HC Deb 09 February 1843 vol 66 cc339-41
Mr. C. Wood,

in the unavoidable absence of his right hon. Friend (Mr. Labouchere), rose to bring forward a motion for Copies or extracts of any communications which have taken place between her Majesty's Government and the authorities of Canada, respecting the duties levied on wheat imported from the United States into Canada, or from Canada into the United Kingdom, since the 1st. day of January, 1842. In October last, an act had passed the colonial Legislature, imposing a duty of 3s. a quarter on the importation of wheat into the Canadas from the United States, and part of the inducement for that act, as stated in the preamble, was the expectation held out by the Secretary for the Colonies, that the Government at home would propose some reduction of the duty on the importation of wheat from the Canadas. It was fit, therefore, that the House should be in possession of all the existing information on the subject, including the despatches, and he was happy to hear that the noble Lord opposite did not mean to oppose the motion. Such being the case, and not being aware what were the precise intentions of Ministers, he should not, especially in the absence of his right hon. friend, enter at all into the subject, but merely conclude by submitting the motion which he had read.

Lord Stanley

said, that the fittest opportunity for discussing the subject would be when the papers were before the House, and on a former evening he had stated that it was not his intention to resist the production of them. He should now confine himself to stating that he agreed with those who thought that all the necessary information should be freely and frankly furnished to Parliament; and so strongly did he feel this, that he should take no technical objection to the production of the act of the Colonial Legislature, although it had not yet received the royal assent. Such a course was not usual; but the present instance, he thought, ought to be an exception to the general rule.

Mr. Hume

wished to ask this question: Whether the duty of 3s.per quarter being laid upon the importatioin of wheat into Canada, it was intended to admit Canadian wheat free of duty? He was anxious to ascertain the intentions of Government upon this subject.

Lord Stanley

should be ready to lay upon the Table the followingdocuments:—1. A despatch sent by him to Sir C. Bagot, dated 2d March, 1842. 2. The communication of Sir C. Bagot on laying that despatch before the Colonial Legislature. 3. The act of the Colonial Legislature passed in consequence. 4. An extract from the despatch accompanying that act when sent to this country. 5. An extract from a despatch, containing further observations, sent out since the receipt of the act of the Colonial Legislature. In the mean time, until these papers were before the House, it would be injudicious to enter into any partial statements.

Mr. Villiers

inquired whether Ministers intended to bring in any Bill for the regulation of the trade in corn between this country and Canada.

Lord John Russell

asked whether the act received from Canada did not contain the ordinary suspending clause?

Lord Stanley

answered in the affirmative. By the suspending clause the act was not to come into operation until July next, nor then, unless the royal assent had been given to it. When it was sent home by the Governor-general the Government required further information, and wrote out to obtain it; but, in consequence perhaps of the severe illness of Sir C. Bagot, it had not yet been received, and it would probably arrive by the next mail. Ministers had no wish to withhold any information that could be useful in the discussion.

Mr. C. Wood

apprehended that the terms of his motion were large enough to include the documents enumerated by the noble Lord.

Lord Stanley:

As to the question put by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, it would be more convenient to answer it when the paper should be on the Table.

Mr. M. Gibson

supposed that Ministers must be aware of their own intentions, and, for the sake of trade, it seemed expedient to remove all doubt and uncertainty on the subject. Perhaps they would state whether they meant to make any great alteration in the Colonial scale of duties.

Mr. Ewart

saw nothing unreasonable in the question put by the hon. Member for Wolverhampton. Ministers had had ample time to make up their minds as to their intentions, and there were three parties deeply interested in the subject. First, the agriculturists of this country; next, the Colonial population; and thirdly, the noble Lord himself. The Legislature of Canada, in their act, had put a positive interpretation on the words of the noble Lord, and, for the sake of all parties, it seemed material that the question should be answered. Whether the noble Lord would condescend to reply to it was another matter.

Lord Stanley

thought that he ought to apologise to the House for having already spoken four several times. The whole correspondence would be upon the Table in the course of about three days; it bore immediately upon the very question put to him, and, if it were thought necessary to repeat the question then, he would willingly reply to it.

Motion agreed to.