§ MR. W. H. SMITHasked the First Lord of the Treasury, If he will lay upon the Table, before the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill is considered in Committee, a statement of the Duties proposed to be levied under the financial measures now before the French Chambers, and showing their effect, either by way of increase or decrease, in the imposts on British products or manufactures; and also a statement of any proposals to grant or to continue bounties 718 to any French trade or manufacture, to the prejudice of foreign competitors?
MR. GLADSTONESir, by-and-by, when we come to the Orders of the Day, I shall have a word to say on the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill, which will bear materially on the inquiry now made by the right hon. Gentleman. I am afraid it would be impossible to comply literally with his request, or, indeed, to comply with it to the extent of laying the Returns on the Table of the House. It would not be a very convenient practice to lay upon the Table of this House Returns relating to the proceedings of foreign Chambers. There is one objection in this case—namely, that these proceedings are in progress: they are not in any fixed form, and are fluctuating and changing almost from day to day. Certain duties have been fixed by the French Chamber; but they are now in the course of modification in the French Senate. The Foreign Office are in the habit of making known, as far as they are able, to parties interested what is going on in the French Legislature. I think, therefore, under the circumstances, it would be better that reference should be made to the Foreign Office, who will at all times be most willing to communicate the information, rather than that we should mislead the House by laying on the Table information which would appear to have the character of being permanent when, in fact, it is not so.