| CLASS II. | |
| £ | |
| Home Office | 40,000 |
| CLASS I. | |
| Royal Palaces and Marlborough House | 12,000 |
| Royal Parks and Pleasure Gardens | 38,000 |
| Houses of Parliament Buildings | 12,000 |
| Miscellaneous Legal Buildings, Great Britain | 22,000 |
| Art and Science Buildings, Great Britain | 10,000 |
| Diplomatic and Consular Buildings | 9,000 |
| Revenue Buildings | 120,000 |
| Public Buildings, Great Britain | 100,000 |
| Surveys of the United Kingdom | 80,000 |
| Harbours, Etc., under Board of Trade, and Lighthouses Abroad | 7,000 |
| Peterhead Harbour | 6,000 |
| Rates on Government Property | 210,000 |
| Public Works and Buildings, Ireland | 70,000 |
| Railways, Ireland | 70,000 |
| CLASS II. | |
| United Kingdom and England— | |
| House of Lords, Offices | 6,000 |
| House of Commons, Offices | 13,000 |
| Treasury and Subordinate Departments | 30,000 |
| Foreign Office | 22,000 |
| Colonial Office | 14,000 |
| Privy Council Office, etc. | 5,000 |
| Board of Trade | 60,000 |
| Mercantile Marine Fund, Grant in Aid | 20,000 |
| Bankruptcy Department of the Board of Trade | 3 |
| Board of Agriculture | 75,000 |
| Charity Commission | 14,000 |
| Civil Service Commission | 13,000 |
| Exchequer and Audit Department | 20,000 |
| Friendly Societies Registry | 2,200 |
| Local Government Board | 65,000 |
| Lunacy Commission | 5,000 |
| Mint (including Coinage) | 10 |
| National Debt Office | 5,000 |
| Public Record Office | 8,000 |
| Public Works Loan Commission | 800 |
| Registrar General's Office | 13,000 |
| Stationery and Printing | 230,000 |
| Woods, Forests, etc., Office of | 7,000 |
| Works and Public Buildings, Office of | 19,000 |
| Secret Service | 17,000 |
§ Resolutions reported;
| Scotland— | |
| £ | |
| Secretary for Scotland | 4,000 |
| Fishery Board | 8,000 |
| Lunacy Commission | 2,000 |
| Registrar General's Office | 2,000 |
| Local Government Board | 4,000 |
| Ireland— | |
| Lord Lieutenant's Household | 2,000 |
| Chief Secretary and Subordinate Departments | 15,000 |
| Charitable Donations and Bequests Office | 700 |
| Local Government Board | 25,000 |
| Public Record Office | 2,000 |
| Public Works Office | 12,000 |
| Registrar General's Office | 5,500 |
| Valuation and Boundary Survey | 6,000 |
| CLASS III. | |
| United Kingdom and England— | |
| Law Charges | 40,000 |
| Miscellaneous Legal Expenses | 18,000 |
| Supreme Court of Judicature | 120,000 |
| Land Registry | 2,700 |
| County Courts | 10,000 |
| Police, England and Wales | 14,000 |
| Prisons, England and the Colonies | 180,000 |
| Reformatory and Industrial Schools, Great Britain | 140, 000 |
| Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum | 10,000 |
| Scotland— | |
| Law Charges and Courts of Law | 30,000 |
| Register House, Edinburgh | 13,000 |
| Crofters Commission | 2,000 |
| Prisons, Scotland | 25,000 |
| Ireland— | |
| Law Charges and Criminal Prosecutions | 24,000 |
| Supreme Court of Judicature, and other Legal Departments | 38,000 |
| Land Commission | 40,000 |
| County Court Officers, etc. | 36,000 |
| Dublin Metropolitan Police | 28,000 |
| Constabulary | 600,000 |
| Prisons, Ireland | 45,000 |
| Reformatory and Industrial Schools | 55,000 |
| Dundrum Criminal Lunatic Asylum | 2,500 |
| CLASS IV. | |
| United Kingdom and England— | |
| Public Education, England and Wales | 3,600,000 |
| Science and Art Department, United Kingdom | 200,000 |
| British Museum | 54,000 |
| National Gallery | 8,000 |
| National Portrait Gallery | 2,500 |
| Scientific Investigations, etc., United Kingdom | 12,000 |
| Universities and Colleges, Great Britain, and Intermediate Education, Wales | 38,000 |
| London University | 5 |
| Scotland— | £ |
| Public Education | 600,000 |
| National Gallery | 1,400 |
| Ireland— | |
| Public Education | 600,000 |
| Endowed Schools Commissioners | 300 |
| National Gallery | 900 |
| Queen's Colleges | 2,500 |
| CLASS V. | |
| United Kingdom and England— | |
| Diplomatic Services and Consular Services | 220,000 |
| Uganda Central, and East Africa, Protectorates and Uganda Railway | 85,000 |
| Colonial Services | 125,000 |
| Cyprus, Grant in Aid | 32,000 |
| Slave Trade Services | 500 |
| Subsidies to Telegraph Companies | 35,000 |
| CLASS VI. | |
| Superannuation and Retired Allowances | 270,000 |
| Merchant Seamen's Fund Pensions, etc. | 3,000 |
| Miscellaneous Charitable and other Allowances, Great Britain | 1,000 |
| Pauper Lunatics, Ireland | 130,000 |
| Hospitals and Charities, Ireland | 9,000 |
| CLASS VII. | |
| Temporary Commissions | 8,000 |
| Miscellaneous Expenses | 1,000 |
| Total for Civil Services | £9,070,518 |
| REVENUE DEPARTMENTS. | |
| Customs | 280,000 |
| Inland Revenue | 650,000 |
| Post Office | 2,600,000 |
| Post Office Packet Service | 218,000 |
| Post Office Telegraphs | 1,081,482 |
| Total for Revenue Departments | £4,829,482 |
| Grand Total | £13,900,000 |
§ CAPTAIN D. V. PIRIE (Aberdeen, N.)I am aware, Sir, I am taking an exceptional step in moving a reduction of the Vote by £100, but the situation to which I intend to draw the attention of the House is an exceptional one, and I must really on behalf of my constituents enter a protest against the very great injustice under which the port of Aberdeen is at the present, moment suffering. I allude to the most unfair treatment in the closing of the port to foreign trawlers, and so preventing profit to the trade of the town, while at the same time English 1346 ports are open to these foreign trawlers. I have only to appeal to the feeling of justice which ought to animate English Members who look at the matter in a fair light. Aberdeen, and Scottish ports in general, are suffering under a real grievance, in this matter. It is an anomaly which cannot be allowed to continue. Originally in last year, when the Scotch ports were first closed, the proposal might have been treated without the same injustice as at present, but now that the object for which the legislation was made no longer exists, it is absurd that the regulations should continue. There is absolutely no breaking of the law by these foreign trawlers, but the fact is that the evil, instead of diminishing, is increased in Moray Firth. It is because I see no possibility of the evil ending under the existing state of affairs that I enter my protest on behalf of my constituents against this policy being continued. As I have said, the number of these trawlers is in no way diminishing. On the contrary, at the present moment I learn on reliable authority that there are no less than 11 trawlers at work in Moray Firth, all flying a foreign flag, and that they are actually engaging British seamen who have a knowledge of the Firth. Such a state of affairs is really nothing less than a public scandal, and it is exciting general indignation in Scotland. The loss to the Scotch fishermen is estimated at £2,000 per annum per boat, which sum is going to English ports; and not only that, but these foreign trawlers are taking the very best and the highest priced fish from the Moray Firth. It is well known that the flat fish which frequent Moray Firth is the most valuable and the highest priced of all fish. I trust the Lord Advocate will be able to assure the House that this state of affairs will not be allowed to continue very much longer. We are suffering not only from the matter I have already alluded to, but the Icelandic fishing, which is a most important thing so far as the Scotch ports are concerned, is in danger of being lost to them entirely. The advantage which the Scottish ports would naturally offer for Icelandic fishing is altogether lost. Unless the Lord Advocate can give us some hope that this grievance will be remedied, I must move the reduction of the Vote.
§
Amendment proposed—
To leave out '£13,900,000,' and insert '£13,899,000' instead thereof."—(Captain Pirie.)
§ Question proposed "That '£13,900,000' stand part of the Resolution."
§ *THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY,) ButeshireI think the hon. Gentlemen representing the Scotch fishing industry cannot complain that they have not had ample opportunity of bringing their grievances before the public, because I think that this is the second discussion that we have had upon this matter within about 48 hours. The hon. Member is probably aware that to-day, also, the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself have had the honour of receiving a deputation upon the same subject, and, I may say, that the views expressed to us were in precisely the opposite direction from those which we have heard to-day, and from the prevailing tone of the Scotch Members during the last Debate.
§ CAPTAIN PIRIEI am sorry to interrupt the right hon. Gentleman, but I am afraid he misunderstands what I said. I have been referring not to foreign trawling in Moray Firth, but to the closing of the Scottish ports to foreign trawlers while English ports are open to them.
§ *MR. GRAHAM MURRAYIf that is the grievance of the hon. Gentleman, I am glad to say that I need not detain the House very long in dealing with it. The port of Aberdeen is closed and English ports are open to foreign trawlers because the Statute says that the fish caught in contravention of the bye-laws are not to be landed in Scotland; it does not say that they are not to be landed in England. Accordingly, Her Majesty's Government are doing what they are bound to do—they are merely carrying out the law as it at present happens to be. I only say to the hon. Member that, personally, I should be most glad to close English ports if I could, as well as Scotch ports, although I do not think the hon. Member would be any better off for the interests he represents than he is at present. That is merely a personal opinion, but, however, I cannot alter the 1348 law. All the Government has to do is simply to see that the law as it stands on the Statute Book is carried out.
§ Amendment by leave withdrawn.
§ MR. T. LOUGH (Islington, W.)I would remind the House that there is one matter which was left over when this Vote was in Committee, and it was quite understood that we should have an answer about it when it came to the Report stage. I shall not detain the House at this hour at any length, but there is one point upon which I think I am entitled to require a substantial answer. Before I come to that I would like to draw the attention of the House to the matter of reporting the Debates. It is really most unsatisfactory. The grievance has been to some extent remedied by an answer given by the right hon. Member opposite to-day to the effect that the old practice of sending to Members two proofs of questions and answers would be reverted to. But, I think, any one who has looked at the Debates this Session will see that the reporting is being very badly done, and I cannot see why any change should have been made in the old arrangement. Apart from the badness of the reporting, the Reports are very slowly circulated. Instead of Members getting proofs within two or three days as we used to, we have now to wait nine or ten days. There was another incidental advantage under the old system. Under the last contract, I believe, the reporting was carried on by the Times, and a much ampler report of the proceedings was given in that newspaper, especially with regard to answers to questions. People in the country got into the habit of taking the paper for the sake of its full Parliamentary report. That was an advantage to the country generally—an indirect advantage, which ought not to be lightly thrown aside. I trust we may have some explanation from the Secretary to the Treasury as to why the change has been made, and why the advantages which we enjoyed last Session should, by a new arrangement, be lost to the House. Then, Sir, I have one remark to make with regard to a matter, in which, I think, the Board of Agriculture has not kept faith with the House—I mean with regard to the promised 1349 amelioration concerning the muzzling of dogs. I think we ought to have some definite statement from the President of the Board of Agriculture as to the course he intends to pursue in regard to a grievance which is felt in all parts of the country. Now, I mentioned that there was one substantial question left over for discussion at the Report stage: it is a question of very great interest, and, unless I can get a satisfactory answer, I shall have to move a reduction of the Vote. When I raised the question of the administration of the Board of Trade with regard to the service of workmen's trains in the metropolitan district, perhaps owing to the influence of the dinner hour, I got a most unsatisfactory reply from the right hon. Gentleman. I mentioned several railways, which provided no workmen's trains after 6.15. The right hon. Gentleman quoted a return for the year 1890, issued by the London County Council. If he had referred to the last return, issued in 1897, he would have found that there were several railways, which ran no workmen's trains after 6.40 in the morning. The right hon. Gentleman said he thought that 6.40 was a very fair hour at which workmen's trains should cease to run. Now I want to refer to the Cheap Trains Act of 1883, to show that the Board of Trade has absolute power to force the railway companies to give these facilities. By Section 3 of that Act the Board have power to interfere,
If the Board of Trade have reason to believe.… that upon any railway carrying passengers proper and sufficient workmen's trains are not provided for workmen going to and returning from their work, at such fares and at such times between six o'clock in the evening and eight o'clock in the morning as appear to the Board of Trade to be reasonable.The Act does not say 6.40; it goes on to 8 o'clock, and it places very drastic powers in the hands of the Board of Trade. I would ask the right hon. Gentleman how it is that he does not step in to strengthen and supplement the efforts of the London County Council. I think the right hon. Gentleman himself 1350 will see that the present position is most unsatisfactory, and I trust he will see the necessity of taking a firm stand with the companies, in which he will be only putting himself into line with former Presidents of the Board of Trade. Unfortunately, he has, not only in this but in other matters, shown himself to be not sufficiently firm in dealing with the railway companies. You can deal with them in a courteous manner, but you must be firm. In order to give the right hon. Gentleman an opportunity of replying, I move to reduce the Vole by £100, in respect of the item for the Board of Trade.
§ Amendment proposed, to leave out "£13,900,000" and insert "£13,899,900" instead thereof.—(Mr. Lough).
§ Question proposed—
§ "That '£13,900,000' stand part of the Resolution."
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. C. T. RITCHIE,) CroydonThe hon. Member suggests that I should put myself in line with previous Presidents of the Board of Trade in regard to this matter. I fail to see how that suggestion is reconcilable with the statement the hon. Member also makes that the evil of which he complains has continued in exist for some years. It would appear, at any rate, that if I have not succeeded in satisfying the views the hon. Member takes of the duties of a President of the Board of Trade, I share that misfortune with more than one of my predecessors. Now, Sir, this question is not by any means free from complication. As the hon. Member knows, there is more than one class of persons who come into London to whom consideration ought to be shown in regard to these matters. There are the workmen's trains, by which ordinary workmen are supposed to travel; there is also a large number of persons, many of them females, who do not require, perhaps, to come to London quite so early in the morning, but who require special 1351 facilities because they have to live at a distance from the business centres in which they gain their livelihood. The hon. Member has stated that it is entirely in the power of the Board of Trade to impose regulations on the railway companies. I may remino him that in the very Act to which he has referred he will find that there is an appeal provided to the railway companies, and that the Board of Trade are bound to act in a reasonable manner in enforcing any powers that they have. The hon. Member admits that in regard to the great bulk of the railway companies they do fairly meet the public requirements. He said the other day, I think, that there were two companies that were in default, the Great Northern and the Midland.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADEWell, Sir, I quite agree that there is a responsibility on the Board of Trade to see that the provisions of the Cheap Trains Act are complied with, and that proper facilities are given; and I think it is desirable that I should ascertain from certain of the railway companies what are their reasons for not giving the facilities which are given by other companies. I propose to put myself into communication with these companies with a view to ascertaining what are the difficulties that they sider stand in their way; and if it is possible to remove those diffculties I will undertake that they shall be removed.
§ MR. LOUGHAfter the satisfactory answer given by the right hon. Gentleman, I am quite willing to withdraw my Amendment. [No, No!"]
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Resolution agreed to.