§ MR. ANDERSONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he has received documents from Trinidad, through the Colonial Office or otherwise, expressing the alarm felt by the Colonists at the proposal of Her Majesty's Government to cede to Venezuela the island of Patos, as a consideration for abolishing an impost which Her Majesty's Government has declared to be in violation of a Treaty; whether in these documents it is urged on Her Majesty's Government that instead of ceding anything, they should insist on the abolition of the thirty per cent, differential duty, along with compensation for losses caused by its three years' continuance; whether it be the fact that the island of Patos, which Her Majesty's Government proposed to cede, belongs to the Borough Council of Port of Spain, and cannot be ceded without their consent; and, whether Her Majesty's Government will either demand from the Venezuelan 412 Government the redress of wrongs and the rehabilitation of Treaty obligations, or the submission of all matters in dispute to the arbitration of a neutral Power?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEThe documents referred to in the first two paragraphs of the hon. Member's Question were received at the Colonial Office on Saturday last; but there has not yet been time to consider the representations contained in them, and I am not in a position to make any statement as to the rights of the Council of Port of Spain over the Island of Patos. A Question on that subject would be more properly addressed to the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies. As I stated in my answer to the hon. Member on the 29th of April, we have made proposals to the Venezuelan Government which we hope will lead to a reasonable and satisfactory solution of the questions at issue between the two Governments. No answer has yet been received to these proposals.
MR. MAC IVERasked the noble Lord if he meant to convey to the House that the Government were at present engaged in negotiations for the transfer of an Island in exchange for a reduction of duty?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI explained the other day the circumstances under which the Island of Patos had become a part of these negotiations, and I would ask the hon. Member to refer to my answer.
§ MR. ANDERSONWill the noble Lord tell the House if the Foreign Office and Colonial Office ascertained to whom this Island belonged before proposing to cede it?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEThere will, I imagine, be no objection to stating the rights over this Island if my hon. Friend will give Notice of his Question to the Colonial Office.
MR. MAC IVERI beg to give Notice that in consequence of the reply of the noble Lord, I shall, at the earliest opportunity, call attention to this subject, and move that the proposed cession of this Island, whether it belongs to us or whether it does not, is a flagrant violation of the principles of Free Trade.