§ MR. J. L. RICARDOI beg, Sir, to ask the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade, whether any despatches have been transmitted to that Department from the Foreign Office containing information or statistics bearing on the working of the Maritime Laws or the United Kingdom, and if, so, whether he will have any objection to lay them on the table, of the House; also, whether, any inquiries have been made by the Board of Trade of the British Consuls through the Foreign office?
§ MR. HENLEYI think, Sir, I had better answer the last question of the hon. Gentleman first. There was a letter addressed from the Foreign Office to the several Consuls, directing them to make returns in the form suggested. Returns from some of those Consuls have been received. There have not been many received in reference to 1850; those received have reference principally to 1851, therefore they do not contain much information that would enable us to make a comparison with respect to what the trade has been at 245 different periods. The hon. Gentleman applies, I suppose, to the indirect trade that has grown up since the repeal of the Navigation Laws, and the returns do not afford much information on the subject. In a portion of the despatches some of the Consuls give an opinion one way, and some another; but they do not contain any facts of importance so far as the returns at pre-sent go. If the hon. Member wishes to see them, there is no objection to put them on the table of the House; hut perhaps he would he good enough to look over them first, and see if they are worth printing.