§ MR. HOWELL (Bethnal Green, N. E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that only two parts out of six of the Returns relating to Friendly Societies, with abstracts of the quinquennial Returns, have been published, though the Returns relate to the year 1886 and previous years; whether he can inform the House when the other four parts, C, D, E, and F, of Part II., will be issued to Members of this House; and whether, considering the time that has elapsed, he will consent to lay upon the Table of this House a, complete abstract of those Returns, with such particulars as to the number of Societies, number of members, amount of funds, and similar information, at an early date?
§ A LORD OF THE TREASURY (Sir H. MAXWELL,) WigtonThe two parts, A and B, already issued, contain the information relating to the great affiliated Orders, such as the Manchester Unity and the Foresters, representing about two-thirds of the whole of the Branch Returns. Of the forthcoming parts, I am informed that C is ready for press; D is already in manuscript; E is in hand, and I therefore think that the proposal of the hon. Member would not really attain his object. I should say that, 1332 although the Returns relate to the year 1886, many of them are not received until much later.