§ MR. SLAGGasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the present Treaty of Commerce with France will not expire on Nov. 8, and what attempt is being made to avoid delay in fixing its future form?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, Her Majesty's Government have been officially informed that the new French General Tariff was promulgated yesterday, and accordingly, in pursuance of the Declaration signed on the 10th of October, 1879, the Commercial Treaties and Conventions between Great Britain and France now in force will expire on the 8th of November next. To avoid the delay referred to by the hon. Member, I beg to state that Her Majesty's Government urged on the 18th of June, 5th of August, 12th of October, 15th of November, 15th of February, and several times in March and April last, that negotiations should be entered upon; but the French Government replied that they could not proceed until the Bill for establishing the new General Tariff had been passed by the Senate. When the discussion in the Senate was approaching its conclusion, Her Majesty's Government asked that, in order to avoid delay, some person should be sent to London to furnish preliminary explanations on questions of detail. The French Government, however, preferred to give them in Paris, and Mr. Kennedy was accordingly sent there for the purpose. It will thus be seen that there has been in the past no delay on the part of Her Majesty's Government. I would add that in the official notification from the French Government to which I have referred, no proposal with respect to formal negotiations is made by that Government. This point will not be lost sight of in the answer which will be returned to M. Challemel-Lacour.
§ MR. BOURKEasked, whether in the negotiations any hope had been held out of changes beneficial to the commerce of this country?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEsaid, that such hopes had been held out, and that he hoped the French Government would be prepared to make such changes.