§ MR. T. DUNCOMBEsaid, he wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer a question relative to the Treaty with France. It had been stated that the Treaty was to he laid on the table very shortly, but he wished to ask whether it is necessary for the House to receive it as a whole, or whether it will be competent for the House to consider and alter any of the details? They were informed that the Treaty, so far as England was concerned, would come into immediate operation, but that with regard to France it was not to take effect for eighteen months. If this were so, it 332 would be a great hardship to those who held large stocks of wines and spirits. The question that he wished to ask the right hon. Gentleman was whether the precedent of 1825, laid down by Mr. Canning when he took off the duty on foreign spirits and wines, will be followed—namely, that the duty should not be taken off till January, 1861, thus giving traders time to get rid of the stock they happened to have on hand.
§ MR. MILNER GIBSONsaid, the Treaty would of course he subject to the approval of the English Parliament, but as regarded its details, he must beg the hon. Gentleman to wait till Monday, when his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer would lay the whole of his financial measures before the House.