§ Mr. Hawes.seeing the right hon. President of the Board of Trade in his place, begged to ask him how soon it would be in the right hon. Gentleman's power to place a correct Tariff in the hands of Members. He put the question because the right hon. Gentleman had promised on a former evening, that as soon as some typographical errors were corrected, and other changes made, the tariff should be laid on the Table. He was anxious, that the right hon. Gentleman should state whether the tariff would be presented before or after Easter, and if after, how soon. He thought he was entitled to press upon the right hon. Gentleman the necessity of an early production, inasmuch as there were strong grounds for believing that this tariff had been a long time under consideration, and was prepared with great 1111 attention. He understood that commercial affairs were much disturbed, in con sequence of not knowing what amount of duty would be attached to each of the articles included in the tariff, and he was sure it was expected, that a correct list should be furnished as speedily as possible.
§ Mr. Gladstone,in reference to the question or rather the observations of the hon. Gentleman, ventured to say, that no un necessary delay in fixing the duties to be laid on the different articles had taken place on the part of the Government. He could well believe, that any suspense on such a subject must have, as the hon. Gentleman represented, a distracting and paralysing effect on trade. He was exceedingly anxious, that it should be presented in an authentic form as soon as possible, but the correction of typographical errors, and of errors which they (the Government) had made, and which it was necessary to rectify, caused the delay which had occurred. But, from the number of representations to the Board of Trade, and to the different departments which had the regulation of those duties, it would be disrespectful to the persons making these communications if sufficient time were not taken to consider them. He fully anticipated that, during the Easter recess, all these representations and collateral suggestions would be determined upon; and that by the time the House met again, on Monday week, or thereabouts, a corrected tariff would be ready to be placed in the hands of Members.