MR. BECKETT DENISONasked the President of the Board of Trade. What action has been taken with reference to extension works of Dover Harbour since August 1873; whether his attention has been called to a Private Bill of this Session, entitled "Dover Harbour Bill, 1874." promoted by the Harbour Board, which proposes amongst other things to acquire and annex the Admiralty Pier; and, whether such Bill has the sanction of the Board of Trade, the Admiralty, and the War Office Departments of the Government?
§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEYSir, since the presentation last Session of the Parliamentary Paper on Dover Harbour, correspondence has passed between the Government Departments on the subject of the proposed new works at Dover, but no conclusion had been arrived at sufficiently definite to enable the present Government to take up the subject practically at once, and they have accordingly decided that there is not time for them to deal with the question this year, and have notified this decision to the agents for the Private Bill introduced by the Dover Harbour Board. Parliamentary Notices were given both on behalf of the Government and the Dover Harbour Board for a Bill for the present Ses- 1096 sion, and these Notices were practically identical.