§ Mr. Huttseeing the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade in his place, was anxious to learn from the right hon. Gentleman whether any progress had been made towards effecting a revision of the Sound duties, in accordance with the motion which he had submitted to the House in the month of March last.
§ Mr. Laboucheretrusted, the answer he was enabled to give to the question put to him by the hon. Member for Hull would be satisfactory to the House, and to the great mercantile interests affected by this question. He was enabled to state, that a protocol had been signed by his noble Friend the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and by the Danish Minister, by which he (Mr. Labouchere) hoped the foundation had been laid which would speedily lead to a satisfactory adjustment of the matter. The protocol had not yet been ratified by the King of Denmark, but he believed it was the intention of his noble Friend at the head of the Foreign Department to lay it upon the table of the House, and thus enable hon. Members to see the terms of the arrangement which had been entered into. With regard to the revision of the tariff, commissioners for that purpose would be appointed to proceed immediately with that revision, and he trusted that the whole of this important question would be settled at no distant period.