O'CINNOR, Esq., ROBERT HARRY INGLIS PALGRAVE, Esq., CHARLES MARK PALMER, Esq., WILLIAN OEARCE, Esq., BONAMY PRICE, Esq., Professor of Political Economy, Oxford University, SAMUEL STOREY, Esq.
HERBERT GEORGE MURRAY, Esq., Secretary.

ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY—EXTRA POLICE; QUEEN'S COUNTY.
MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether, if the authorities in Dublin do not object, the Treasury will accede to the recommendations of the Justices of Queen's County, that the extra police shall be withdrawn, and that in the future the county force shall consist of 215 men?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, that he did not think the number of police in any county could be altered separately. It would, however, of course, be his duty to consider any representation that might be made to the Treasury on the subject.

PARLIAMENT—BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE—INFANTS BILL.
MR. FIRTHasked whether the House could not proceed with the Infants Bill, as it was down on the Orders of the Day?
MR. SPEAKER, in reply, said, the Orders of the Day had not been reached. There could be no object in entering upon the Orders of the Day with the prospect of immediate interruption.

PROROGATION OF THE PARLIAMENT.
Message to attend The LORDS COMMISSIONERS—
The House went;—and a Royal Commission to that purpose having been read, the Royal Assent was given to several Bills.
And afterwards Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech was delivered to both Houses of Parliament by the Lord High Chancellor (in pursuance of Her Majesty's Command).
Then a Commission for proroguing the Parliament was read.
After which,
THE LORD CHANCELLORsaid—
My Lords, and Gentlemen,
By virtue of Her Majesty's Commission, under the Great Seal, to us and other Lords directed, and now read, we do, in Her Majesty's Name and in obedience to Her Commands, prorogue this Parliament to Saturday the 31st day of October next, to be then here holden; and this Parliament is accordingly prorogued to Saturday the 31st day of October next.