§ MR. NEWDEGATEsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether any preliminary engagement or any protocol, emanating from the Foreign Office or otherwise on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, connected with any proposal for the renewal of the Commercial Treaty between France and this Country, has been produced by the French Government, or otherwise communicated to the Legislature of France; whether any document or communication of the above description has been produced or made to the Reichsrath with reference to any proposal for contracting a Treaty between Austria and this Coun- 325 try; whether any negotiations are pending with reference to the renewal of the Commercial Treaty with France, or with reference to contracting a Treaty between Austria and this Country; and, whether any preliminary engagement, or any protocol, relating to the renewal, or to the contracting of any Treaty either with France or with Austria, has been signed by any person having authority to act on behalf of Her Majesty's Government?
MR. GLADSTONEWith regard to the first Question of the hon. Member, no preliminary engagement, or protocol, or document of any description whatever, proceeding from the British Government or the Foreign Office, has been laid before the French Legislature with reference to the English Commercial Treaty, because there is no such document. I do not at all mean to infer that there might not have been, because it is perfectly possible that there might; but there does not exist any such document. With regard to the third Question, no negotiations whatever are pending with reference to the renewal of the Commercial Treaty with France, and, as I have no doubt the hon. Gentleman is aware, the Treaty has not expired, but has readied such a period of its existence that it is in the power of either country, after a certain notice, to put an end to it. What has been going on in France with respect to this subject has been communicated to us by Her Majesty's Minister there; but the British Government have not thought it would be for the good of cither country, or for the advancement of the principles involved, that they should attempt any direct interference in what has hitherto taken place. With regard to the Austrian Reichsrath, the case is quite different from that of the French Legislature, because for several years negotiations, intermitted at times and at times making forward movement, have been carried on between the two Governments, and have taken effect in the shape of a treaty, and I have no doubt that numbers of Papers relating to all these questions have been laid before the Reichsrath. The negotiations with Austria have been brought to a conclusion, and only wait for formal ratification. When the stage of ratification has been reached, the treaty will be laid before Parliament; it will then be open to Gentlemen to ask for Papers, and the usual course 326 with reference to those Papers will be pursued.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEasked whether the Papers had been communicated to the Reichsrath anterior to the ratification?
MR. GLADSTONEI think it is highly probable that they may have been. Our practice in this country with respect to negotiations of this kind is, that they are usually made known to Parliament only when they have reached their conclusion. Whether that is the case in Austria I cannot say; but it is perfectly possible that the Papers may have been presented, before in consequence of difference of usage.