Board of Trade

Board of Trade

The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions. This department was known as the Department of Trade and Industry since 1970, headed by a Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who is also President of the Board of Trade. The full Board has met only once since the mid-19th century, during commemorations of the bicentenary of the Board in 1986.

In 1621, King James I directed the Privy Council to establish a temporary committee to investigate the causes of a decline in trade and consequent financial difficulties. The Board's formal title remains The Lords of the Committee of Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations.

In 1696, King William III appointed eight paid commissioners to promote trade in the American plantations and elsewhere. The Lords Commissioners of Trade and Foreign Plantations, appointed in 1696 and commonly known as the Board of Trade, did not constitute a committee of the Privy Council, but were, in fact, members of a separate body. The board carried on this work but also had long periods of inactivity, devolving into chaos after 1761 and abolished in 1782 by an act of Parliament by the Rockingham Whigs.

William Pitt the Younger recreated the committee in 1784, and an Order-in-Council of August 23 1786 provided the formal basis that still remains in force. A secretariat was established which included the president, vice president and board members. After 1820 the board ceased to meet regularly and the business was carried out entirely by the secretariat. The short name of "Board of Trade" was formalised in 1861.

In the 19th century the board had an advisory function on economic activity in the UK and its empire. During the second half of the 19th century it also dealt with legislation for patents, designs and trade marks, company regulation, labour and factories, merchant shipping, agriculture, transport, power etc. Colonial matters passed to the Colonial Office and other functions were devolved to newly created departments, a process that continued for much of the 20th century. The original commission appointed the seven (later eight) of the Great Officers of State, who were not required to attend meetings, and the eight paid members, who were required to attend. The Board, so constituted, had little real power, and matters related to trade and the colonies were usually within the jurisdiction of the Secretaries of State and the Privy Council, with the Board confining itself mainly to colonial administration.

ee also

*Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
*Vice-President of the Board of Trade

References

* [http://www.berr.gov.uk/about/aboutus/history/outlines/BT-1621-1970/page13919.html History of the Board of Trade]

External links

* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=16802 Officials 1696-1782 (including necessary woman)]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Board of trade — Board Board (b[=o]rd), n. [OE. bord, AS. bord board, shipboard; akin to bred plank, Icel. bor[eth] board, side of a ship, Goth. f[=o]tu baurd footstool, D. bord board, G. brett, bort. See def. 8. [root]92.] 1. A piece of timber sawed thin, and of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Board of trade — Trade Trade, n. [Formerly, a path, OE. tred a footmark. See {Tread}, n. & v.] 1. A track; a trail; a way; a path; also, passage; travel; resort. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] A postern with a blind wicket there was, A common trade to pass through Priam s …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Board of Trade — heißt das Handelsamt Großbritanniens, das zugleich eine Aufsichtsbehörde für alle die Handelsmarine betreffenden technischen und seemännischen Angelegenheiten bildet. Von besonderer Bedeutung sind die vom Board of Trade zusammengestellten und… …   Lexikon der gesamten Technik

  • board of trade — board of trade: a commodities exchange Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • board of trade — board′ of trade′ n. 1) bus an association of businesspeople 2) gov+brit. Board of Trade, the British ministry that supervises commerce and industry …   From formal English to slang

  • Board of Trade — Board of Trade, das Handelsamt Großbritanniens, zugleich oberste Eisenbahnaufsichtsbehörde. Die Aufsichtsbefugnisse des B., die anfänglich sehr beschränkt waren, sind im Laufe der Zeit wesentlich erweitert worden, so daß das B. gegenwärtig von… …   Enzyklopädie des Eisenbahnwesens

  • board of trade — n. ☆ 1. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2. [B of T ] a British governmental department supervising commerce and industry 3. a commodities exchange dealing in grain, etc …   English World dictionary

  • board of trade — 1. : a board or an organization that regulates, promotes, supervises, or protects commercial or business enterprises or interests: as a. : a committee of the English privy council formerly appointed to consider matters relating to trade and the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Board of Trade — The Board of Trade (1808 11), d Augusus Pugin et Thomas Rowlandson Le Board of Trade est un comité du Conseil privé du Royaume Uni ayant ses origines dans un comité d enquête du XVIIe siècle, évoluant en un département gouvernemental avec… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Board of Trade — Das Board of Trade im Jahr 1808 Das Board of Trade ist ein Komitee des Privy Council des Vereinigten Königreichs. Ursprünglich war es ein Untersuchungsausschuss im 17. Jahrhundert, der sich mit der Zeit zu einer Regierungsabteilung mit einem… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”