§ MR. DODDSasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether he will lay upon the Table of the House Copies of the following Documents, namely:—Application to the Board of Trade of Mr. George Augustus Frederick Cavendish Bentinck, of Brownsea, Dorset, M.P., for the grant of a several Oyster and Mussel Fishery in a portion of Poole Harbour, in the county of Dorset; Draught Order of the Board of Trade with reference thereto; and Report of Mr. Spencer Walpole, one of the Inspectors of Salmon Fisheries, which is now under the consideration of the Board of Trade; and, whether he will defer making any order until such documents have been presented to the House, and circulated amongst Members?
§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEYSir, Parliament, by the Sea Fisheries Act, 1868, empowers the Board of Trade to make Provisional Orders in matters relating to oyster fisheries; but no Order, of course, is of any validity until confirmed by Act of Parliament. There is, therefore, no necessity for the Board of Trade to defer consideration of this application or action, because when the confirming Bill is brought in—which cannot be done this Session—there will be ample opportunity for hon. Members or others interested to state their views. As soon as the Board have come to a decision on the application, I shall offer no objection to any Motion that may be made for the production of the Inspector's Report. The other documents mentioned are merely formal.