MR. GREGORY, understanding from the reports this morning, that the question of the postponement was still before the Arbitrators at Geneva, said he would postpone for a week the Questions he had placed on the Paper.
MR. GLADSTONEsaid, he had not been communicated with by the hon. Gentleman, and he was not aware of any reason why the Questions should not be answered at once.
MR. GREGORYsaid, he would, in that case, put his Questions, Whether, notwithstanding the postponement of the reference to Arbitration under Article 1 of the Treaty of Washington, he proposes during such postponement to take the necessary steps for carrying out such other Articles of the Treaty as are not directly connected with such reference; whether he contemplates that during such period the acts which may be necessary to carry out such of the Articles as relate to the Dominion of Canada, and on the passing of which the guarantee of this country for £2,500,000 is to be claimed, should be proposed to the Parliament of that Dominion, or whether the execution of such Articles is to remain in abeyance, and whether he regards the stipulations contained in those Articles as dependent upon or connected with the reference to Arbitration provided by Article 1 of the said Treaty, or whether the same are independent provisions and binding upon the parties to such Treaty whether such reference is proceeded with or not?
MR. GLADSTONEMy answer, Sir, is very simple. The Articles of the Treaty not directly connected with the reference to Arbitration at Geneva, and the execution of the Articles relating to the Dominion of Canada, have no direct connection with any question raised at Geneva. As far as the recommendation of the British Government to the Dominion of Canada is concerned, that is complete. As far as the action of the Canadian Parliament is concerned, that is complete, the Canadian Parliament having, by its own deliberate judgment, accepted for itself the Articles of the Treaty. Nothing further now can be done until on its part the Congress of the United States shall have proceeded to legislate, and, as Congress is now under adjournment and will not meet again until the winter, the hon. Gentleman will see that practically there is no connection—at any rate at the present time—between any question that has been raised at Geneva and the practical postponement of the Articles of the Treaty relating to Canada. It is only after Congress shall have performed its 1989 part of the covenant, which it will have to consider upon its meeting again, that any question can arise with regard to the execution of these Articles. It will be at the same period that the Government of this country will have to discharge its engagement to Canada. Upon the completion of the legislation, and upon the taking effect of the entire Treaty in a formal manner, we shall propose to Parliament the guarantee of £2,500,000 which has been conditionally promised. That guarantee is contingent, as it stands in the arrangement, upon the taking effect of the entire Treaty.
§ MR. SPENCER WALPOLEasked, Whether the right hon. Gentleman's answer applied solely to the Fisheries question, or whether it applied also to the San Juan Boundary question?
MR. GLADSTONEMy answer did not apply to the San Juan Boundary question, for that has not been treated as part of the matters affecting the Dominion of Canada.
§ In reply to Mr. E. TORRENS,
MR. GLADSTONEsaid: My hon. Friend travels rather fast. He asks me whether we shall revive the question of damages suffered by the Fenian raids, if the guarantee by abandoned by the Government. But there is no intention whatever on the part of the Government to abandon the guarantee, and I should be very sorry to give any answer which would appear to contemplate that contingency. We are bound in honour to make a proposal in reference to that guarantee at the proper time; and I may also state to my hon. Friend that the claim for damages occasioned by the Fenian raiders, is a question entirely between the Imperial Government at home and the Government of the United States; while the claim of Canada is a claim not exclusively against the United States, inasmuch as it may be held to lie also against the Imperial Government; and the claim as against the Imperial Government is disposed of by the guarantee which we propose to lay before Parliament in due time.