Whether his attention has been called | SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: Yes, it is the usual course. That action was taken by the late Government on the advice of their Law Officers.

BRAZIL CLAIMS OF BRITISH SUB- diate release ?

MR. GLADSTONE: With regard to this Question, there is no doubt that the duties on tobacco are extremely high, and they have long been felt to be very high by the labouring population of this country especially. They were somewhat raised during the time of the late Government. The hon. Member asks whether I would

"consider the expediency of diminishing such duties, and compensating the revenue by transferring the difference to French wines, Articles de Paris, silks, gloves, and other similar imports consumed by classes better able to pay for

luxuries ?"

I am afraid that it would be entirely impossible to raise on articles of that description any such amount of duty as would fill up the void that would be caused in the Revenue by such a reduction of the tobacco duties as must be made, if any reduction is to be made at all, with a hope of acting sensibly on the consumption. There is no argument in the abstract stronger than that for taxing articles of luxury; but there is no argument more apt to break down when it comes to be applied. I fear the attempt to lay increased duties on articles of luxury imported from France, whatever abstract reasons may be given for it, would lead to a revival of that dreadful system of smuggling which was almost universal in my youthful days, but is now happily extinguished.

WAYS AND MEANS-INLAND REVENUE
-BENEFIT BUILDING SOCIETIES-

STAMPS ON CHEQUES.

that since 1874 it has been, and still is, the invariable practice of many Building Societies, relying upon the words of section 41, to issue unstamped cheques or orders on their bankers in favour of their members; that in other cases bankers refuse to pay money upon unstamped orders; and that, owing to there being no authority upon the construction of section 41, except the opinion of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, great uncertainty exists as to the Law; and, whether, considering the importance of the interests thus subjected to inconvenience, he will direct

the Commissioners of Inland Revenue to admit these cheques or orders as within the exemption from stamp duty, or else will introduce a Bill to amend the Act of 1874 in this sense?

MR. GLADSTONE, in reply, said, this was a Question with regard to the state of the facts of the present law. He was given to understand that a Circular was issued in 1871, which was a correct statement of the law at that time, and

continued to be a correct statement of

the law. The Act of 1874 relating to Building Societies did not confer any exemption from stamp duty on cheques; and, consequently, there was no necesof Inland Revenue were not aware it sity to modify this Circular. The Board was the practice of bankers to pay drafts of that description without stamps. There had been no necessity to take steps to enforce the law, because no case had been brought before them.

AT LIVERPOOL.

MR. C. M'LAREN asked Mr. Chan- SEIZURE OF EXPLOSIVE MACHINES cellor of the Exchequer, Whether his VISCOUNT SANDON: I beg to ask attention has been called to a circular issued to bankers in the year 1871 by the Secretary of State for the Home Dethe Commissioners of Inland Revenue, partment a Question, of which I have reminding them that cheques drawn on given him private Notice, with regard behalf of Benefit Building Societies on to the accuracy of the reports which aptheir bankers were liable to stamp duty pear in to-day's newspapers as to the like other cheques; to the words of sec-discovery at Liverpool of a considerable tion 41 of "The Building Societies Act, 1874," by which it is enacted that no "order on any officer for payment of money shall be liable to or to any member. charged with any stamp duty or duties whatso

ever;

to the fact that the Commissioners still insist upon the view expressed in their circular of 1871, and refuse to regard the Act of 1874 as an enlargement, including cheques, of the exemptions previously in force; whether he is aware

number of infernal machines. I have to ask whether it is true that 10 or 12 machines, loaded with dynamite, have been seized on board two passenger vessels quite lately; that these terrible machines were supposed to have been put on board in America; and also I should be glad if the right hon. Gentleman would say whether the reports in the newspapers are supposed to be true which connect these machines with the Fenian conspiracy?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT: Sir, | fatal effects of even an accidental concusthe accounts which have appeared in sion of such a mass of explosive material. the morning newspapers relating to the I need not say that Her Majesty's Goexplosive machines seized at Liverpool vernment have employed, and are emare substantially correct. The Govern- ploying, every resource at their disposal ment have not hitherto been desirous of to detect the consignees in England and giving publicity to the matter-first, be- the consignors in America of these macause the knowledge of the facts might chines. The actual history of the dehave proved an obstacle to the detection spatch of these machines is under inof the offenders; and, secondly, from a vestigation in America, and still remains natural desire not to create alarm. But to be ascertained. The noble Lord would secrecy in these days has ceased to exist; not expect me now to go into any deand now that the circumstance is gene- tails. But in answer to his Question on rally known, it is right that the facts the matter, I have to say that upon the should be authoritatively stated. More face of them, and according to the orithan three weeks ago the Government ginal information I received, they apreceived information of the consignment pear to be the precise and literal fulfilto Liverpool, and as being then on their ment of projects openly avowed and deway from America, of a number of in-clared in the Irish Fenian Press of Amefernal machines concealed in barrels of rica. Week by week for the last nine cement. I accordingly communicated at once with the Commissioners of Customs, and a confidential agent of the Customs and a Metropolitan police officer were despatched instantly from London to Liverpool to await the arrival of the vessels which had been designated in the information I had received. These officers reached Liverpool only a few hours before the arrival of the first of the vessels. The cargoes were accordingly searched, in concert with the police and the Customs authorities at Liverpool; and in the first vessel six of these machines were discovered in a barrel said to contain cement. Four more were found at a later period in the second vessel, concealed in the same manner. The machines each consist of a metal box divided into two compartments, the upper portion containing a six hours' clockwork movement, so arranged as to ignite a detonator to be hereafter inserted, which was to communicate with the lower compartment, containing 11 cartridges, each charged with three ounces of a nitro-lignine compound, which resembled, and was first mistaken for, but which has proved not to be, dynamite. It is, however, of a highly dangerous character-of the character of gun cotton. I have had the material carefully examined and experimented upon at Woolwich. The 10 boxes which were found contained a charge of over 2 lb. of this explosive material in each box, and one of the barrels of cement contained in all nearly a stone weight of this nitro-lignine compound. It is impossible to estimate the

months open threats and public instigations to general outrage and personal assassination have been circulated in those newspapers. Subscriptions for this purpose, and for the making of such machines as these, have been openly collected in the United States, and actually expended for that purpose. More than one attempt of the kind has been made in England by miscreants hired and despatched from America for this purpose; and their work has been publicly claimed by their instigators as the reward of the past, and as a motive for fresh subscriptions. I thought it my duty at an early period of this Session, in the debates on the Irish Arms Bill, to call the attention of this House to these publications-their avowed object, and their necessary results. Some foolish and inconsiderate people-to use a mild term-made light of these atrocious teachings, and disparaged all attempts to restrain or punish these incitements to crime; but Her Majesty's Government have not regarded them as things to be laughed at or neglected. They knew well the gravity of the case, and have not been the dupes of the mischievous fallacies of their apologists. In my opinion, the principal origin of these attempts is to be found in the assassination Press. This poisonous seed, sown broadcast, finds a congenial soil in evil minds, and bears a fatal fruit. We have shown in the prosecution of The Freiheit that the law of England is capable and ready to deal with such criminals, not less in the interests of our own people than in those of foreign States. In my

NICARAGUA-AWARD OF THE EM

PEROR OF AUSTRIA.

MR. P. J. SMYTH asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he is able to impart any information to the House with reference to matters in dispute between this Country and the Republic of Nicaragua, referred for arbitration to the Emperor of Austria? SIR CHARLES W. DILKE: The award of the Emperor of Austria has been very recently received, and will shortly be laid before Parliament.

opinion, it is the duty of every civilized | and I have not referred to The Irish Government to co-operate in putting World. down with a strong hand these nefarious enterprizes. I have seen with regret the attempt on the part of persons in this country, who ought to know better, to weaken the hands of the Government in the representations they have thought it their duty to make to the Government of the United States on these matters. It is my firm belief that the Government of the United States is as ready as our own to repress and to punish the authors of such crimes. It is their interest, no less than ours, for the danger is as great to every American citizen as to British subject who crosses the Atlantic. But, in any event, I can assure the House that Her Majesty's Government are, and have long been, fully alive to their responsibility in this matter-a responsibility which the House will believe is sometimes heavy enough to bear-and the Government confidently count on the support of Parliament and the country, while they employ every power of the Executive and every engine of the law to detect and to destroy these associations of assassins.

every

VISCOUNT SANDON: After the very grave statement of the right hon. Gentleman, perhaps he would forgive me for asking if Her Majesty's Government have made a distinct representation to the American Government on the subject, and in what way such a representation, if made, has been met?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT: As I have already stated to the House, representations with reference to publications in America have been already made; but the official answer has not yet been received. With reference to this matter of the dynamite machines, a representation cannot be made until we receive the information we have sought for from the sources of information that we have set to work in America.

MR. BELLINGHAM: May I ask if the Government believed these documents were SO dreadful, and were circulated in Ireland, why they have been so remiss all this year in not stopping the circulation of The Irish World?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT: I have already stated to the hon. Member the principle on which the Government have acted, and the distinction of the two cases. He refers to The Irish World,

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS (MONEY) BILL.

MR. MONK said, he had a Question to put to the Speaker on a point of Order. When the Metropolitan Board of Works (Money) Bill went into Committee on Friday evening he moved that it be remitted to a Select Committee; but this Motion was negatived. He found, however, that the Standing Orders provided that any Metropolitan Board of Works Bill containing power to raise money should be introduced as a Public Bill; but on being read a second time should be referred to a Select Committee. In these circumstances, he wished to ask if the Bill he alluded to should not be referred to a Select Committee?

MR. SPEAKER said, he had some difficulty in giving a positive answer to this Question. If the Bill had been distinctly promoted by the Metropolitan Board of Works he should have no hesitation in saying that it would be necessary that the Bill should be referred to a Select Committee; but when he remembered that the Bill had been introduced by the noble Lord the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, he felt some hesitation in answering the Question. He must, therefore, leave the matter to the judgment of the House. If the hon. Member thought proper, he would have an opportunity of moving that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee when it was reported.

MR. MONK gave Notice that when the Bill was reported he should move that it be referred to a Select Committee.