§ MR. MACDONA (Southwark, Rotherhithe)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the Custom House authorities at Queen-borough, on June 1st instant, stopped a case of goods consigned to Kirby, Beard, and Company, of Ravenhurst Works, Bradford Street, Birmingham, because they bore English words on the wrapper, and notwithstanding that they were also marked with the country of origin; and why is the procedure at Queenborough different in this respect from that at London, where foreign bottles marked with English words are admitted?
§ MR. BRYCEI am informed by the Board of Customs that their procedure at Queenborough and in London is identical. No parallel can be drawn between the importation of bottles under the circumstances of the recent case in London and the case mentioned in the question; but I must again remind the House that the Commissioners of Customs do not act on instructions from the Board of Trade.
§ MR. MACDONAIs it not a fact that these goods have been seized at Queenborough?
§ MR. STUART-WORTLEY (Sheffield, Hallam)And are the facts as to the consignment correctly stated in the question?
§ MR. BRYCEThe matter is rather a complex one. Some goods were stopped, and others were not. Those that were stopped bore descriptions which, in the opinion of the Customs authorities, were calculated to mislead.
§ MR. MACDONAWill the Board of Trade, in the interests of the trade of the country, make it perfectly clear what is and what is not admissible?
§ MR. BRYCEThe matter is in the hands of the Customs Department. They are bound to carry out the provisions of the Act, and those provisions the hon. Gentleman can interpret for himself. The administration of the Act is not in the hands of the Board of Trade, and we should be exceeding our powers if we interfered.