MR. CALEB WEIGHT (Lancashire, S.W., Leigh)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he has provided in the Estimates for supplying Mechanics' Institutions and Free Libraries with Parliamentary Returns of County Expenditure and other Returns which the late Chancellor of the Exchequer promised to supply to those Institutions?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN) (St. George's, Hanover Square), in reply, said, his Predecessor (Lord Randolph Churchill), in replying to a Question as to the supplying of Parliamentary Papers to Mechanics' Institutions and Free Public Libraries, drew a decided distinction between these two, and it was in regard to the latter only that the promise was made. In accordance with that promise, provision was made in the Estimates for 1887–8, a nominal sum of £100 for the issue to Free Libraries of Parliamentary Papers; and that would give the House an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the principle of the grant. In accordance with the decision of the House, the Treasury would proceed to deal with the applications they had received, or might receive, from Free Libraries for grants of Parliamentary Papers.