§ MR. W. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether it is intended to remove the Customs Office from the long room to less convenient premises; whether he is aware that the long room has been used by the merchants for more than a century for the marking-out of entries, payment of duties, reports, and clearances of ships inwards and outwards; whether he has received any intimation of this proposed change; and whether he will give consideration to the views of the merchants and traders affected thereby?
§ MR. HANBURYI assume that this Question alludes to the Dublin, not the London, office. As far as the Board of Customs are informed, the Board of Works in Dublin have it in contemplation to make certain alterations in the building known as the Custom House at that Port, with the object of accommodating, to a greater extent than at present, the public Departments, other than the Customs, which are at present located in that building. These alterations will, it is thought, necessitate the removal of the Customs long room from the first floor to the ground floor, but in the plans, which are still under consideration, every care is being taken to insure that the convenience of merchants and other members of the public who transact business with the Customs shall not be in any way interfered with; and it may be assumed that, so far from the change resulting in inconvenience, it is probable that the removal from the first to the ground floor may in the end prove 34 generally acceptable. As the hon. Member's question only appeared on the Paper to-day, I have not had time to obtain any information direct from the Board of Works.
§ MR. FIELDasked if the right hon. Gentleman would take into consideration the views of those interested in the matter who had sent in a memorial on the subject?
§ MR. HANBURYreplied that he had not received any memorial, but he had no doubt the Board of Works would attend to the matter.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)hoped that in the alterations made, the right hon. Gentleman would take care that the external form of the Custom House was not interfered with.