§ SIR CHARLES CAYZERI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Governments of France, Russia, Germany, Italy, and Portugal maintain the lighting of their respective coasts out of the Imperial funds; and if he can state what European countries make a charge on merchant shipping for lights, with the amount of charge in each case?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADEThe Board of Trade have no recent information as to the funds out of which the cost of the lighting of the coasts of European countries is defrayed. From a Report of the United States Commissioners 1218 for the year 1885 it appeared that at that time tonnage dues were levied in nearly all countries, and that these dues, though not called light dues, were applied to the maintenance of lights as well as to other Purposes. The Board of Trade have no information as to the amount of charges made by particular countries.