§ MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALDsaid, he did not intend to raise any discussion in 1571 putting the question to the noble Lord of which he had given notice. The subject, however, was one not altogether unconnected with financial considerations. The noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs at the commencement of the Session told the House that, acting under the advice of the law officers of the Crown, her Majesty's Government considered the question could only be met by a redemption of the Stade Dues—that was their extinction by the payment of a sum of money to the Government of Hanover. He was sure the noble Lord would be the last person to keep back information from the House; if any convention had been entered into he would have informed the House of it. He (Mr. FitzGerald) had been given to understand by information from Hamburg that by an exchange of notes an arrangement had been arrived at between the Government of this country and that of Hanover, and that a sum of money had been fixed upon to be paid by this country to Hanover for the extinction of those tolls. The sum which had been mentioned to him was 1,000,000 thalers, and though it was not very large, yet it was important that the House, when considering the financial arrangements of the year, should be in possession of every information as to every item of expense, great or small, which was likely to be incurred by the country. He wished to ask, therefore, Whether any arrangement had been come to by her Majesty's Government with the Government of Hanover for the redemption of the Stade tolls, and probably the noble Lord would inform the House whether any Estimate had been made of the sum necessary for the purpose of extinguishing these tolls? He believed the sum was about £200,000.
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLWith regard to the question of my hon. Friend and colleague, I have to state that the subject is one of deep interest to the British public, and one which has engaged the serious attention of her Majesty's Government. But, as I have already stated to the House, the question is so important and intricate that her Majesty's Government have not as yet arrived at any decision regarding it. But I can assure my hon. Friend that whenever that decision is arrived at I will inform my hon. Friend and the House.
With regard to the question put to me by the hon. Gentleman opposite, I have to inform him that such a sum as he has mentioned has been proposed by her Majesty's Government as a fair sum to be given as 1572 an indemnity for the tolls to be abolished. But there is another proposal attached to the agreement—namely, that another sum should be paid, to be divided between other States except Great Britain. But the Government of Hanover required that six-sevenths of that sum should be paid before any convention should be entered into for the abolition of those tolls. Considerable progress has been made on the subject, but some of the States concerned declare they cannot make any agreement absolutely binding upon them without the consent of the representatives of those States. The Government of Hanover made an objection on the alleged ground that as these States and these representative bodies had not agreed to the arrangement they could not consider the question as finally settled. And a proposition was this day made to her Majesty's Government to prolong the negotiations to the month of October next. We are not, however, prepared to agree to that proposition; and, therefore, the subject is at present in a very unsettled state.