§ MR. M'COANasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether, in view of the paramount present importance of the Return of alleged Agrarian Outrages in Ireland during the ten months ending 30th November last, he will sanction a considerable reduction in the relatively high price of 1s. 6d. at which the Blue Book in question is obtainable by the public; or, failing that, whether he will sanction a reduction of the cost of a large number of copies of the said Return, or its reprint in a cheaper form, for distribution amongst the constituencies of the United Kingdom?
§ LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISHThe price of Is. 6d. for this Blue Book is in accordance with the arrangement made some years ago, by which the charge for Parliamentary Papers was fixed at ½d. a sheet of four pages, less 12½ per cent on wholesale purchases. I am not aware of any case in which this charge has been reduced. In ordinary cases it is supposed about to cover the cost of paper and the mechanical part of printing only, allowing nothing for the cost of setting up the type, which is the heaviest charge. As this Blue Book consists of tabular matter, which is very expensive, it is not probable, unless a very large quantity of copies were ordered, that it could be reprinted at any lower price. I am informed that up to the present time, besides the Copies supplied to Members of Parliament and subscribers, only 42 Copies have been taken by the public. There is, therefore, no prospect of any such demand as would justify the expense of reprinting the Return.