§ LORD WILLIAM GRAHAMsaid, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Board of Trade whether Government intend to continue the collection of agricultural statistics in England, and, if go, whether it is intended to appoint the clerks of Unions as permanent collectors at a stated and liberal salary; and, whether it is intended to introduce any compulsory measure for making a certain class of returns imperative?
§ MR. BOUVERIEsaid, the English returns generally were not satisfactory. With the exception of the West Biding of York- 1783 shire, the attempt had proved a failure Of the eleven counties fixed upon, ten had not given returns to a sufficient extent to justify the Government in following up the plan which had been adopted. The returns which had been received did not amount to more than 16 per cent of the whole. The deficiency in the returns from the West Riding was only seven-tenths of one per cent. As the experiment had not succeeded, his noble Friend the President of the Board of Trade had given notice of his intention to move for the appointment of a Select Committee in the other House, to ascertain the best mode of procuring agricultural statistics. The experiment with regard to Scotland had, however, been eminently successful. The amount of failures of returns in Scotland was only one-fifth of one per cent. The Government proposed to continue the return from Scotland, and would consider what remuneration should be afforded.