§ COLONEL BLAIR,said, he rose to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they were prepared to state their intentions with regard to the scale on which the ordnance survey of the southern counties of Scotland is to be resumed; and whether it was intended to apply the survey on a still larger scale to towns of 4,000 inhabitants and upwards? He said his reason for asking the question was that the county meetings would be held on the 30th instant, and it would be important to ascertain the intentions of the Government before that day.
§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he was quite aware of the great interest which the subject to which the hon. and gallant Member referred had created in Scotland and elsewhere, and he was much indebted to him for having afforded him an opportunity of saying a few words with reference to it. He regretted that he was not yet in a position to state 1116 the intentions of the Government on the subject. The question of the precise scale on which the survey should be executed was one of very great importance, and involved the expenditure of a considerable sum of money. The course taken with reference to it up to the present point had not been entirely consistent, nor was it as yet clear and beyond doubt what course ought to be pursued with regard to the scale—he alluded, of course, to the large scale. The proportions of the small scale were easy enough to be determined, but the difficulty arose with respect to the large scale. The Government, before taking any step in the matter, wished to ascertain the definitive opinion of all well-informed persons whom they could consult, as to the best scale that could be adopted for a large Ordnance map; and he hoped that from the county meetings which were about to be held in Scotland, as well as from other sources, and more particularly from those persons who, by reason of their scientific attainments, and their official connexion with Government, might be supposed to be best qualified to pronounce an authoritative opinion, they would succeed in obtaining such information as would lead to a satisfactory settlement of the question. When that information was once obtained, the Government would lose no time in coming to a decision upon the subject.