§ MR. P. J. SMYTHasked the First Lord of the Treasury, If there does not exist a disagreement between Her Majesty's Government and the several Governments and Legislatures of Australasia; if the matters in dispute do not press for immediate decision; and, if it be not desirable that there should be a discussion in this House of the important questions raised by the Correspondence with the Australian Colonies with reference to proposals for Inter-Colonial Tariff arrangements?
MR. GLADSTONEsaid, there had been a correspondence with certain Governments in Australia upon the subjects of intercolonial tariffs; but it would be wrong to say that any disagreement had arisen, until the correspondence was 1146 closed and the parties remained at issue. That state of things did not exist, and therefore there was no disagreement, though it was true that at the present moment, the Governments of Australia and the Home Government did not regard the question from the same point of view. The matters under discussion, however, were by no means of such a character as to call for immediate discussion here. If that were the beginning of the Session, and sufficient time were at the disposal of the House, no objection would be raised on the part of the Government to the subject being discussed; but as matters now stood, they were not aware of any reason why other Business should be postponed in order to bring on a discussion, upon the question which was not yet in a state of entire ripeness for the consideration of Parliament.