§ MR. CHARLES WILSON (Hull, W.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, in view of the fact that there is no interchange of traffic in shipping on account of the geographical position between the colonies and the East Coast from north of the Thames to Aberdeen, and that the colonies do not purchase English and Scotch coals (being the foundation of the East Coast trades), whether the inquiry into the fiscal policy of this country will embrace the effect of preferential tariffs on the trade with foreign countries on which the East Coast depends.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not think I can give a better answer to the Question than I put on the Paper a few days ago in answer to an unstarred Question of a friend of mine on this side of the House.† I then said—and I think the Answer will hold good to this class of Question—"It would, I think, be inexpedient, on the one hand, to lay down any limits beyond which the inquiry ought not to go, and, on the other, formally to include within it everything which could be described as germane to
† See (4) Debates, cxxv., 1306.338 the subject. If the first course were adopted, it might be found that most important topics were excluded; if the second, the range of investigation might become almost unmanageable."
§ MR. CHARLES WILSONMy point is that the prosperity of the East Coast depends on this.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not understand the hon. Gentleman's Question. He appears to know what the result of the inquiry is, and he appears to think that it will necessarily affect the prosperity of the East Coast.
§ MR. CHARLES WILSONwas understood to say that he did know.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not think he does know it.