§ Mr. Goulburnsaid, that in the return of the communications made by the colonial agents to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, on the subject of the sugar-duties, printed for the use of the Members of that House, there was either an inaccuracy in the copy or else a misprint. They were made to say, that there would not be a sufficient supply of sugar during the next year, but the rest of the paper plainly showed, that this must be a misprint, and that it ought to have been that the supply would be sufficient. He should not have noticed this had not the right hon. Gentleman opposite made that misstatement the foundation of his argument last evening. Under these circumstances he would ask the hon. Gentleman opposite if in the original document the West India agents had not stated, that there would be an adequate supply of sugar during the next year?
Mr. Vernon Smithsaid, it certainly was a misprint, which was owing to no inadvertence on the part of the Colonial office. A similar return had been printed for the House of Lords, which was correctly printed, and as the printer had printed the return for that House from the return ordered for the House of Lords, it had not 562 been sent to the Colonial office for correction, and hence the error had arisen.
§ Sir C. Greyhad understood from the document printed for the use of the Members of that House, that the supply would not be adequate. At the same time he must confess that, from the context of the document, the reading had appeared to him to be rather ambiguous. It seemed to him, upon reflection, that the West India agents might be speaking with reference only to the West Indies. It was notorious that the supplies from the West Indies would not be sufficient.
§ Subject at an end.