§ COLONEL KING-HARMANasked the President of the Board of Trade, with reference to his statement that Sir James Douglas, who had sold his patent rights in certain lighthouse burners for £5,000 in cash, and £25,000 worth of shares, had given the free use of the burners to lighthouse authorities, Whether it is true that he, or his Company, had restricted their manufacture to three English firms specially licensed for that purpose, and thus deprived the lighthouse authorities of the advantage of free competition, by public advertisement, in the purchase of these burners; and, will he say what sum each of the three licensees pays to the Company for this exclusive right to make these burners?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAIN, in reply, said, that there appeared to be an error in the statement attributed to him, as the figures should be £500 instead of £5,000. He had made inquiries from the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House, and they had informed him that there were only 1635 three firms who had any experience in the construction of these burners; but there were no such restrictions as those mentioned in the Question.