MR. MAC IVERasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he could tell the House anything as to the position of the surtaxe d'entrepôt in the negotiations with the French Commissioners; and, if not, whether he would undertake to communicate some information to the House on the subject before the Recess? He wanted, further, to know whether Her Majesty's Government would insist that the ports of Great Britain and Ireland should be placed in the same position as regards duties as the French ports?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKE, in reply, said, the hon. Member had asked a Question which practically amounted to giving assent to a proposition which the House had negatived a few days ago. It arrived, by a large majority, at the conclusion that it was not desirable that the Government should have their hands tied by any peremptory conditions in regard to the negotiations with France. He had made that reply before, and it was the only reply he could make now. With regard, to the surtaxe d'entrepôt, he had already informed the House that the matter was brought by the British Commissioners under the attention of their French Colleagues; but the latter declined to go beyond the Tariff, or to enter into questions outside the Tariff, of which the surtaxe was one. They did not, however, express the opinion that the French Government, if negotiations were continued, would decline to go into 39 the subject. Should the negotiations be continued, the question would be brought up again; but it was impossible to say what reply would be made.