§ SIR E. WATKIN (Hythe)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Colonial 356 Office have approved of and sanctioned a scheme for boring a tunnel through the Rock of Gibraltar from west to east for the primary object of searching for water; and if this should not be found, then of converting the tunnel into a large drain for taking the sewage of the town into the Mediterranean; whether two-thirds of the cost of this scheme will fall upon the civilian ratepayers of Gibraltar, who by recent legislation have been deprived of their former amount of representation on the Sanitary Board, which controls the expenses of such works; whether he is aware that the said ratepayers consider this scheme of doubtful value, and would therefore ask that further inquiry be made before a large tax is imposed upon them; and whether military objections have been made to carrying out a communication between the eastern and inaccessible side of the Rock and the town, where the batteries, magazines, and barracks are situated?
§ MR. SUMMERS (Huddersfield)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the most recent statistics with regard to the numbers of the civilian and military populations of the city and colony of Gibraltar; and what is the death rate in the civilian and military populations respectively? The hon. Gentleman also asked what efforts have been made, and with what success, to fill up the vacancies that exist in the representation of the ratepayers on the Sanitary Commission of Gibraltar?
§ * THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Baron H. DE WORMS,) Liverpool, East ToxtethThe answer to the first question of the hon. Baronet is, Yes. The answer to the second is that two-thirds of the cost of the scheme will fall upon the rates, but that as only two-thirds of the rates are paid by the civilian ratepayers, their contribution to the cost of the scheme will be only four-ninths, which is the proportion of their representation on the present Sanitary Board. As regards the third question, objections have been made to the scheme by the Ratepayers' Defence Association, but it was recommended, after full consideration and inquiry on the spot, by so high an authority as Major Tulloch, Chief Engineering 357 Inspector of the Local Government Board, and Her Majesty's Government do not feel justified in delaying the commencement of the work, or incurring the expense of a further inquiry. The answer to the fourth question is, No. In answer to the hon. Member for Huddersfield, I have to say that up to the 30th of November last eight persons had declined nomination. There is nothing unusual in this, as previous to the recent change the utmost difficulty was experienced in getting gentlemen of standing willing to serve on the Board, on which there were in 1890 two vacancies, nomination to which was refused by no fewer than twelve gentlemen, including one of the members of the deputation, the other two having also refused to serve in previous years. This is one of the reasons which led Her Majesty's Government to reduce the number of the Commissioners. The number of the civil population at the recent census was 19,100, and of the military 5,896. As to the death rate, Major Tulloch reported that the death rate in 1889 was 24.5 per 1,000 among the whole population, and 25 per 1,000 among the fixed population. In 1888 it was only slightly less—namely, 24.2 per 1,000, while for 1887 it was 32.5, in which year there was an epidemic of scarlet fever. The death rate was therefore in 1889 nearly 50 per cent. higher than that of London, and from 75 to 100 per cent. higher than that of seaside towns in England. The Report of the Army Medical Department shows that the death rate among the military in the same year was 5.67 per 1,000, while in the United Kingdom it was only 4.57.
§ MR. SUMMERSI would ask the right hon. Gentleman when the lists will be ready for publication, and if there is any objection to laying them on the Table?
§ * BARON H. DE WORMSWith regard to the publication of the Papers, I am not aware of any special objection to the giving of the Papers, but I must take time to consider the matter.
§ MR. CAUSTON (Southwark, W.)I ask the right hon. Gentleman what was the ground of refusal of those gentlemen who were asked to join the Commission; and if it is not the fact 358 that they declined on the ground that their names were not selected by the Grand Jury, but by the Governor of Gibraltar himself.
§ * BARON H. DE WORMSI am unable to answer that question without notice.
§ MR. CAUSTONWill the right hon. Gentleman state how many have accepted nomination, and what their names and occupations are?
§ * BARON H. DE WORMSThe hon. Member will have to give notice of that question.