MR. J. B. SMITHinquired of the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade what measures had been taken to collect agricultural statistics throughout the United Kingdom?
§ MR. CARDWELLsaid, it would be in the recollection of the House, that in the last Session of Parliament a Report had been laid on the table of the House of the results of the experiment tried in three counties in Scotland, and two in England, and the House was so well satisfied with the returns that it voted the sum of 13,000l. for further experiments in the same direction; namely, for the continuance of the system already in use in Ireland, the collection of agricultural statistics for the whole of Scotland, and for eleven counties in England. The abstracts of the returns for Ireland had already been sent in, those for Scotland had been nearly completed, and the result of the experiment for the eleven counties in England, he believed, would be returned in the course of the month of January, and probably laid before Parliament about the ordinary time of meeting.
MR. J. B. SMITHinquired whether it was the intention of the Government to extend the inquiry to the whole of the country?
§ MR. CARDWELLbelieved, if the present experiment turned out satisfactory, it would be further extended.