§ Ma. CRAIG (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, as the declaration attached to the Sugar Convention provides that
Two months at least before the Special Commission meets the Laws put in by the different Powers, as suppressing all Bounties, shall be communicated to the various signatory Governments,will they be laid before Parliament previous to the Second Reading of the Sugar Convention Bill?
§ *THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (SIR J. FERGUSSON,) Manchester, N.W.The proposed laws, or as we say Bills, are submitted to the International Commission with the view of examining whether they are sufficient to give effect to the Convention, but chiefly for the purpose of affording the bounty-giving Powers the means of ascertaining the measures by which bounties may be most effectually abolished. They will, doubtless, be presented to Parliament in the form in which they have passed their respective Legislatures, but at present as they are to be laid before the Commission, and may be said to be in our possession confidentially, it would be improper to present them.
§ SIR L. PLAYFAIR (Leeds, S.)Will the right hon. Gentleman tell us whether all the signatory powers have sent in Bills or Draft Bills on the subject?
§ *SIR J. FERGUSSONYes, I believe they have.