§ MR. KIMBER (Wandsworth)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether the fact of the Foreign gold and silver plate now in the Colonial Exhibition not having been charged with Customs Duty is accidental or intentional; if accidental, whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to treat the Colonial Exhibition as a bonded warehouse, and to claim payment upon all goods liable to Duty prior to their delivery to purchasers; if intentional, whether it is a legal proceeding on the part of the Customs authorities, under existing legislation in regard to the trades in the precious metals; whether Her Majesty's Government will direct that all persons trading for their livelihood in gold and silver plate, outside of the Colonial Exhibition, should be placed upon an equality with those exhibiting and dealing inside the Exhibition, or else that the latter do pay the usual charge of £5 15s. for a licence; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will consider whether the time has arrived when such Duty should be finally abolished?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir WILLIAM HARCOURT) (Derby), in reply, said, duty would have to be paid on all dutiable goods, and the law which required licences to be taken out applied as much within the Colonial Exhibition as outside.