§ MR. PICTON, (Leicester), asked the Tinder Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, if he has observed the following words in No. 486, Diplomatic and Consular Reports on Trade and Finance:—
As I mentioned last year, all these projected improvements here and elsewhere are for the purpose—aided, as far as France is concerned, by the Surtaxe d'Entrépôt — of drawing as much as possible of the trade now going to our ports to those on the Continent, a scheme, the realization of which would be greatly aided by the Channel Tunnel, should it ever be constructed." (P. 2.)The rise in the price of bread has not exceeded the ratio of that which has taken 1550 place in wheat in the European markets. If this fact can be taken as a test of what will always occur as the result of the keen competition of the wheat growing countries of the world, it would appear as if a considerable Customs Revenue might be raised from a moderate duty on wheat, without the consumer in any way suffering thereby." (P. 4):And, whether, inasmuch as the original purpose of these Consular Reports was simply the collecting of facts, he will discourage any tendency to make such facts the basis of the writer's inferences affecting Party politics in this Country?
§ *SIR J. FERGUSSONIn these Reports controversial argument is discouraged, and, if imported, is generally eliminated. The passages quoted hardly appeared to the Secretary of State, to go beyond fair comment upon the facts reported.