MR. MAC IVERasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether there is any Statute or Order in Council which explains the existence of the Board of Trade as at present constituted; if there is any legislation on the subject of later date than 22 George 3, c. 82, and 7 George 4, c. 32; and, whether there have been any orders in Council bearing upon the subject since that of the 6th September, 1786, which appointed certain persons, all of whom are now dead, to be "a Committee of Privy Council for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations?"
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINThe legal constitution of the Board of Trade is 399 still regulated by the Order in Council to which, the hon. Member refers. There has been but one Act of Parliament referring to the Department since the statutes quoted by him—namely, 30 & 31 Vict. c. 72, by which the Office of Vice President was abolished, and a Parliamentary Secretaryship substituted for it. The hon. Member is scarcely correct in saying that the persons appointed to form the Committee by the Order in Council of 1786 are all now dead, as the majority of the appointments were not individual, but ex officio.
MR. MAC IVERwished to know whether one of the ex officio appointments was not that of Speaker of the House of Commons of Ireland; and who was the present Representative of that ex officio appointment?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINI cannot answer the Question. The hon. Member had better put it on the Paper.
MR. MAC IVERbegged to repeat his Question, which he thought the right hon. Gentleman could answer then.
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINI decline to answer a further Question without Notice.