§ 61. Captain JESSELasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that in the year 1900 the Board of Customs were prepared to make the experiment of sending English Customs House officers to Paris for the purpose of examining luggage registered to London, and that the matter fell through at that time owing to the refusal of the railway companies to pay the expenses of the experiment; whether the Board of Customs now state that at present they are not prepared to take any steps to give practical effect to this suggestion; if so, whether the Treasury will state the reasons that have led the Board of Customs to reverse their decision; and whether, in view of the importance at this time of adopting all means to facilitate intercourse between France and this country, the Treasury will cause the matter to be further considered on the understanding that the expense of the experiment are met by the railway companies?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Montagu)The abortive negotiations of 1000 had reference, as the hon. Member is perhaps aware, to the special circumstances of the Paris Exhibition, and I am not convinced that under normal conditions the proposed arrangement would lead to any appreciable gain of convenience or saving of time to travellers. But if the railway companies concerned are willing to bear the expenses of 1861 an experiment of this kind, and will put forward a proposal, I am prepared to consider it.
§ Captain JESSELMay I ask the hon. Member whether he is aware that such a custom as I have indicated prevails in Germany on the part of the Austrian and in Canada on the part of the United States Governments?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI do not think that it has ever been suggested that (his experiment should be tried except at the expense of the railway companies themselves, and if they are prepared to put forward the suggestion I shall be most happy to consider it.