MR. MAC IVERasked the First Lord of the Treasury, What has been the result of the "Agreement on Commercial Arrangements with Spain," which formed the subject of a paragraph in Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech, delivered by the Lords Commissioners to both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday February 5th, 1884; and, whether it is the fact that, notwithstanding such Agreement, Spain continues to maintain the attitude described in the Correspondence, "Commercial, No. 10," and declines to allow Great Britain to trade with the Spanish Possessions in the West Indies on terms as favourable as those accorded to the United States?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEOwing to the elections in Spain, the coming Session of the Cortes will be so 1701 short that the Agreement cannot be discussed; the earliest date, therefore, at which it can be laid before the Spanish Legislature will be during the Session beginning in December next. It thus appears that the Agreement of December 1 last is not yet in force, and can, therefore, have had no effect on the duties levied on British merchandise in the Spanish Antilles, which remain unaltered.