§ MR. MACIVERwished to put a Question, of which he had not given Notice, to the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade, in relation to the woollen trade; but the hon. Member could not be heard in consequence of the cries of "Notice!" from the Ministerial side of the House.
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINsaid, that he had failed to catch the purport of the hon. Member's Question.
§ MR. MACIVERsaid, that it was not his fault that the right hon. Gentleman could not hear his Question—it was the fault of hon. Members opposite. The hon. Member was about to repeat his Question, when he was met by loud cries of "Order!"
MR. GORSTrose to Order. Was not the hon. Member for Birkenhead per- 567 fectly in Order in putting his Question to the right hon. Gentleman, and were not the hon. Members opposite out of Order in raising a clamour that prevented him from being heard?
MR. MAC IVERthen repeated his Question, asking, Whether it was true that during each of the last eight years our importation of woollen and worsted manufactures had steadily and progressively increased; whether it was true that during all those years our exportation of such goods had steadily and with equal regularity diminished; whether there was any reason to doubt the accuracy of the Board of Trade statistics on the subject, or if it was true that in 1870 we only imported woollen and worsted goods to the value of £3,456,675, which increased to £6,484,397 last year, while, on the other hand, our exports of such goods amounted in 1872 to £22,440,031, and by last year had diminished to £13,576,956?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINwould willingly answer the hon. Member's Question, if he would give him proper Notice of his intention to put it.