§ MR. LEWIS FRY (for Mr. GOURLEY)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he intends adopting any measures for the purpose of inducing the Spanish Government to withdraw the recent regulations imposing quarantine upon vessels arriving from ports in the United Kingdom and the North of France with clean bills of health?
§ MR. O'SHEAasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is a fact that, under the regulations imposed by the Government of King Alfonso, ships arriving from British ports may be ordered to certain specified Spanish ports (many of them a great distance from their real destination), for the purpose of performing quarantine; whether, if so, he will give a list of the ports at which quarantine must be performed, and state its exact duration; whether any restrictions have been placed on ships from Countries actually adjoining France; whether it is within the knowledge of Her Majesty's Government that the Government of King Alfonso has intimated to the Government of His Faithful Majesty that, unless similar regulations are adopted by Portugal, the Portuguese frontier will be subjected to the restrictions in force on the Pyrenean frontier; whether the Government of King Alfonso has placed any restrictions on ships from Countries actually adjoining France; and, whether Her Majesty's Government has taken steps to give the Government of King Alfonso the assurances that British ports are clean, and to indicate that the severity of the regulations in question is unnecessary to the safety of the public health, and detrimental to commerce and good understanding?
§ MR. CARBUTTasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he can state what the exact quarantine regulations are in Spanish ports from Toulon or Marseilles; what the regulations are from clean French ports and from British ports as Gibraltar and Malta, where no cholera exists; and, whether the Foreign Office has made any representation to the Spanish authorities, or will do so at once, upon the ruinous quarantine regulations enforced 24 upon British ships from healthy ports in France and elsewhere.
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEThe following telegram was sent to Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Madrid with regard to the regulations by which quarantine is imposed on vessels arriving at Spanish ports from the United Kingdom:—
It is reported that ships direct from English ports are quarantined at Bilbao in consequence of cholera at Toulon. Remonstrate against this useless impediment to trade. There is no cholera in England, and strict precautions are taken against its introduction.Her Majesty's Government made this remonstrance because the Spanish Government do not allege that cholera exists in England, and because it has been announced that the Portuguese Government have been asked by the Spanish Government to adopt measures of quarantine similar to those taken in Spain; but they do not feel called upon to discuss with the Spanish Government measures of quarantine adopted with reference to vessels from France, or the subject of quarantine in general. It does not appear that quarantine is imposed in Spain on vessels from countries actually adjoining France. According to existing Spanish regulations, quarantine can only be performed at ports where there are regular lazarettos; it is understood that these ports are Santander, Vigo, and Mahon. The period of quarantine established in Spain is 10 days for vessels from Toulon and Marseilles, and seven days from other French ports. Vessels from England and British possessions in the Mediterranean are subjected to three days' observation; but if they have touched at a French port the period is seven or 10 days, according to the case. Should sickness occur on board, the detention will be longer.