§ MR. FIELDI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the decision given on Saturday last by a majority of the King's Bench Court, Dublin, in the case of Murphy versus Midland Great Western Railway Company, declaring the terms enforced by the carrying companies in respect to the through transit of live stock to be unreasonable in certain points; and, whether the railway department of the Board of Trade will take such action as may be necessary to ensure reasonable conditions being available for consignors of live stock from Ireland to Great Britain.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI have not yet seen the judgment referred to, but I gather from the hon. Member's question that its effect is to give traders means of protecting themselves against unreasonable conditions in respect of consignments. I am in communication with the Department of Agriculture in Ireland in regard to the desirability and practicability of any steps such as are suggested in the concluding part of the hon. Member's Question.