§ SIR HENRY HAVELOCKasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he can state to the House what progress has been made towards the negotiation of a Consular Convention between Great Britain and the United States?
§ MR. BOURKEThe negotiations, which are exceedingly voluminous, have been going on for some time. No Conventions can be entered into with reference to the powers and privileges of Consuls, until an Act of Parliament has been passed which shall enable Her Majesty's Government to secure to foreign Consuls in this country reciprocal advantages. Several draft Bills for this purpose have 1766 been prepared, and have recently been under the consideration of the Foreign Office; but it has been found necessary for various reasons to postpone until next Session the introduction of the proposed measure. I hope, however, that the Foreign Office, or some other Department, will introduce them next Session.