§ COLONEL BARNEasked, Whether the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs could inform him as to the state of the negotiations with respect to the East Coast Fishery depredations?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKE,in reply, said, so far as he knew, there were no negotiations going on.
§ COLONEL BARNEsaid, that the hon. Gentleman the Secretary to the Admiralty told him to go to the Foreign Office, as the matter was in their hands.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEsaid, that the Foreign Office could act only in concert with the Board of Trade. Up to the present time, the Foreign Office had not been applied to, and it did not take such matters in hand of itself.
§ COLONEL BARNEPerhaps the Representative of the Board of Trade can give some information.
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINsaid, that some short time ago, at the instigation of the Home Office, a careful investigation was made into these alleged depredations, and a Report was prepared, which had been laid upon the Table of the House and distributed. The whole subject was now engaging the careful consideration of the Board, and he hoped in a very short time to be able to make a recommendation upon the subject.