3

A.—2

The Board of Trade are of opinion that a publication of this kind, containing the recent and proposed changes in Customs tariffs, and their notes and regulations, as well as any short special reports on tariffs and trade, would be of great service to the commercial community of this country. Such a publication is not intended to supersede in any way either the diplomatic and consular reports issued at the Foreign Office, or the periodical returns of foreign and colonial tariffs prepared in this department, but to be supplementary to both; and this Board will be glad to have Lord Eosebery's sanction to publishing in the present number certain reports from Her Majesty's representatives abroad which have been transmitted to this department by his Lordship's direction, and generally to receive the co-operation and assistance of the Foreign Office in the matter, so as to make the tariff and trade notices as useful as possible. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office. Henby G. Calcbaft.

Sub-Enclosure 2. The Foreign Office to the Board of Trade. Sir,— Foreign Office, 27th July, 1886. I am directed by the Earl of Bosebery to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant, and to request that you will convey his Lordship's thanks to the Board of Trade for affording him an opportunity of inspecting a proof of the publication of tariff and trade notices which they propose to issue. In reply, I am directed to convey to you his Lordship's complete concurrence with the plan of the new publication, which carries out views expressed on behalf of this office in the month of February last, and to say that the Board may rely on the cordial co-operation of this department in supplying information for its columns. He would, however, suggest that some gentleman from the Board of Trade may confer with this department regarding the details of this publication, so far as they concern the Foreign Office, with the especial object of settling a method of determining what papers from this office may be published by the Board, so that the risk of the publication of any confidential matter may be avoided. His Lordship thinks it would be well that, when the information published in the proposed periodical has been received from Her Majesty's diplomatic and consular agents abroad, the name of the official who supplies it should be appended; and that, when an extract is given, reference should be made to the report itself. The most convenient course to follow would probably be for this office to indicate what information they consider may, with propriety, be made public through this channel at the time of its transmission ; but, if the Board of Trade desire to publish extracts from other despatches which are sent to them for perusal, a proof of such matter should, in the first instance, be submitted to this office. The correspondence which I am forwarding in a separate letter to-day contains suggestions which may possibly be of service to the Board of Trade in deciding the lines of their new publication. I have, &c, The Secretary, Board of Trade. J. Bryce.

Sub-Enclosure 3. The Board of Trade to the Foreign Office. Sir, — Board of Trade (Commercial Department), London, S.W., 13th August, 1886. In their letter of the 30th ultimo the Board of Trade have already referred to Mr. Bryee's letter of the 27th ultimo, respecting the proposed trade journal to be issued by the Board, and they have thanked the Foreign Office for their communication. I am now to state, for the information of the Earl of Iddesleigli, that the Board of Trade are applying to the Treasury for their sanction to a journal in the form and of the character described in their previous communications, and they will inform their Lordships of the approval which the Foreign Office has given to the proposal. lam also to state that in doing so the Board of Trade will express their agreement with the various suggestions contained in your letter of the 27th ultimo—namely, first, that some gentleman from the Board of Trade should confer with the Foreign Office regarding the details of the publication ; second, that the name of the official in the diplomatic and consular services abroad supplying any information should be mentioned ; and, third, that when an extract is given reference should be made to the report itself. The Board of Trade also agree that it will be expedient, as the Foreign Office suggests, for the latter department to communicate what information they consider may with propriety be made public; and. that, if the Board of Trade desire to publish extracts from despatches sent to them by the Foreign Office for perusal, a proof of such matter should, in the first instance, be submitted to the latter. The Board of Trade will undertake that these matters will receive their attention, and they will endeavour in every possible way to avail themselves of the assistance which your department will be able to afford. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office. Henry G. Calcraft.

Enclosure No. 2. Kew Gardens to the Colonial Office. Sir, — Boyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 14th August, 1886. I have the honour to report, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that considerable interest has been awakened in regard to tropical and other fruits by the display of fruits in the several courts at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, and by the sale of fresh fruit in the colonial market attached to this Exhibition.