§ MR. RYLANDSasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he is able to assure the House that the Reports from Consuls relative to British Consulate Establishments recently laid upon the Table are given in full, and have not been abridged in any important particular?
§ VISCOUNT ENFIELDI believe, Sir, that nothing whatever has been omitted in printing the Consuls' Reports as far as answers to the queries in Lord Granville's Circular of August 26, 1871, are concerned. In a very few instances Consuls went into matters extraneous to those subjects, or made remarks of a personal character, touching Departments, Foreign Governments, and individuals, and these have been omitted.
§ MR. RYLANDSasked, Whether it is not a fact that some of the passages which have been omitted contain suggestions for economical reforms in the Consular Establishments which may with advantage be laid before Parliament?
§ VISCOUNT ENFIELDSir, the Consuls were requested to answer as fully as they pleased the queries contained in Lord Granville's Circular of the 26th of August; but in some cases they went into other matters, some of which I will mention. In one case the Consul alluded to the re-organization of the Board of Trade; another referred to the constitution of the Foreign Office, and a third commented upon the strange discrepancy existing between the English Law and the Laws of Moses on the subject of bigamy. These, and one or two other matters referred to in the Reports were considered irrelevant, and it was decided to expunge them, in order that they should not appear upon the Table of the House.