§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received a Memorial from the Commissioners of the Brixham Harbour and Market asking for a Provisional Order for the purpose of defining the manner in which the market tolls are to be dealt with, and generally to amend the Law as to the funds arising from the market; and whether the Board of Trade has any power to act as prayed in such Memorial?
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Sir M. HICKS BEAOH,) Bristol, W.I have received the Memorial referred to by the hon. Member, but the Board of Trade have no power to deal with the matter.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been 1327 called to the state of the Brixham Market funds; whether the Local Government Board can, under Section 303 of "The Public Health Act, 1875," by Provisional Order, amend the Local Act, 1 Vic. c. 75; and whether any inquiry has been made into the case of Brixham Market by the Royal Commission, on Market Rights and Tolls; and, if not, whether he will communicate to the Royal Commission the Memorial presented to the Board of Trade by the Commissioners of the Harbour and Market of Brixham?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. RITCHIE,) Tower Hamlets, St. George'sThe Local Government Board receive from the Brixham Market Commissioners an annual Return, of the receipts and expenditure of the undertaking, for the purpose of the Local Taxation Returns, which are presented to Parliament. My attention has not otherwise been drawn to the state of the funds of the market. The Board would be empowered by the Public Health Act to alter the Local Act on the application of the Sanitary Authority of the district, if, as I believe is the case, the Act does not confer powers or privileges on any persons for their own pecuniary benefit. I understand that there has been no local inquiry by the Royal Commission on Market Rights and Tolls with reference to the market in question. I have no information as to the Memorial which has been presented to the Board of Trade by the Market Commissioners, but I will direct the attention of that Department to the suggestion contained in the question of the hon. Member.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHThe President of the Board of Trade says that he has no power. Assuming that no power exists, either in the Board of Trade or the Local Government Board, will the President of the Board of Trade forward the Memorial he has received to the Royal Commission?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHI shall be quite ready to do so.