§ VISCOUNT MILTONsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Convention for Arbitration relative to the Water Boundary question, which he stated to this House on the 4th of August 1869, had been signed by Lord Clarendon on the 14th of January 1869, submitted to the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Senate of the United States, and by them recommended for ratification, has yet been ratified by Congress; and, if not, whether he can state the cause of the delay; and, whether there is any and what objection to lay upon the Table of this House all the Correspondence on the Water Boundary question, which has been officially presented to the American Senate, and published in 1868, and which is now in possession of Her Majesty's Government?
MR. OTWAY, in reply, said, if his noble Friend would refer to Parliamentary Papers presented at the end of last Session he would find that this Convention was submitted to the notice of the Senate of the United States in April last, but its consideration was deferred. The ratification of the Convention depended upon the Senate, who had not yet ratified it; but he was unable to state what motives had induced them to take this course. As to the Correspondence, there was no objection to lay it on the Table, save on the score of expense. 725 It consisted of 270 pages of closely-printed matter, together with, maps, and he doubted whether he should be justified in incurring the expense of publication. But his noble Friend, however, had published all that was interesting and important in this correspondence, and had done him the favour to present him with a copy of the publication. Now, if his noble Friend would extend that favour to other hon. Members they would be in possession of an admirable resumé of a very voluminous correspondence.
§ VISCOUNT MILTONsaid, he now wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, If he will lay upon the Table of the House, a Copy of such Letters, Correspondence, and Enclosures from Governor Douglas or his Secretaries, and from the Secretary to the British Commission on the Water Boundary question, as were sent to the Colonial Office, warning Her Majesty's Government of the then apparent intention of General Harvey to invade a part or parts of Her Majesty's dominions on the coast of the Pacific, before and up to the year 1859?
§ MR. MONSELLsaid, in reply, that these Papers were not under the control of the Colonial, but of the Foreign Secretary, to whom his noble Friend must apply for their production.