§ MR. SEXTONI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has observed by the proceedings of the Irish Railway and Canal Rates Association, that strong objection is taken by the Irish traders principally concerned to the proposal of the Board to have the classification, general conditions, and schedule of maximum rates made uniform throughout the United Kingdom, upon the ground of the great difference between the commercial circumstance of Ireland and Great Britain; whether strong objection is also taken to the arrangement by which the Irish objectors are called upon to appear at Whitehall in October to discuss the objections to the proposed classifications; and whether the Board will re-consider the principle of uniformity between Great Britain and Ireland, and will appoint a representative or representatives of the Board to hold sittings in, Dublin, so as to obviate the inconvenience of obliging Irish objectors and witnesses to attend in London, and remain in London for an indefinite time?
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Sir M. HICKS BEACH, Bristol, W.)Yes, Sir; I have been in communication with the Irish Railway and Canal Rates Association on the point referred to by the right hon. Gentleman. While I am of opinion that it is desirable that the classifications, general conditions, and schedules of maximum rates of the Railway Companies should be, as far as possible, uniform throughout the United Kingdom, I am not prepared to say that 1765 there are no considerations applicable to Ireland which may make variety in the general conditions and schedules of rates desirable in the public interest. With this view I propose to arrange in due course for the holding of public sittings in Dublin.