HC Deb 03 June 1867 vol 187 cc1491-2
MR. AKROYD

said, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign affairs, If the negotiation of a Treaty of Commerce with the Portuguese Government is still pending; and if he has received any further Communication from that Government since the 26th of March, when he replied to a similar Question; if he has any objection to lay upon the table the Correspondence upon the subject, and the conditions insisted upon by the Portuguese Government, which, according to the statement of the noble Lord, would amount to the total abolition of the alcoholic test as applied to wines; and, whether he is aware that a Treaty of Commerce has recently been concluded between the Portuguese and French Governments, admitting French goods on more favourable terms than heretofore, and thus to the competitive disadvantage of the British manufacturer?

LORD STANLEY

In answer, Sir, to the Question of the hon. Member, I beg to state that negotiations intended to lead to a Treaty of Commerce have taken place between the English and Portuguese Governments. When I answered a similar Question which the hon. Member put to me on the subject about six weeks ago, I expressed regret that the negotiations had been, as in fact they then were, broken off. But since that time the Portuguese Government have expressed a desire to renew them, and Her Majesty's Government, of course, placed no obstacle in the way. Propositions have been received from the Portuguese Government, and are now under the consideration of the Board of Trade. With regard to the second part of the Question, as to the production of the Correspondence, I have to state that when, at the request of an hon. Gentleman, I undertook to lay it upon the table, I did so on the assumption that the negotiations were at an end. Since that time, however, the Portuguese Government have addressed to me a very earnest request that, as negotiations were now renewed, the production of the Correspondence might be deferred, and as that is the usual course followed under such circumstances, I have undertaken to comply with that request. With regard to the third part of the Question, as to whether I am aware that a Treaty of Commerce has recently been concluded between the Portuguese and French Governments, admitting French goods on more favourable terms than heretofore, to the competitive disadvantage of the British manufacturer, I have to state that I am aware that that is the case; but inasmuch as that has been done in return for certain special concessions granted by the Government of France, the existing treaties between England and Portugal do not give us any right to protest or complain on that account.