The Cardiff Times

I PREMIER'S HOPE. Budget Before Recess. IRRESPECTIVE OF LORDS' ACTION. The Financial Tangle. A LIVELY DEBATE. 4 Masterly Speech by the Chancellor ,'> • Mr ASQUITH. answering Mr Steel-Mait- land (C.), Mr Douglas Hall (C.), Viscount Caffclcrcagh (C.), and Lord Hugh Cecil (C.), in the House of Commons yesterday, said :—As I have already stated more than once, it is the hope and intention of the Government to pass the Budget of 1909-10..Of course it must be embrJHied in a Bill through this House before the Spring recess.. and that intention is not contingent on what may occur elsewhere. The method of procedure we shall propose for securing that- purpose will be indicated in due time. There will not, according to our present intentions, be a single Finance Bill for the two years. Lord CASTLEREAGH Is this one of the tactical and strategic steps the hon. gentleman alluded to on Friday No answer was returned. The PRIME MINISTER, in answer to a farther question by Lord Castlereagh, said he hoped to place on the paper to-day (Tuesday) the resolutions relating to the House of Lords. Lwd HUGH CECIL: When is the right hon. gentleman going to make the promised state- ment on the question of-the procedure of the Finance Bill ? The PRIME MINISTER When the time comes. (Loud Ministerial cheers and laughter.) Lord HUGH CECIL Before or after the ecclesiastical Easter ? The PRIME MINISTER: I should think after. Mr JAMES HOPE (C.): Will the right hon. gentleman state when the financial statement of 1910-11 will be made ? The PRIME MINISTER •. No, sir, it would be quite premature. • Mr AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN asked the Prime Minister if he could state whether he still anticipated that it would be possible for the House to adjourn for a considerable recess at some time in the course of April. Mr ASQUITH I should not like without a little more notice than the right hon. gentle- man has given me to make any definite state- ment on that subject) Mr BOWLES (L). Can the right hon. gentle- man state whether the arrangements already announced with regard to the adjournment this week stand good ? Mr ASQUITH We propose that the House k should meet at 12 o'clock on Wednesday— (hear, hear)—and questions will be taken in the ordinary way. That has been arranged after consultation with the various parties for the convenience of hon. members generally. Mr REDMOND May I ask the right hon. gentleman whether the arrangements to start the debate on the Lords resolution on Tuesday .,1Itill holds good ? Mr ASQUITH Yes, sir. The Chancellor and Collection. Mr LLOYD GEORGE, replying to Mr Geo. Younger (C), said that prior to 2nd December, 1909, the usual Notices of Assessments for income-tax under Schedule D, or profits directly assessed by the Special Commissioners, were issued in the ordinary course. These notices contained instructions as to the-lblodo of payment. Since that date, in view Of the rejection of the Finance Bill by the Hojjse of • Lords, no such notices nor any application in the nature of "demand notes" had been issued. The security required by law to be given for all bonded warehouses had been in- creased in a few cases where spirits had been delivered upon payment of the legal duty of lis per gallon and the additional duty of 3s 9d under the Budget resolution had not been de- posited. This was only where the amount of the duty which would ultimately become pay- able in respect of them had been so consider- able that the Commissioners of Customs and Excise had felt that the secunty already given was insufficient. Replying tosi>[r Harry Seymour Foster (C.), the CHANCELLQR of the EXCHEQUER said he understood, that in the exercise of their discretion the of Taxes for the City of Londdfc had authorised the issue of demand notes for payment of income tax on the basis of the late Finance Bill. From the 1st January to the 25th February the amount of income tax so collected and paid over to the Exchequer was £ 1,790,461. Since the latter date no further payment on account of income tax had been made by the City Commissioners, who were acting upon their 'own responsibility in the matter. The joint stock banks in the City had sent to the Treasury their usual quarterly returns of the amounts they held for payment to the Government in rèspect of income tax. The sums still in the bands of these banks, according to returns made up to the 5th inst., amounted to £ 833,000. No request for payment had been made by the Inland Revenue since the 30th November last, nor bad any correspondence passed between She banks and the department. Sir Fortescue Flannery (C.) was informed by the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER that the collectors of income tax in the City who had made calls upon certain of the banks and stated that they would receive the income tax if the banks would voluntarily pay it were not under the direction of the Board of Inland Revenue, but of the Local Commissioners, who were acting entirely on their own responsi- bility. Replying to questions by Mr Austen Cham- berlain and other members, Mr LLOYD GEORGE said the Board of Inland Revenue in a few cases made refund on accoilnt of income tax deducted from the dividends of individuals entitled to claim such refund, al- though the tax itself had not been paid into the Exchequer. He had authorised the Board to follow the normal practice in regard to re- payment of income tax in all cases where could be substantiated. Why Supply Comes first On the Order for the second reading of the Consolidated Fund (No. 1.) Bill Mr STEEL-MATTLAND condemned what he described as the Government's mismanage- ment of the finances of the country. If the Government were afraid to overstep the strict letter of the law in the matter of the collection of the income tax why were they willing to do so in regard to the land tax and inhabited house duty ? Mr McKENNA said he did not know how the hon. gentleman had managed it, but unfor- nately he had been wrong in all his facts. (Ministerial laughter.) He had. reminded: the House that the inhabited house duty and the land tax were permanent taxes not in the least dependent upon the Budget, and had stated that the Government might have collected those taxes. If Mr Maitland had read the Finance Bill he would have seen in a ^particular clause suspending the operation of the law as to revaluation, without which the inhabited I house d.y could not legally be collected. The Bill having been lost, the tax could not be raised. (Ministerial cheers.) The land tax only amounted to Jb600,000, and therefore it would not be worth while to go through the whole machinery of collection and then to set the whole machinery in motion again for the sepa- rate collection of the inhabited "house duty. The two taxes would be collected together as soon as the Government had legalised their taxes. When the Government had proposed to take the whole of the time of the House up to Easter for the purpose of necessary Supply, bad the Opposition asÆed them to include in that business the passing of the Budget ? Mr CHAMBERLAIN replied in the affirma- tive. Mr McKENNA said all these complaints about not taking the Budget had been raised by the Opposition since they had agreed to give to the Government the whole time of the House up to Easter for the purpose of Supply. No stipulation had been made at the time that the budget should immediately be taken. (Minis- terial cheers.) The reason why the Budget bad not been taken immediately was because the Government were bound to take Supply before the close of the financial year. Did they bu to do so there would be a breakdown in the administrative services on April 1st. As to the a ,c non-collection of the income tax, arguments which were opposite to indirect taxes did not apply to direct taxes. It was to the benefit ol the tobacco or tea trade that they should go on paying the taxes on their commodities. The notion that a mere barren resolution by tht House imposing the income tax would of itself legalise the collection had not the slightest foundation in law or in fact. Such a resolution could only be intended as the foundation of ar Act of Parliament, and the. only Finance Bil' which the Government would introduce attc attempt to carry through was the Bill of last Session. Elessiou. Fox and Hounds. Mr BONAR LAW (C.) said Mr Maitland hac undoubtedly been right as to the land tax. Tb4 Question of amount had nothng to do with thi ) argument. He was reminded by the actions of the Government of the twistings and turnings of a beaten fox, closely pursued by the hounds. In such circumstances the fox acted upon blind impulse so did the Government. All their manoeuvrings and clever shifting was simply part of a futile effort to dodge or perhaps postpone the inevitable catastrophe which was fast falling upon them. {Oppo- sition cheers.) Mr GIBSON BOWLES (L.) asked why if the Government fox was beaten the Opposi- tion, as the hounds, did not run into him and I chop him up. (Laughter.) Had the Opposition, he wondered, any reason for delaying the final catastrophe ? (Ministerial laughter and cheers.) Though now posing as financial purists, the right hon. gentlemen opposite had, when in office, been the most abandoned financial rakes that had ever sat upon a Treasury Bench. Messrs Wyndham, Law, and I Lyttelton were like three plaster casts of the cardinal virtues. (Loud laughter.) Of course, there were seven cardinal virtues, but the j other four were absent; including faith, hope, and charity. (Renewed cheers.) He recognised the gravity of the financial situation, but he had seen no candid and open offer on the part of the Opposition to co-operate with the Government in bringing the situation to an end. (Unionist cheers.) Opposition Attitude. Mr AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN said there was not a shadow of foundation for the in- sinuation that the Opposition at all stood in the way of the Government dealing with the financial mess that had accrued. The Opposi- tion had pressed the Government to proceed I with the discussion either of the income tax resolution or with the Budget as a whole. That measure was referred to the country and in which the Government would not now allow the country's opinion to be expressed. (Opposition cheers.) He could not understand on what principles the Government were act- ing. The Government encouraged the Bank of England to deduct income tax from the dividend due to investors, but they would not collect the money so deducted, and borrowed it from the Bank instead. The Government directed the deduction of the tax from all salaries paid to Government employees, but they would not collect this tax from the ordinary taxpayer because the result might be a troublesome law suit. Everything they intended to get from the in- direct taxes as distinct from the direct taxes was being received. The Government was taking the taxes from the poor without legal authority. The only thing it would not do was to collect the taxes from the rich. (Oppo- sition cheers.) After waiting four weeks for the Government to take steps to legalise the deductions the Bank had made at the sugges- I tion of the Government, they were now re- paying the money to the individuals from whom it was deducted. As the Government had taken no such steps he feared it must be said that the Government were not dealing with finance with a view to the financial interest of the country. (Opposition cheers.) They were openly making the national finance a tool which they were using for the purposes of the party game they were playing. (Oppo- sition cheers.) Chancellor's Hard Facts. Mr LLOYD GEORGE considered that speeches like that of Mr Chamberlain and some members of the Opposition ought to be delivered in support of the resolution of the Government to put an end for ever to the in- terference of the House of Lords with finance. (Ministerial cheers and Opposition laughter.) What hadbeensaidabout the inconvenienceLaris- ing to finance was absolutely true, but whO was responsible for it ? (Opposition cries of You," and Ministerial cries of The House of Lords.") The financial confusion of December, January, and February rested entirely with those who flung out the Budget. Mr A. Chamberlain had himself admitted that the primary duty of the Government was Supply. Until they got the Supply voted they could pay nobody. (Ministerial cheers.) When the Prime Minister had proposed that the Government should take all the time up to Easter the Leader of the Opposition quite agreed,and did notsay anything about financial cofnnsion and the heart-rending situation which was now the dominating factor in the Opposition's attack. The whole thing was an afterthought on the part of the Opposition. (Ministerial cheers.) The claim now was not that the House of Lords had a right to refer the Budget to the' people but that they had a right to dictate to the House of Commons an alternative Budget. Thatwas intolerable. (Ministerial cheers.) Mr CAMERON CORBETT (C.): Only the member for Waterford (Mr Redmond) has a right to do that. (Opposition cheers and laughter.) Mr LLOYD GEORGE retorted that every member of the House of Oommons had an equal right to express an opinion on finance. The Government's view was that the House of Commons as a whole had a right to decide the finanm of the country, and that the House of Lords had no right to meddle. (Ministerial cheers.) Mr Chamberlain's opinion was that the Government should tear up the Budget into little pieces and pass that part only which would suit him and his friends. Minimised the Confusion. The Government had done everything in their power 4p minimise financial confusion without contravening the law. They had done their best to persuade banks to deduct income tax they had done the same thing with the Bank of England. They had encouraged com- panies to deduct from dividends, but they could not collect from individuals. The reason was that if they authorised the Commissioners to collect from individuals, that authority 'V'l woould enable them also to issue warrants of distress on failure to pay. Mr Chamberlain had complained that the Treasury had taken steps to refund. The banks had in almost every case deducted income tax, and they were retaining the money in their own hands. They could not be compelled to hand the money over yet to the Government, but in order that people whose incomes were exempt from the tax should not be injured the de- ducted money had been refunded when claimed. Reason of Tery Clamour. What was the real reason that the Opposi- tion had suddenly become so anxious for the Budget ? (Ministerial cheers.) He had been accused of being too clever by half," and of having exercised ingenious devices. Would the Opposition answer him candidly 1 Was it really the financial confusion which had impelled them to this action ? Was it not rather this that they were under the impression that if the Budget were introduced and pressed forward for political reasons some membersi thinking that it was a great weapon against the House of Lords, might decline to vote for it. Their anxiety to see the Budget reminded him of a story he was told by Sir Ernest Shackle- ton, namely,that when penguins were migrat- ingand one of the little ones which they carried fell in the march all the rest fell on it, and in their anxiety to pick it up again pulled it to pieces. This poor litle Budget fell in the march —(laughter)—thrown down by the cruel House of Lords and all the penguins were now pick- ing at it. (More laughter.) There tbey were (pointing amid nluch laughter at Mr A. Cham- beriain and Lord Hugh Cecil) wanting to tear it limb from limb. Suppose the Government complied with the suggestion of those two gentlemen and tried to force through the Budget the Opposition believed that if the Government pressed the Budget now they would come to grief. (Mr Chamberlain Hear, hear," and Ministerial laughter.) That was I why the Opposition had assumed their position I and all this was being done in the name of saving finacial confusion. ( Ministerial cheers and laughter.) Mr Chamberlain's Slip. M r Chamberlain had just in an unwary moment admitted that his real motive was to defeat the Budget. If this Budget failed to pass did the right hon. gentleman really think that the House of Commons would allow an alternative Budget such as be desired to pass ? If there were an appeal to the country what would happen to the financial confusion When would the financial confusion come to an end ? A dissolution would take weeks, and they could not touch the Budget until May or June. Meanwhile all the financial confusion would be going on. He had heard something about engineering confusion." There was the engineering chief "—Mr Lloyd George pointed to Mr A. Chamberlain. (Ministerial groans, and cheers.) He (Mr Chamberlain) was not trying to put an end to the confusion. Ho wanted his own confusion—(Ministerial cheers)—and that would mean worse confusion than ever. The first thing they had to do was to straighten the immediate urgent finance. The right hon. < gentleman talked about the Government col- lecting from the poor and not from the rich. 1 Whose fault was it ? (Miinisterial cheers.) Was it not the case that the Lords L Whose fault was it ? (Miinisterial cheers.) Was it not the case that the Lords objected to the taxes on the rich ? It was not because of the tobacco tax that the Budget was thrown out, nor was it because of 1 the whisky tax, nor the Is 2d income tax on 1 the middle classes. It was purely the tax on I the very rich people. (Loud Ministerial cheers.) L The right hon. gentleman and his friends were 1 l responsible for the advice given to the Lords. It was part of the duty of the Government—a duty they would not shirk-to make it impos- l sible for this to happen again. (Ministerial i cheers.) 3 The Bill was read a second time. Y

Tabled By Premier. NO POWER ON MONEY BILLS. Late on Monday Mr Asquith's resolutions with regard to the relations between the two Houses and the duration of Parliament were handed in at the table of the House of Commons by the Master of Elibank. The terms are as follows :— That this House immediately resolve itself into Committee to consider the relations between the two Houses of Parlia- ment and the question of the duration of Parliament. The resolutions to be proposed in Committee are as follow :— MONEY BILLS. 1. That it is expedient that the House of Lords be disabled by law from rejecting or amending a Money Bill, but that any Such limitation by law shall not be taken to diminish or qualify the existing rights and privileges of the House of Commons. For the purpose of this resolution a Bill shall be considered a Money Bill if in the opiniofr of the Speaker it contains only provisions deal- ing with all or any of the following subjects, namely, the imposition, repeal, remission, alteration or regulation of taxation charges under the Consolidated Fund, or the provision of money by Parliament for supply, the appropriation, control, or regulation of public money, the raising or guaranteeing of any loan, or the repayment thereof, or matters incidental to those subjects, or any of them. BILLS OTHER THAN MONEY BILLS. 2.-That it is expedient that the powers of the House of Lords as respects Bills other than Money Bills be restricted by law so that any such Bill which has passed the House of Commons in three successive Sessions, having been sent up to the House of Lords at least one month before the end of the Session, and has been rejected by that House in each of .these Sessions, shall be- come law without the consent of the House of Lords on the Royal assent being declared, provided that at least two years shall have elapsed between the date of the first intro- duction of the Bill in the House of Com- mons and the date on which it passes the House of Commons for the third time. For the purpose of this resolution a Bill shall be treated as rejected by the House of Lords if it has not been passed by the House of Lords either without amendment or with such amendment only as may be agreed upon by both Houses. DURATION OF PARLIAMENT. That it is expedient to limit the duration of Parliament to five years. It will be noted the chief difference between the Government scheme and that of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman is that the provision for a conference between the two Houses in case of difference has been struck out. The most advanced supporters of the Government recognise in the resolutions at all events an excellent basis for discussion. The chief point criticised is the provision that two years shall elapse between the first introduc- tion of the Bill and its third rejection by the Lords, as it is feared that this proviso will have the effect of sterilising the closing years of a Parliament's existence. Some amendment will no doubt be proposed to this. There may also be some difficulty in passing the resolu- tion for going into Committee, as on this motion those in favour of the abolition of the House of Lords will no doubt raise a debate. The question will be put in the form that certain words of the resolution be omitted, and unless a clear understandingexists between the Government and its supporters there is a danger of the Unionists and the advanced Radicals and Labour members going into the same Lobby. It is, however, supposed that informal conferences with the view of mini- mising differences will take place. It is thought generally that the Government has strengthened its position by tbeproduction of these resolutions and that they will be the means of drawing Liberals, Nationalists, and Labour members closer together. Given an agreement on the Budget question, the appeal to the people may be postponed until later in the year. The Government (says the corres- pondent) are prepared to give a pledge that they will resign should the House of Lords refuse to agree to a restriction of its powers of vetoing legislation, and, as the action of the Lords on the veto reso,utions is a foregone con- clusion the election this year is certain to ensue, the only question remaining being how and when the dissolution is to be brought about.

PARTY CENTRES BUSY. Great Activity at Headquarters. Great activity at the headquarters of the respective parties continues. This is especially the case at the Conservative offices in Westminster. A farge number of Unionist poli- ticians connected with the organisation of the party, were in consultation with the officials. A responsible official at the central office stated the party were quite prepared for another General Election. Every seat which was Con- tested at the last campaign would be fought again. No great oratorical campaign had been arranged, but the party were awaiting events. The officials of the Labour party declare themselves prepared for an election if one should be forced upon them. Since Saturday several new candidtaies have offered themselves to the Liberal Whips for constituencies not yet provided for. Pressure is also being brought to bear on former mem- bers unseated at the last election who have declared their intention to retire, and it is hoped that in some instances they will be in- duced to reconsider thisdeeiaaon. English con- stituencies are now fairly well provided for, /and Whips nope soon to be able to make some statement regarding Scotland. The Unionist Whips declare they will have no difficulty in finding candidates even in the Ministerial strongholds of the North. A second electoral struggle at so short interval is, of course, not popular with those called upon to fight forlorn isopes. No doubt enthusiasm will rise as the time for the contest approaches, but at present members of all parties appear to regard the coming election as at best a disagreeable necessity.

ANONYMOUS DONOR. Some two months ago an anonymous phil- anthropist began to send bank-notes to Old- ham chapels, and up to the present all efforts to discover his identity have failed. The latest to benefit by the generosity of a gentleman who conceals his identity is the Oldham Mission, which does splendid work among the poor of the town. The list of churches, etc., which have re- ceived bank-notes is now as follows :—Water- head ChapeL, Smith-street Chapel, Springbmad Congregational Church, Lees-road Primitive Methodist Church, Wesley Chapel, DerkerCon- gregational School, Union-street Congrega- tional Church, and Oldham Mission. In the case of the Oldham Mission, two bank- notes for £20 each was sent to the hon. secre- tary, Mr De Courcy. This brings the total amount which has been given to the Mission anonymously during the past three weeks up to over JE500, one of the gifts having been a cheque tor £ 250. The two JEZO bank notes were not posted, but brought to Mr De Cowley's house. They were enclosed in an envelope, which had evidently been dropped through the letter-box late at night, after the family bad retired to rest.

SUBMARINE TELEPHONING. > Arrangements are now almost completed by which it will be possible to telephone between Paris and Glasgow. Two new cables are to be laid between France and England, one by the British and the other by the French Govern- ment. A few miles of submarine lines between two land lines causes many disturbances, and the 23 miles of cable lying between France and England prevent all long-distance speech at present between England and the Continent. The distortion of speech can be overcome to a wonderful extent by placing coils called in- ductances across the wires at intervals fixed by careful calculation, and it is the process of plac- ing these coils which is called loading." The improvement obtained by leading the cable has been shown by a number of tests which prove that the new cable is eight times as efficient as the old type of submarine cable now in use.

I INDENTURED MINE LABOUR. Reported South African Scheme. It is reported from Johannesburg, writes the Durban correspondent of the Central News, that endeavours have recently been made to bring about the introduction into the mines of 150,000Sardinians, Croa-tians, and Italians. The correspondent of the Natal Mercury states that Dr. Garstner has been to Johannesburg unofficially and has laid the scheme before the Government and the mining men. He wants the imported men to be indentured to the mines for a period. They would according to his suggestion get about 6s per day. Dr Garstner also wants for the immigrants the right to go to the mining fields of the Northern Transvaal and Rhodesia as free men when the oppor- tunity offers, and the right to acquire land and become "farmers. »

JUSTICES COMMISSION. Evidence from Swansea. At the meetings of the Royal Commission on the appointment of Justices of the Peace this week, evidence will be called in favour of the licensed victualling trades with re- gard to the present methods of appointing county and bomugh justices, the contention of the trade being that those connected with it are not now treated fairly. Among those who, it is understood, will give evidence during the present week's sittings are Mr W. Tarr, of Swansea., vice-presidont of the Licensed Victuallers' Defence League, and Mr Bulmer, Mayor of Hereford.

Betting on Football. COUPON COMPETITIONS. At Bow-street Police Court onMonday George Dew, alias F. G. Morton, a commission agent, appeared on remand in answer to a charge of unlawfully using the office of Irvine and Co., Ltd., 19, Buckingham-street, Strand, for bet- ting purposes in connection with football. Mr Leycester appeared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, and Mr Percy Robinson represented the prisoner. When arrested prisoner had upon him 513 blank postal orders of various totals amount- ing to jE295 14s, a cheque-book on the London and South-Western Bank at Kensington, a letter from A. Smallman, Middelburg, Hol- land four football betting circulars, and two lists of football matches for Saturday, March 19th. He took the postal orders from his pocket and handed them to the officer, saying, These are what you want; I was going to send them over to Flushing." Mr Leycester, outlining the case, said that in the present case the office was used for the pur- pose of issuing betting circulars relating to foot- ball. Although these were issued in London the money or postal orders were to be despatched to the defendant in the name of Morton at Flushing. The circulars invited intending specu- lators to send him money from Is and upwards making bets upon football matches. The odds offered varied from two to one for naming three winnihg home teams to 5,000 to one for naming 20 winning away teams. There was an accom- panying form which had to be filled up. The circulars, said counsel, were printed abroad, but posted from London for Id each. If posted direct from Holland they would cost 2ld each. This saving of lid each upon the thousands of circulars which were issued meant a consider- able amount to the promoters. They were saving about JE200 a week by these means. In February, continued Mr Leycester, the defendant called at Irvine's, at 19, Bucking- ham-street, to arrange about having some circulars posted from there. The defendant said they were perfectly legal, as they were ordinary betting circulars, and not competi- tions. He promised to indemnify the firm against any action that might be taken. It was then arranged that the firm should address and post the circulars at 6s a thousand, exclusive of postage, and in the ensuing three weeks some 107,000 were sent out to addresses sup- plied by the defendant. The despatches were so heavy that the Post Office people had to arrange for vans to collect the envelopes. Mr Leycester said that other proceedings in shnilair cases were now going on, and were to be taken to the Central Criminal Court. It would therefore be convenient if the cases came before the same tribunal. Mr William D. Wilkinson, of Irvine and Co., Ltd., gave evidence corroborative of Mr Leycester's statement. Ion Irvine, of Elderfield-road, Clapton, works manager to Irvine and Company, Limited, Spoke to seeing defendant on February 4th at the office, some 27,000 circulars being despatched in those three days. A second lot of 37,000 was sent out the next week, and in the following week 12,600 more circulars were despatched. Some of the circulars were in the name of W. and A. Dew, while others were in the names of Thomas Alldon and F. G. Mor- ton respectively. After Mr Wilkinson had given information to the police, the circulars left over from the fourth lot were handed to the detective. In order that certain books might be pro- duced, the accused was remanded again until Thursday, bail being Allowed. A further ap- plication was made for the return to Dew of the postal orders found on him, but this 'was objected to by the police, and refused by the magistrate.

INSURANCE MONEY New York, Monday.—Giving evidence before the Insurance Investigation Commission this afternoon, the New York manager of a German fire insurance company stated that there waa a system of levying assessments from foreign companies for opposing obnoxious legislation, the amount paid by each company depending on the amount of business done in the United States. The largest amount yet mentioned in this connection was brought out in the testi- mony of the American manager of a leading London assurance company, who said that 19,000 dollars were raised among foreign com- panies for the purpose of opposing Bills in various States, meetly in the West, which 'pro- posed to tax foreign companies at a higher rate than the domestic company. The money was paid to a prominent firm of lawyers in New York as legal expenses, the share,paid by the London company in question beong 1*300 o liars.—-Renter. o liars.—-Renter. AMERICAN WUNICfPAL CORRUPTION. Pittsburg, Monday.—Six ex-members and one present member of the Cottocil of this city, who appeared before the Judge of the Criminal Court to-day, confessed to being guilty of grafting. Sentence has been suspended, it being intended to use the seven persons as witnesses in the prosecution of other members oftibe city board. TSSs action follows oil the sensational revelations by John F. Klein, who was recently convicted of bribery and sen- tenced to three years in a penitentiary. Most of the confessions related to petty bribes for votes in favour of local banks as deposits of city moneys.-Beuter.

SWANSEA HOVELS. Preaching at Holy Trinity Church, Swansea, on Sunday evening, the Vicar (the Rev. G. P. -w Packer) made a remarkable statement as to life in one part of the town. The city life, he said, had reached an acute stage of ugtiness. There were hovels in the town not fit for habitation. In all his experience in the wilds of Africa he bad never entered such" homes." He referred to a gentleman who hadihrottgh the efforts of a former vicar, began to serve God by providing lodging-houses in that locality, and said now he was going to poll down every house he owned in the Strand and build in their places tenements fit for human habitation. In the Strand Sister Wrav regu- larly gave a tea to unfortunate women and what a sight it was Many a day he had, gone home to his study from there and wept. What were they to do ? Some said it was the drink. It was-not. If he were in their condition he thought the only thing he could do would be to drink. Their circumstances were such as ought not to exist in a Christian land. The Vicar went onto refer to the conversion of the Old Blue Bell in the Strand by the Rev. Seldon Morgan into a mission house, and the good work that bad resulted. Now the property was in the market, and he had to pay £ 400 before the month was up. Would his congregation, the preacher asked, go to their luxurious homes and know that, within a stone's throw, were those who had no place to sleep, nothing to eat, and not weep ? If so, it was because the Christian people of Swansea had not got the Master's spirit.

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l Mullah Menace Lessened DERVISH SPIRIT WANING. A volume of official correspondence relating to affairs in Somaliland. and covering a period from August 19th, 1908, to March 10th last, was Issued as a Government Blue Book on. Monday evening. The most interesting item in the corres- pondence is a lengthy despatch received by Lord- Crewe on February 23rd last from Colonel Sir W. H. Manning, giving the Commissioner's views on the situation in Somaliland, and stating the steps he is taking to deal with it. Instead of their being practically one hostile gathering to deal with as in the days of the Mullah's prosperity," says Colonel Manning, there would appear to be now three separate hostile parties, more or less directly controlled by the Mullah, and a fourth party which is probably not directly controlled by the Mullah but is, nevertheless, possibly acting on lines indicated by him. The position at first sight is certainly not reassuring, but it is my opinion that such a decentralisation of force is in our favour. The true Dervish spirit, which made the Mullah's following so formidable in the past, is undoubtedly waning. The Mullah's regularDeverishes are probably the boldest, most experienced, and best disciplined party of raiders, but from all I can hear do not compare with what we encountered in the early days of the Mullah's rise." Subsequent correspondence deals with the decision, on Colonel Manning's request, to instal a system of wireless telegraphy between Aden and Berbera, and to have two squadrons of Indian Cavalry in readiness to embark for Somaliland if required. > On March 4th the Commissioner telegraphed that the formal announcement of the evacuation of the interior would be made to the friendly tribes on March 20th, and in reply Lord Crewe said, I have received your telegram of the 4th March, from which I have been glad to learn that you have fixed the date for the announcement of the policy of withdrawal to the friendly tribes. The matter will be public here about the 21st March."

PUNITIVE EXPEDITION. Rome, Monday,—The Minister of Foreign Affairs has received a telegram from Somali- land stating that an expedition against Der- vishes who had been terrorising the district advanced to Rakeile Omar Gudle. At Q-an- seidlle the Dervishes fired on the troops, but were put to flight. They had eight killed and 12 wounded.—Renter.

Britain & Congo Question .a IF DIPLOMACY BREAKS DOWN, —— Strong Line of Action Indicated. Sir Charles Dilke raised the auestion of the Congo in the House on Mondoy, and held that the British Government were not only entitled to interfere, but were bound to interfere in the Congo question. He begged the House not to be led away by any fear of frightful com- plications, but to remember that oar moral obligation was so weighty and that it almost amounted to moral complicity in the evil unless we put an end to it. (Hear, hear.) Sir Edward Grey did not considerwe were in a less favourable position in regard to this question than we had been in previous years. Until the situation was regularised the British Government most insist that they themselves, and no one else, should exercise authority I over British subjects in the Congo State. Negotiations regarding the frontier question were proceeding without prejudice to the question of annexation. There was justifica- tion lor saying that the situation was not yet hopeless, and that the time bad not come for breaking off ait diplomatic negotiations. If any Governmejxfccame forward andaaid t.bellituation was hopeless they mustresorttootber methods. For some years he had given careful attention to what this country would be able to do sup- posing diplomacy failed. He had held that the proper comsefor us to take was to refuse to recognise any longer thor authority of a Power which had for years violated our treaty lights I and to resume jurisdiction over our own sub- jects. To enstrre that British 8Ðbjedø-e not interfetoed with we oaght to be prepared to take those steps, and he did not for a moment suppose that any other European Powerwoald pretend to interfere with as in a matter be- tween. ourselves and our own subjects, but if they did then he would rely upon the forces at our disposal. All he contended for was that not even Belgian reformers themselves would wish us to say at the present moment that the situation was so hopeless as to neces- state the abandonment of diplomacy. If the situatioh did become hopeless it would be the duty of some British Government to propose a course of the kind he had indicated, but he was convinced there was better hope now than there had been in past years that things would iiuytwa in- tte Owyo. He assured the House, however, that no im- pediment would be placed in tie way of such action as Me had described by a recognition of the annexation of the Congo before it was clear that the condition of things with regard to the natives and trade was such as to come withmareasonabts distance of conforming to out treaty rights. (Hear, hear.)

EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS. Before-Sir Albert De Bntsen, at Bow-street on Monday, Mortz Booter, described as a diamond dealer, and Max Kohen, a eom- mercial traveller, of Whfbechapel, appeared on remand for extradition. The charge against them was of stealing bonds and money from a bank at Liege on the night of Jaxuiary 6th, wilen a safe waa blown open with dynamjfce and the contents stolen. When the men were arrested in London Booter was told by DeUitiv c oorgeant Curry that he was also wanted for a jewel robbery at Soufchport- The amount stolen from the Belgian Bank was t5,000. Mr Lewis Margetts appeared for the prisoner Kohesi. Mr Moss Stem, manager afthe bank and ex- department of J. Stern and Company. of 94, Commercial-road, B-, said Kohen called on Jasmary9fch and made some inquiries about the rate of exchange for foreigmnonery (franca). There were some other people with him. Wit- ness's firm had received letters for Kohen daring the past 12 months. The prisoner and his friends called again the following morning, and Mr Kohen exchanged 4,200 francs in Bel- gian notes for £ 14617&, in five JE20 notea, six £5 notes, and the rest in gold. TheymentMned nothing about bonds. Cross-examined by Mr Margetts, witness said Kohen called at the oftice for a passage ticket six or more months ago, while three months ago, he believed, he exchanged SCO francs in Belgian money. A formal remand till next Wednesday was granted in the ease of both prisoners. Mr Margetts made an application for badl on behalf of his client, remarking that be was a married man, and had been resident in this country for some time. The request was re- fused. ^asaaaaaaa

TWO QUARRYMEN KILLED. On Monday afternoon, as the resultof the sodden falling away of a quantity of rock from the face of a quarry at Lydney, Dean Forest, two men were crushed to death. Their names sreCharles Thome (63V niatned, and Matthew Johnson (44), married. The former resided at Viney Hill, Blafceaey, and the latter at Oldcroft, near Lydney. The working is known as Maple Hill Query, aDd is situate in Kidnalls Woods, and owned by Mr Charles Bathurst, M.P., Lydney Park. The quarry was leased to the deceaaedThoma, who has worked it for some years and who was an experienced quarryman. Both men were working together hao-way up the face of the quarry, undercutting a mass of stone, and owing to a joint at the back which was not visible, some four tons of rock suddenly loosened and fell upon the two workmen. Horace Johnson, a younger brother of the deceased man of that name, waa working as a banker mason in the floor of thequarry, and hearing the noise above was horrified to see the stone falling upon the men. He imme- diately ran to them, but found them-almost entirely covered. Death was instantaneous.

RAID ON ILLICIT STIlL. Remarkable evidence was given at Belfast Police Court on Monday in connection with a raid made by a strong constabulary force on Saturday night of an illicit distiUeryin East Belfast, two men, named Cullen and Fmnegan, being charged with being engaged in the manu- facture of potheen. Head-Constable Peate, who was in command of the raiders, said his men found two stills in full working order, one being capable of holding fifty gallons. They were of the up-to- datepattern^nd they also seized a lorry-loadof material used for the manufacture of the spirit. The accused pleaded guilty, and were each fined ÐOO.

LONDON STREET CRASH. As a pair horse van was proceeding along Kingsway, London, shortly before noon on Monday the horses took fright. While rushing along Southampton-row the maddened animals crashed into a brewer's dray. Ohe horse was badly injured a.nd had to be shot, while the driver of the van, who had been vainly endeavouring to check the animals, wasftnng to the ground and killed outright. A police constable who tried to stop the runaways was badly injured. The driver was a. married man named Joseph Tappenden, living in Harrow- road. The brewers dray was badly smashed, but the driver and horses escaped without in- jury. _mmmi—

As the result of a drunken brawl in Daisy- street, Cardiff, an Saturday night P.C. Barry arrested George; Church (27), who was yes- terday charged at the Police Court with doing grievous bodily harm to John McCarthy. The officer's evidence showed that the parties fought and Church knocked McCarthy down, with the result that his head was cut on the kerb-stone. Prisoner was discharged.

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Brewster Sessions.. JUSTICES POWERS QUESTIONED. The adjourned Licensing Sessions of the Aberavon County Petty Sessional Division was held on Monday at Port Talbot,Mr S. H Byass presiding. In the case of -the Gadtys Arms, Glyncorrwg, Mr T. H. dunter appeared for the police and justices to oppose renewal; Mr E. T. Powell, Neath, appeared for the licensee, and Mr L. M. Thomas fer the brewers. It was objected that as no notice bad been served on the licensees to appear the justices had no jurisdiction that day. The justices decided other wise, and eventually referred the house for compensation. Collier's Arms, GUyneorrwg.—Mr Hunter op- posed the renewal. Mr Powell and Mr L- M- Thranas appeared for the licensee and brewers respectively. Inspector Canton said (this also was an ante-1869 beerhouse, with a trade of half a barrel per week. Bent and ratable value, JE50 per year. The owner was Mr D. Matthias, and licensee J. Green. The house, which was damp and unsuitable, and was leased to the Bhondda Valley Brewery Company, was re- ferred for compensation. Miners' Arms, Pontrhydyfen.—Sir Ivor Bowen, for the owner (Mr E. E. Bevan) and licensee (Mr T. Clements) applied for the formal renewal, and asked that notice be taken of his objection on the ground that the justices had no power to deal with it because of the adjournment. The house was referred foe C<Kin^Head,Pontrhydyfen,and Millwrights* Arms, Pontrhydyfen.—Mr Ivor Bowea, for both bouses, applied for the renewal. They ware tied to Mr E. E. Bevan. Both houses were referred. Hearts of Oak, Pontrhydyfen, and Gelli Hotel, Abergwynn.—Mr L. M. Thomas applied for the renewal of both licences. Inspector Canton admitted that both houses since their conviction had been better conducted and the licensees changed. Both licences were renewed. Colliers Arms and Ivorites Arms, Pwlly- glaw, were each referred for compensation. Colliers' Arms, Efa.ilfach.- The owner of this house was Mr Bevisin and the licensee Thomas Davies. The rent is JE12 and the barrelage five per week. Mr 1. Bowen said that Mr Bevan was prepared to rebuild this house, which was the only one in a radius of half a mile and served a population of 500 people. The licence was renewed on the condition that the house be rebuilt. Mr T. R. Hunter, on behalf of Ll. Lewis, chemist, 25, Sta £ 5on-roadt Port Talbot, applied for an off-wine licence for the sale of medicated wine. Mr L. M. Thomas opposed on behalf of the Licensed Victuallers Association, and the Rev. E. R. Harris on behalf of the Temperance party. The applica- tion was refused. James O'Brien, Tyr Owen-row, Cwmavon, applied for a billiard licence. Mr L. M. Thomas applied for applicant, and Mr Moses Thomas opposed. The application was refused.

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN. Addressing members of the Vtefcoria Insti- tute on Monday on some phases of the Genesis story of creation, the Rev. A. Irving said: During the past year the scien- tific world bad its cariosity aroused by the announcement of the discovery of a massive human jaw under some 80 to 90 feet of stratified diluvial sand at Mauer, in the Neckar Valley, near Heidelberg, and within the last few weeks another most impor- tant find had turned up, this time a fairly complete skeleton of a palaeolithic homo, in the Dordogne, but in neither case was evidence forthcoming which would date the appearance of the homo further back than 20,000 years. With such increasing evidence as it came to be sifted we were surely warned more and more against following the speculation* of some who, upon very flimsy evidence, attempted to date back the first appearance of the homo on this .planebt& hundreds of thousands of years.

TOOK LAW INTQ OWN HANDS. Racca Calcagni, refreshment-house keeper Ctydaeh Vale,was at Ystrad on Monday charged with assaulting a schoolboy, Robert William Jones. The evidence showed that defendant sf fifctle son had been molested by boys owing to his nationality, and Calcagni becoming .annoyed, visited the BLaenclydach Schools and boxed complainant's ears. TheSttpendiaryjMr Lleufer Thomas) said he believed Calcagni had cause for provocation, but he had acted wrongly in taking the law into his own hands. Defendant wanned 15s.

THREE THOUSAND TOMS OF BLOOD PASS THROUGH AND ARE CLEANSED BY THE LUNGS EVERY YEAR OF A MAN'S LIFE. The heart pumps three thousand tons of blood into the hmgs-every year and the lungs purify it and send it back to the system, where it circulates from the tips of the finger nails to the ends of the hair. In a. natural life the lungs purify 210,000 tons of blood. The stomach has to famish this blood from the food which comes into it. The stomach drains on the blood for an average of 28 ozs. of digestive juices every day, or 638 lb. each year. This fluid taxes the blood for its best product and thereby weakens it. When poor eating, excesses, late hoars, under or over-done cooking, and scores of other stomach abuses, weaken the juices and fin the blood withacids and alkalies in wrong proportion, or make gasesof terrible, poisonous power, then the stomach becomes a menace to the system, the blood is impoverished, and the decline of man is rfepid. Stuart's Dyspepsia Tablets nriixed with the saliva after meals goes into the stomach and furnishes that organ the juices it lacks, thereby digesting the meal without weakening the blood. the nourishment tb as, received goes into the intestines and is taken up by the blood. The blood is made stronger and the stomach then has a storehouse upon which to draw for its supplies. Stuart's Dyspepsia Tablets are but common sense elements which give health to the stomach and permit it to cure itself. They are not miracles, or marvels; just plain tablets, which, though harmless, contain every ingredient necessary to digestion. Every chemist sells them, price I/Ûj. 2/9. and 416 per package, or send us your name and address and we will send you a trial package by post, free. Address F. A. Stuart Co., 86 Clerkenwell Road, London, E.C.

"Sleep Eternal." GIRLtS TRAGIC FAREWELL The mystery surrounding^ the discovery ø1f Dover-of articles of a young lady's clothing with a bottle that had contained poison, and letter, has been the subject of a thorough tnve<»* tigation by the police. The coastguards à.ø1 boatmen have patrolled the coast betwoo Dover and Folkestone in search of a body, but without result. The affair evidently is a love tragedy, SO shown* by the terms of the letter which W*" pinned to the light brown straw hat. This letter was addressed simply Victor," and signed Valerie." It c0O>J j menced with the words I die," and contained a reference to a letter the writer had received from Victor, stating it was more than shecouV* bear after three years' engagement. The hand* writing and style of the letter is that of &It educated woman. The letter contains a long quotation faotfj Swinburne, and states, I have read and re-, read the letter you sent me yesterday." Afte* a reference to the letter being written by tb* seashore, it concludes with the words," rA me, Valerie, remains only the sleep eternal of j the eternal night." The clothing was neatly folded together oil-* 1 ledge of rock near the foot of Shakespeai* Cliff. It consisted of a young lady's lonfj black coat, light brown straw hat, long ve» attached, gloves, marked in red with a støf. ( < 257. The coat bore the tab of a. BrictoI1 '< bon marche. The bottle found in the coi» pocket was marked Poison," and had coC" tained ferro-cyanide of potassium. A met* disc of the Wood Green Skating Rink fotond tO the pocket also further connected the lady with London. The photo of a. young man, eyi* dently the" Victor referred to in the lettet- as it is signed V.C." was aJso discovered, tb* face being that of a smart-looking young fellow « of about 25.

MONMOUTHSHIRE SCHOOlS. The first meeting of the newly-elected MoO" mouthshire Education Committee was held At Newport on Monday. On the motion of Alder- man S. N. Jones, Alclerman J. R. Jacob well re-elected as chairman of the committ.ee.and Alderman John Daniel, Pontypool, was w elected vice-chairman. The various committees were elected, the eomposition of the most important ones being I Higher Education, 22 Liberals and 8 Conserv^ trves Elementary Education, 19 Liberals, 6 Conservatives Finance Committee. 19 Li1" rals, 7 Conservatives Sites and Buildings, 21 Liberals and 6 Conservatives. When selecting the Teachers' Salaries Cflf mittee Mr Dauncey, the secretary, advised ttj committee not to adopt a binding qoal* throughout the county. Since the Swiuiio* decision they hafdiy knew where they were ta this matter, and he suggested that the 000** mittee should deal witii exceptional and taft vidu&l cases on exceptional and indtvido* lines. Alderman S. N. Jones thought that At i the question was so important every district the county should be represented. Eventually the question was referred to the Finance CW mittee.

LLANELLYTRADE INCREASE At the meeting of the Llanelly HarboB^ 1 Trust on Monday, Mr D. James Davies preseo' j ing, the superintendent (Mr John Rees) read | letter from Mr E. L. Behenna, Swansea, wW ] was at the last meeting appointed a memb<* of the Trust, expressing regret at his inability to take his seat on the Trust that day owing f being detained in London, and adding thathj* had already secured business for loading KM30& tons at Llanelly, and in addition he vould bsv* a boat of 1450 tons for du £ E by Wednesday* He hoped to secure French bustnesB fc* Llanelly shortly, but this would depend upof the depth of water in the channel. In tbJ, meantime he hoped that the excellent facility* for the quick despatch of boafawodldtontinfl> The superintendent called attention to tb*. fact that the imports for t&e last five mantt* showed an increase of 124X0 tons owrthnj* of the corresponding period of last yeax, wfeM the increase m the exports for the wame pulW* t was 21,000 tons. J' In reply to Mr G. F. Blake, the li^i liiihil' dent said a great deal of the hteraaae in impoHj would be due to the enlargement atwo&a ftp the town. the town.

NEW LIGHT ON THE FLOOD. Professor Herman Hfljarecfat hasmadepatf' at New Yorkhis trapatatKmofaomffrwiiiartf.riW^ Cuneiform tablets discovered in what was th* library of the great temple at Nippor, O0 ancient Babylonian city. The tafcins dajjf according to Professor BHpnecbt, from I B.C., and parallel in a remarkable mwrfiw tb* t Biblical history of the period immediately UW>* j ceding the Flood. The coming of the Flood 1* S clearly prophesied, though no exact date** asaigneii, for it, and the warning of tbs approaching disaster is accompanied byto' structions for the building of an ark in ? that men and animals may be saved from waters. The date usually assigned for' flood is 2,348 B.C. » Professor Hilprecht, who is professor Assyrian and of ComparatxverSemitic Phflok^Jw at the University of Pennsylvania, is the te*1*] ing authority in the-Stages on caneifoa> j search. I

BIRTHDAY CAROUSE. At Bilston, near Wolverhampton, onMond^ | a verdict of Found burned 1' was returned^ the inquest on a septuagenarian nazne* Caddick and his daughter Alice, aged 39, Mr" married. On Satarday Caddick celebrated V* birthday, and he and his daughter, who d subject to fits, visited several public houflej Next morning smoke'was seen coming ont o*' their house, and on the door being burst the place was found to be on fire, Caddick and his daughter were discovef* terribly burned. The man could only be idejj tifiedbybis watch. A paraffin lamp, whW apparently caused the fire, lay broken on Oh* floor.

STAYED IN BED ALL DAY. Dr. Macartney, coroner for the Forest*^ Dean Division, held an inquest at on Monday afternoon touching the death Augustus Gerald Lawson, 28 years of age. evidence disclosed that deceased was a peculiar habits, often staying in bed all daf* He was found dead in bed. Dr. Morsell, who made a post-mortem f animation, said death was due to heart fguuo accelerated by chronic alcoholism..j. i The jury came to the conclusion that de»*T was due to disease of the aorta and ( valves and syncope. I