bad state of the roads in the Metropolis, | Parliament the vehicle for publishing and whenever I have had such com- statements that do not concern the Goplaints I have always taken care that vernment. they were forwarded to the Vestries or District Boards responsible for the proper maintenance of the roads. I have also taken care that the representatives of those districts who are on the Metro

politan Board should have notice given them, so that they might see into the

matter.

NORTH OF ENGLAND-THE NEW UNIVERSITY—ISSUE OF A CHARTER

QUESTION.

MR. COURTNEY asked Mr. Chan

cellor of the Exchequer, If, in view of the possibility of the advisers of the Crown recommending an exercise of the prerogative in the issue of a charter of a new University in the North of England, he will arrange that an oppor

“THE GOVERNMENT AND THE TELEGRAPH COMPANIES"— PURCHASE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM ELEC-tunity shall be previously given to this

TRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY
CHARGE OF FRAUD.

QUESTION.

MR. FORTESCUE HARRISON

asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If his attention has been called to an article headed "The Government and the Telegraph Companies," which appeared in "Capital and Labour" on the 9th instant, in which it is stated that a memorial has been sent to the Lords of the Treasury containing grave charges. against certain persons therein named in connection with the acquisition by the Government of the United Kingdom Electric Telegraph Company in 1869, and asserting, amongst other things, that by the award made in that transaction the revenues of the country were defrauded to the extent of over £400,000; and, whether it is true that a memorial of this nature has been received by the Lords of the Treasury; and, if so, whether he will lay a Copy of it upon the Table of the House, together with the reply of the Government thereto ?

House of expressing an opinion thereon?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, in reply, said, that he feared he could not make opportunities for the discussion by the House of the scheme for the proposed new University; but the hon. Member would have it in his power, if he thought right, to move an Address to the Crown on the subject.

AFGHANISTAN-THE WAR-BASES OF
PEACE. OBSERVATION.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHE-

QUER: It may be of interest to the
House that I should mention that the
Government have received a communi-
cation from the Viceroy of India, stating
that the bases of peace have been arrived
at with the Ameer Yakoob Khan.

SOUTH AFRICA-NEGOTIATIONS WITH
THE BOERS.-QUESTION.

MR. W. E. FORSTER: I wish to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies a Question, of which I have not had an opportunity of giving him Notice, but THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHE- which, if he would prefer it, I shall be QUER: A Memorial has been sub- content if he will answer to-morrow. mitted to the Treasury, asserting that On Saturday, there appeared in one of the Government has been defrauded of the daily newspapers a document promore than £400,000 in respect of the fessing to be a despatch from Sir Bartle award for the acquisition of the United Frere, in regard to the Memorial of the Kingdom Electric Telegraph Company, Boers. I wish to ask the right hon. and they have also received a sworn de- Gentleman, Whether he can tell the claration denying the truth of the alle- House if such a despatch has been regation. A considerable part of the sub-ceived, and, if so, whether he will lay it ject-matter of the Memorial does not on the Table of the House? concern the Government; but I have SIR MICHAEL HICKS - BEACH: caused an investigation to be made into Sir, I have not received any such dethat portion which does concern the Go-spatch. On the 24th of April, Sir Bartle vernment, and there will be no objection Frere telegraphed from Pretoria that to laying on the Table the Report I have Copies of the correspondence between received on that part of the subject. himself and the Boers would be sent by think it would be objectionable to make the next mail; but he made no reference

I

ORDERS OF THE DAY.

SUPPLY-CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES. [Progress.]

SUPPLY-considered in Committee. (In the Committee.)

CLASS III.-LAW AND JUSTICE. (1.) £56,706, to complete the sum for Law Charges, agreed to.

(2.) £162,444, to complete the sum for Criminal Prosecutions, Sheriffs' Expenses, &c.

LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH

said, it would be well if the Government would inform the Committee what steps were being taken to carry into

effect the recommendations of the Com

mittee which had inquired into this subject. Economy ought to be effected in this matter; and when the present Government came into Office they had an opportunity of effecting economy in the Administrative Department of the Courts of Justice. It would be in the recollection of the Committee that, as long back as 1873, a Committee of the House was appointed to inquire into the Civil Service Expenditure. The Committee examined into the various Legal Departments in the country, the administration of which cost £1,750,000. After reviewing the evidence they had received, the Committee considered that all the Legal Establishments were unduly expensive; and they reported that, not

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON asked, Whether, in the probable event of the discussion on the Indian Budget lasting more than one night, the Government would take the adjourned debate on the following Monday, or make arrangements for continuing it on Friday? THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHE-only were there ample fields for economy, QUER, in reply, said, he must consult with his Colleagues before giving an

answer.

LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICE asked the hon. Member for Roscommon, When the second reading of the University Education (Ireland) Bill would be

taken?

THE O'CONOR DON said, he had every reason to believe that it would be the first Order of the Day on Wednesday; and, if so, he intended to proceed with it on that day.

DR. CAMERON asked, Whether the second reading of the Banking and Joint Stock Companies Bill would be taken before Whitsuntide?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER said, he could not give an answer to the Question at that moment,

Sir Michael Hicks-Beach

but also great need for improvement in the administrative arrangements; in fact, in their opinion, great service would be rendered to the public by a reorganization of the Administrative Department. Two years after that Report, he had the honour to bring this subject before the House, and he was assured by the Secretary to the Treasury that it was engaging the attention of the Treasury. On looking at this Estimate, it was impossible to observe that any results had ensued from the attention which the Secretary to the Treasury then promised to give to the matter. He hoped that, after this long interval, the Government would do all in their power to put into effect the recommendations of the Committee. At the present time, economy was so very requisite, and it would be

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT said, |rience, and they had considered and inhis impression was that the Land Regis- vestigated the question from that time tration Department practically did no to the present. The Report of the work at all; it was, in fact, one of those Committee had not been presented; but unfortunate failures of Law Reform. he believed that it would be in a short He believed that the cause of the failure time. He should be glad if the Comwas that land registration was a kind of mittee had hit on any mode of making permissive legislation; but he did not the registration of land effective. He intend to go into that argument. He knew they had examined witnesses from believed that land registration would Ireland and Scotland, where it was said not be successful until they made it that an excellent system of land regiscompulsory; but, of course, they knew tration prevailed; and it might be found, there were influences at work to resist a when the Report of the Committee was policy of that kind. But they must deal published, that some scheme was devised with the matter as it was; and they had for making the registration of land got, in point of fact, a large staff to do effective-that was to say, that some practically little or no work at all. Un- scheme could be adopted, under which less he heard to the contrary from his hon. the persons who were owners of land and learned Friend the Attorney General, could be induced to place their titles he must incline to the impression that upon the register; and if persons were there was not more work than one so induced, no doubt the present staff in the Land Registration Office-indeed, a very considerably increased staffwould be required. His own opinion was that it would be very difficult to make any scheme for the registration of land absolutely effectual, and to cause it to be brought into anything like universal use, unless they made registration compulsory. But he, for one, was not at all prepared to make registration of land compulsory. It was a very difficult question. It might be said, on the one hand, that it would facilitate the transfer of land-perhaps, to some extent, cheapen the transfer of land-yet, on the other hand, it would be a nieasure which would savour of arbitrariness, because they would compel a man to disclose to the world his title when, perhaps, he might not wish to do so. That, under ordinary circumstances, seemed to be a great hardship upon the owners of property. He might be wrong THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir in the view he took, and it might be by JOHN HOLKER) said, this question was some other way than by making regisbefore the House last Session, and there tion of land compulsory that registrawas considerable discussion in respect to tion of land could be made effectual. land registration. His hon. and learned It had been suggested that instead of Friend the Member for Denbighshire (Mr. registering the titles for land it would Osborne Morgan) moved for a Commit- be a wise and expedient thing to protee to inquire into the subject, and the vide for the registration of deeds through hon. and learned Gentleman imagined the country, and he did not think there that he had hit upon a scheme for would be any great difficulty in providobviating all difficulty, and for making such a scheme. However, without ing land registration a very useful institution. The hon. and learned Gentleman nominated the Committee. It was one of great importance, being composed of Gentlemen of great expe

Registrar could do. They had a Registrar receiving £2,500 a-year; and it was really absurd, in the existing state of the Court, to have an Assistant Registrar at £1,500. This was a matter in which a piece of practical economy might be effected; and, really, considering the quantity of work done, it was simply ludicrous to have an Assistant Registrar and three clerks. He had no desire to disturb the distinguished gentleman who held the office of Registrar; but to maintain so large a staff to do so small an amount of work was simply a waste of public money. One Registrar, at a very small salary, and without a single clerk, ought to do all the work required of him. He hoped they might hear from the Government that there would be some endeavour to effect economy in this instance, unless there was some chance that this Office would have more work to do.

occupying more time, he would say that the whole system was examined by a very competent Committee, and the Report of that Committee would, in a very short time, be before the House, and

then the House would be able to judge | a-year, and the hon. and learned Genwhether matters could be so arranged as tleman, having admitted that the to make this land registration a more £57,000 was a very small amount of effectual Department than at present. property to have been dealt with, he His hon. and learned Friend was some- must admit that this £60,000 a-year was what in error in thinking there was no not much more. The point which he work for the gentlemen in that Office wished to ask the Treasury was whether to do. The truth was that, under the these officers were not to be more useAct of 1875, very few registrations had fully employed than they were now? taken place; but under the Act of 1862 He asked that the Government should -Sir Richard Bethell's Act, he believed look after the expenditure, and should -a good many titles had been put upon see whether gentlemen drawing salaries the register. As those titles had to be might not be employed in taking up dealt with, they occasioned a good deal some part of the legal business in other of work, which had to be performed by Departments. He blamed the previous those in this Office. He held in his Government, just as much as the present hand a Return showing what had been Government, in the matter, and hoped done between the 21st of February, to see more care exercised in future 1878, and the 14th of March, 1879. as to the employment of these gentleUnder the Act of 1875 only 13 titles men. had been registered during that period -or rather, he believed, only six applications had been made-at any rate, the value of the property which had been dealt with was altogether only £57,000 odd. That was not much; and he confessed that under that Act very little seemed to have been done. The fact was that the Act was not compulsory, and persons did not resort to it. Under the Act of 1862 there had been placed upon the register-including transfers, changes, and so on-608 titles; and, altogether, the value of the property dealt with was £1,238,000. His belief was that if these Acts worked thoroughly well, and if people did largely resort to registration of their titles, the present staff of the Department, instead of being excessive, would be inadequate. At all events, he would ask the Committee to pass the Vote until they had had an opportunity of considering the Report of the Committee.

GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOUR said, several years ago he asked why, considering the small amount of work which was done by this Department, the Government did not take care to require that the officers of it should be required to perform other duties for which they were qualified? He considered the hon. and learned Attorney General had ntterly failed with the whole case. The hon. and learned Gentleman had pointed out that, under the Act of 1875, they had dealt with property of the value of £57,000, and, under the Act of 1862, property of the value of £1,238,000. Of course, that was no more than £60,000

VOL. CCXLVI. [THIRD SERIES.]

SIR WALTER B. BARTTELOT said, he thought his hon. and learned Friend (Sir William Harcourt) had done good service in bringing the question before the Committee. He listened attentively to the hon. and learned Attorney General, and he was bound to say it appeared to him that there was very little doing in this Department. He thought the House ought to have some better guarantee than they had at present of the work done in these Offices. It seemed to him that the lawyers were the only people whose business was not thoroughly scrutinized, and the money which was annually voted simply for the benefit of the Legal Profession. They were the only people who got any good out of the House. He thought the House ought to be particularly careful and cautious in seeing that they did not create any more of these new Offices, or else that they

should be sure to attach to them some real work to be done. It might be urged that more work might come into this particular Office in the future; but the attention of the Government had been directed to this Office on previous occasions, and he hoped they would make some serious alterations in it next year, or else that the Committee would reduce the Vote. The House did not intend that these things should be perpetuated. There were other things besides this Department which were waiting for criticism; but, as to this particular Office, he ventured to think that, unless more work was done next year, some great reduction ought to be made,

2 A