§ MR. HUDSON KEARLEY (Devonport)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, whether postal employees will receive a whole or partial holiday on 22nd June; and whether it will be possible at least to suspend all mails after the first delivery, and close telegraph offices after 10 a.m. as on Sundays, so that postal employees may participate in the general holiday.
§ *MR. HANBURYJune 22nd will be a Bank Holiday, and the ordinary Bank Holiday rules as to leave will apply. As regards the suspension of mails and the closing of telegraph offices, the arrangements will be the same as on ordinary Bank Holidays. Generally speaking, only one mail will be received and one dispatched. The telegraph offices will, as a rule, be kept open as on ordinary days to meet the convenience of the public, but the less important offices in towns will be closed as far as possible. Rural post offices at which telegraph business is not transacted will be closed at noon.
§ MR. F. WOOTTON ISAACSON (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, considering the few opportunities the inhabitants of the East End of London have of seeing the Colonial and Indian troops, whether arrangements could be made during Jubilee week to march the Home, Colonial, and Indian troops, with their bands, through the principal thoroughfares of the East End of London, say from Whitechapel to Victoria Park, returning by way of Bethnal Green and Shoreditch?
§ MR. BRODRICKIt is intended to give as much opportunity as possible to all classes to see the troops collected for the Jubilee; but no arrangements can at present be made public.
MR. GRANT LAWSON (York, N.R., Thirsk)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether it is his intention to propose any, and if so what, arrangements as to the attendance of Members of the House of Commons at St. Margaret's Church or elsewhere on Sunday the 20th of June at a Thanksgiving Service in celebration of the sixtieth year of Her Majesty's reign?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I have to say that, after consultation with Mr. Speaker, and after obtaining such information as I could, it seems quite clear that, acting on the precedent of 1887, we ought to have a service on the Sunday preceding Jubilee Day. [" Hear, hear."] With regard to the details, I have been in consultation with Mr. Speaker, and I can at present only say that in all probability the broad precedent set in 1887 will be followed on the present occasion.
§ SIR JOHN BRUNNER (Cheshire, Northwich)asked the right hon. Gentleman whether he thought the service should be held before June 20, seeing that a large number of Members would then be out of town, and whether it would not be more convenient to have the service on the Sunday following. [Cries of "No, no."]
§ MR. W. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)asked whether June 20 was not a peculiarly appropriate day, as being the actual date of the Queen's accession.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYProbably June 20 would be the most convenient day.
§ SIR ELLIOTT LEES (Birkenhead)I beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works whether the authorities who have arranged the route for Her Majesty's forthcoming procession on the 22nd June, have considered the facilities which could be afforded to Naval and Military pensioners, as well as to sailors and soldiers on the active list, for viewing the procession, if the route were slightly altered so as to pass Wellington Barracks; whether they have considered that the configuration of the ground adjoining Birdcage Walk forms a natural stand for spectators on foot, whereas the ground adjoining the Mall is lower than the roadway and is ill adapted for enabling more than one or two rows of spectators to obtain a view; whether, since no stands are to be permitted in St. James's Park, any inconvenience or disappointment could be caused to anyone by the alteration of the route; and whether, since the distance from Whitehall and the Horse Guards Parade, via the Foreign Office, or Birdcage Walk to Buckingham Palace is not appreciably longer than that by the centre Mall, he is prepared to consider the practicability of such alteration, and, should it be found practicable, to recommend it?
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. AKERS-DOUGLAS,) Kent, St. Augustine'sIn answer to the hon. Baronet I have to say that the route of Her Majesty's procession on the 22nd of June has been settled for some time and cannot now be changed.
§ MR. MACNEILLwished to know from the First Lord of the Treasury whether there was any foundation whatever for the statement, which had been very definitely made that morning, that the Sultan of Turkey was sending his son to take part in the Jubilee proceedings [ironical Ministerial laughter], and, if that were so, who had given the invitation?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI know nothing about it.
§ MR. MACNEILLsaid he would repeat the Question to-morrow.