§ MR. MACFIEsaid, he rose to call attention to the constitution and working of the Board of Trade; and to move for a Return. He would be very brief in his remarks, as he felt that at this period of the Session even commerce should give place for a little time to the exigencies of Public Business. A great deal of extraneous work was thrown on this important Department, and not more than one-twentieth part of its business was directly commercial. It might be said that the business which was not commercial was nevertheless done well; but he had some doubt on that point, and with respect to harbours, fisheries, and tramways, he thought there was reason to complain of the action of the Board. That House passed an Order that the Board of Trade should report on Tramway, Gas, and Water Bills, amounting in number to 199, and the whole of the Report of the Board of Trade on these matters was contained in 36 pages, stating the amount of capital to be raised, the amount to be borrowed, and the number of miles which the works would traverse. There was no proof of the efficiency of the Board of Trade in respect to these public purposes to which he had referred. It was stated by The Economist that for the last 30 years all sorts of functions had been piled up on the Board; and the Associated Chambers of Commerce recommended that the Board should be confined to its mechanical work, and that a Minister of Commerce should be created and represented in the Cabinet. He, however, believed that the Board of Trade was capable of being so organized as to be able to do the whole of the work properly. He called on the Government to revert to the old principle of a Board. The Customs was a Board; the Excise was a Board; and this very Department had long been regulated as a Board. It was a Board in name, but not in reality. It attempted to do the work of a Board without the human appliances to make its work satisfactory to the public. He thought that with the President should be associated a Board composed of gentlemen capable of giving him advice on matters connected with trade and commerce. Was it not a shame that this Board should be a sham? Was it worthy of the age or of a Liberal Ministry? 430 He would conclude by submitting his Motion.
§ MR. SPEAKERsaid, that it was not competent to the hon. Member to make the Motion for the Return which he had placed on the Paper, as the House had already agreed to go into Committee of Supply.
§ MR. MACFIEsaid, he did not think it necessary to make the Motion. He believed the Government were prepared to give the information with a view to the discussion of the subject next Session.