§ MR. H. PAUL (Edinburgh, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether it is true that a Memorial sent by the Customs Outport Clerks to the Board of Customs in January, 1892, and to the Lords of the Treasury on the 17th of May, 1892, still remains unanswered; whether he can give any explanation of the delay; and when the Memorialists may expect a reply?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI cannot trace any Memorial of the date mentioned, but a Memorial dated January, 1893, and presumed to be the one in question, was originally addressed to the Board of Customs, and was subsequently sent by the clerks direct to the Treasury. The subject of the Memorial has involved questions of consideration between the Board of Customs and the Treasury, the settlement of which has been unavoidably delayed, partly owing to the changes in the Board. I can assure the hon. Member that there shall be no unnecessary delay in the matter.