§ SIR R. HANSON (London)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company are charging an advance of 33 per cent. above the rates current previous to the 1st January last, for the carriage of wines and spirits in jars containing three gallons, from London to Billingshurst; and whether the increase in the charges on this description of package, being brought about not by an advance in the tonnage rates but owing to the combined operation of the new classification and of the new scale for "smalls," is peculiar to this station or railway?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. MUNDELLA,) Sheffield, BrightsideThe Board of Trade have communicated with the Brighton Company, and have received from the General Manager a statement of the rates in force prior to January, 1893, and at the present time. I shall be happy to show this statement to the hon. Baronet. It appears that in 1892, 9d. was the charge for a jar of spirits containing three gallons, between London and Billingshurst, now the charge is 1s., the increase being caused entirely by classification. The Company add that their classification of jars of spirits was, prior to January, quite exceptional, but that now 1370 they have made it consistent with the practice of English railways generally.