§ MR. LABOUCHERErepeated the question which he had put to the right hon. Baronet at the head of the Government yesterday, viz., whether the British Government or Legislature had taken any steps of a retaliatory nature, in consequence of the duties upon their sugar as competing with free-labour sugar which had been adopted by this country?
§ SIR R. PEELI wished to postpone giving an answer to the question when put to me yesterday, in order that in answering it I might be able to state exactly the position in which our relations stand with respect to our commercial intercourse with Brazil. In the month of January, 1845, the Brazilian Legislature passed a law which empowered the Brazilian Executive, in its discretion, to impose upon the vessels of those States which had not given the Brazilian vessels the same facilities of intercourse which were given to native vessels, discriminating duties. The Brazilian Legislature also passed a law authorizing the Government to impose discriminating duties to the prejudice of those countries which did not admit Brazilian produce on the footing of the most favoured nation. The Brazilian Executive had, by that act of the Brazilian Legislature, the power of imposing discriminating duties unfavourable to this country; but the Brazilian Government have not yet acted upon that power, and up to this period we have had no intimation of their intention to act upon it.