§ LORD CLAUD HAMILTON (Liverpool, West Derby)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether it is true that Her Majesty's Government have been earnestly solicited by the Government of the Dominion to grant a subsidy to the Canadian Pacific Railway; and, whether, in giving this request their consideration, Her Majesty's Government will bear in mind the action of the Government of the Dominion in raising the duty upon imported iron, and will also endeavour to have an estimate made of the loss to those engaged in the iron export trade of this country which such increase of duty will entail?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)The Dominion Government has earnestly solicited Her Majesty's Government to grant a subsidy to a line of steamers which the Canadian Pacific Railway Company is willing to establish between Vancouver and Hong Kong. It is not suggested that such subsidy should be 731 given as an assistance to the railway; but the proposed steamship service is being considered on its own merits, the question being whether the advantages to this country and to the Empire generally of maintaining an efficient service of powerful vessels in the North Pacific will justify an application to Parliament for an annual subsidy of not less than £45,000. It has not been the practice to look upon the high tariffs which Canada finds it necessary to adopt as directly affecting the consideration of any general question in which the point arises whether or how far this country should cooperate with the Dominion; but Her Majesty's Government cannot but feel that a change in the Canadian duties, such as that alleged, must indirectly affect the consideration of the main question, which must be ultimately decided by Parliament.