§ MR. LYON PLAYFAIRasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether his predecessor in 1872 received replies from some eminent chemists, including Baron Liebig, Mons. Dumas, Dr. Hoffmann, Sir Benjamin Brodie, Dr. Williamson, Dr. Odling, and others, to the following (abbreviated) Questions put by the Rivers Pollution Commissioners, viz.:—1. Is it desirable in the interest both of manufacturers and the public that a definition of standards of polluting liquids should be fixed by Parliament; 2. Are the standards recommended by the Commissioners fair and reasonable; and, whether he has any objection to lay their letters before Parliament previous to this House being asked to consider the Rivers Pollution Bill?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH,in reply, said, that the replies referred to in the right hon. Gentleman's Question had been addressed to his Predecessor in office, and the most important of them—namely, those of Baron von Liebig and M. Dumas—would be found in the fourth part of the Fourth Report of the Rivers Pollution Commissioners. With regard to the Reports in continuation laid on the Table of the House, but not yet distributed, he had to state that the last revise would be in the hands of the printers within a few days, and he hoped they would soon afterwards be in the hands of hon. Members.