§ MR. RITCHIEasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, in the ensuing negotiations with France for the conclusion of a Commercial Treaty, the representatives of Great Britain will be instructed to insist on the insertion of some provision to prevent the spirit and intention of one Treaties being broken by the giving a bounties, referred to by Lord Granville in a despatch to Mr. Adams, dated July 30th, 1880, as follows:—
It is a fair matter of representation that such bounties are contrary to the spirit and intention of those Treaties, and will, in another way, produce the very effect which their stipulations with reference to useful duties are intended to prevent. This view of the case will 1312 be borne in mind in any commercial negotiations with France which may be conducted in London;and, whether Her Majesty's Government will consider the desirability of entering into negotiations with other Foreign Powers with a view of making such alterations in existing Treaties as will bring the letter of those Treaties in accord with their spirit and intention?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEThe question of the sugar bounties is dealt with by the Board of Trade; but the Foreign Office have undertaken to bring before the French Commissioners, in the course of the ensuing Commercial negotiations, the complaints respecting the effect of the bounties granted in France to sugar and shipping. Her Majesty's Government cannot tie their hands by undertaking to make the conclusion of any Commercial Treaty dependent upon the acceptance of a foreign Government of their views upon any given point.
§ MR. RITCHIEgave Notice that, on going into Committee of Supply, he would call the attention of the House to the despatch of Lord Granville to Mr. Adams.