§ COLONEL WALRONDasked the President of the Board of Trade, If it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to appoint a Select Committee to inquire into the question of Tithes?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINSir, the Board of Trade have had the subject of 317 the hon. Member's Question under their consideration. They are of opinion that while it would be inexpedient and undesirable to alter the basis of the tithe settlement of 1836, yet that the working of the Corn Acts, by which the prices for calculating the tithe averages are obtained, might be improved. A Bill for that purpose is in preparation, by which it is hoped that, among other things, the proportion of corn returned to the amounts sold in the markets will be increased, and a legal equivalent will be fixed for converting the quantities of corn sold by weight into imperial bushels. The whole subject is also included among those referred to the Royal Commission on Agriculture. Under these circumstances, I hope that hon. Members interested will not press for the appointment of a Select Committee.