§ MR. MACFARLANE(for Mr. GRAY) asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is a fact, as stated in "Vanity Fair" of the 11th instant, that the French Agent at Gabes has secured for a French house the mono- 1657 poly of all the Esparto grass in the district; and, if so, whether this involves any infringement of English Treaty rights with Tunis?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, Her Majesty's Government have received information to the effect that a concession of portions of the esparto districts of Tunis has been granted to a French house. As such a concession would probably be a virtual grant of a monopoly of the sale of the article, and, therefore, an infraction of the rights secured to this country by the Treaty of 1875, Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris has been instructed to call the attention of the French Government to the report.