MR. NOLANI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many seizures of smuggled goods were made by Customs officials in the year 1879 and the year 1889; also the number of seizures made by the Excise officials in the latter year after the smuggled goods had run the gauntlet of the Customs; and what steps he proposes to take to check smuggling, in the interests of legitimate trade and the revenues of the country?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN,) St. George's, Hanover SquareThe number of seizures of smuggled goods made by Customs officials in 1879 and 1889 were 1,307 and 4,756 respectively, while 157 seizures were further effected by the Excise officials in the latter year, consisting principally of small quantities of tobacco taken from sailors in Liverpool public houses. The increase in the number of seizures is due chiefly to the introduction of new arrangements in 1888 for checking petty smuggling, and it does not appear necessary to add to the measures which have produced so satisfactory a result.