On Monday Lord Iddesleigh made a rather forlorn statement as
to the proposed Royal Commission of Inquiry into the De- pression of Trade. The depression, he said, which had now lasted some twelve years, was admitted on all hands. The object of the investigation was not to suggest legislation, but to ascertain the facts,—how far the depression goes, and what it will lead to if nothing is done ; also to examine " somewhat critically " the various suggestions made for remedying the depression. " Of course," said Lord Iddesleigh, " for that purpose it is important that we should get the assistance of men of the most different positions and different views and opinions in the country who might in any way assist us in obtaining proper andcorrect information." Why "of course "P—as to the different opinions and views of the Commissioners, we mean. Would any mathematician appoint a man with a craze—say one who believed that he had squared the circle—on a Commission for investigating the relations of squares and circles P To our minds, every Fair- trader on the Commission will contribute a separate source of error in directing the investigation. However, these were Lord Iddesleigh's views, and the consequence was that he had refusals from Mr. Goschen, Mr. Shaw-Lefevre, Mr. Cross, Mr. Courtney, Sir Hassey Vivian, Mr. Slagg, Mr. Hibbert, Mr. Forster, and Mr. Norwood. He has got acceptances from Mr. Aird (of the firm of Lucas and Aird), Sir James Allport (of the Midland Railway), Lord Dunraven, Mr. Lionel Cohen, Mr. Corry (Belfast shipowner), Mr. David Dale (of Darlington), Mr. Ecroyd, M.P., Mr. W. Fowler, M.P., Mr. H. H. Gibbs, Mr.
Houldsworth, M.P., Mr. Jamieson (the President of the Scotch Society of Accountants), Mr. Neville Lubbock, Sir Louis Mallet (probably), Mr. Muntz, M.P., Mr. A. O'Connor, M.P., Mr. Pearce (a Glasgow shipbuilder), Mr. Inglis Palgrave, Mr. Charles Palmer, M.P., Professor Bonamy Price, Mr. Jackson, M.P., Mr. Storey, M.P., and Mr. Birtwhistle.
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