§ MR. LIDDELLsaid, he rose to ask the First Lord of the Treasury on what day Her Majesty's Government, in accordance with a pledge recently given to that effect, propose to afford to this House an opportunity of fully considering the present condition of British Shipping, in so far as the same is affected by the operation of certain provisions of the French Navigation Laws; and what course Her Majesty's Government are prepared to recommend this House to adopt in order to induce the Government of France to make such alterations or modifications in those Laws as may be thought just and necessary?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONSir, the hon. Gentleman and the House will no doubt recollect that I appealed to my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland (Mr. Lindsay), to separate from the Address on the Treaty that addition which he was originally desirous to make to it with respect to the navigation arrangements subsisting between this country and France. I, upon the occasion on which that appeal was made, informed the hon. Gentleman that if he were to make his proposal on the point, the subject of a substantive Motion—the terms of it being agreed upon between him and Her Majesty's Government—I should be disposed to support such a Resolution, and that in point of fact such a course would be likely to strengthen Her Majesty's Government in any negotiations on the matter into which they might enter with France. Of course, the hon. Member for Sunderland will take his own course, but Her Ma- 449 jesty's Government are disposed to give him every facility for bringing forward the subject consistent with the progress of the public business.