§ MR. O'SHEAasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, since the accession of the Sagasta Cabinet to power in Spain, any fresh representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government as to the system under which enormous fines are imposed by the local custom-houses in cases of errors, however trivial, in ships' papers; and, if so, with what result?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, on the 24th of February last, Mr. West inclosed a copy of a Note from the new Minister of State, stating that the representations which Her Majesty's Minister had made to the late Spanish Government on the subject had been referred to the proper Department; and the tone of that Note was such as to lead to the hope that some satisfactory arrangement might ultimately be come to. In several recent cases fines imposed by the local authorities have been remitted by the Spanish Government. This subject will be dealt with in the course of any commercial negotiations between Great Britain and Spain.