§ MR. ELLICEasked the First Lord of the Treasury, with reference to a statement to the effect that the Government intend to abolish two years hence the herring brand in Scotland, Whether he is aware that a Treasury Commission in 1856, after full inquiry, distinctly recommended 396 the maintenance of the branding system; and that another Treasury Commission in 1870, after similar inquiry, as distinctly refused the responsibility of the abolition of the brand; whether Government has received since the Report of the last Commission in 1870 any official information of a contrary tendency to that Report; and, if so, whether such information will be laid before the House; and, whether he will state that no order, notice, or proceeding with a view to the abolition of the brand shall be adopted by the Government until this House has had full opportunity for expressing its opinion upon any proposed change?
MR. GLADSTONE, in reply, said, it was not necessary that he should enter into any considerable detail on this question; but he did not think the hon. Gentleman's facts were exactly correct. The case was this—In 1856 an inquiry was instituted by three Commissioners, of whom two recommended the continuance of the branding system and one recommended the reverse. A second inquiry was made, he thought, in 1866, when the Sea Fisheries Commission reported adversely to the branding system. In 1870 a Treasury Commission on this and other subjects reported that they were unwilling to take the responsibility of advising the abolition of the brand. The Treasury had not received any official information since 1870; but both the Treasury and the Board of Trade had expressed departmental judgments adverse to the branding system. As to the last Question, he hoped he could give the hon. Gentleman entire satisfaction, because there was no intention whatever of taking any proceedings upon the subject during the time that would elapse before the matter could naturally come under the consideration of the House by any Vote in Supply that might be taken next year for the Fishery Board. The hon. Gentleman would, therefore, have an opportunity on that occasion, even if he had not on any other, of promoting further discussion on the subject.