Viscount Strangfordsaid, that he had given notice a few nights ago, that he would move for the return of papers connected with the great commercial question of the Reciprocity System; but he found that he should not be able to bring forward that Motion until he should have in his possession certain other papers, for which he did not mean to move just now. But he wished to inquire of the noble Lords opposite, whether there would be any objection on the part of his Majesty's Ministers to lay before the House a return showing the "Several sums of money which have been paid out of the Treasury, from the 1st of January 1826 to the 1st of January 1832, to corporate bodies, or to private individuals, having a right under Charters to levy duties on foreign shipping?" He found that such a return was necessary before he could bring the question of the Reciprocity System fully before their Lordships; because the Ministers having engaged, by treaty with certain foreign states, to admit the vessels of those states into the British ports on payment of the same dues that were paid by British vessels, were unable to fulfil their engagement otherwise than by compensating, out of the Treasury, corporations and individuals who had the right by charter 975 to exact from vessels into certain ports double the duty paid by British vessels. He had been given to understand that a large sum of money was abstracted annually from the Public Purse on this account, and that the sum was increasing with the increasing influx of foreign shipping into our ports. It was, therefore, necessary to ascertain the amount paid from the Treasury in that way, before our gain or loss, by the system of Reciprocity, could be accurately estimated.
§ Lord Aucklandwas not aware of any objection to the return desired by the noble Lord; but he thought that the best way would be for the noble Lord to give notice of a motion, and reserve his speech till he brought it forward.
Lord Ellenboroughremembered that similar returns had been presented three years ago, and the practice did not at that time appear to him to be injurious to the public. He therefore thought it would be desirable to connect the returns received at that time with those now required by his noble friend, and to bring the information up to the latest period.
§ Lord Aucklandsaid, he should be happy to act on the noble Lord's suggestion, and would bring down the information to the latest possible period, with the most perfect conviction of a satisfactory result.