MR. MAC IVERasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If the proposed arrangement with regard to a reduction in the Duties upon Spanish wines will have the practical effect of binding this Country to maintain reduced Duties in the particular case of Spain, while no similar obligation exists as regards our relations with any other Country; and to inquire whether it is proposed that we should receive any advantage from Spain in return for this concession, or if we are to obtain nothing beyond the removal of certain special disadvantages to which Great Britain alone has been subjected?
LORD EDMOND FLTZMAURICEI do not think I can add anything to my answer of yesterday to the hon. Member for Liverpool (Mr. Whitley), which the hon. Member will see fully answers the Question he has placed upon the Paper.
MR. MAC IVERsaid, he had referred to the answer, which simply 1645 referred him to certain Papers. He wished to ask whether the facts were not as stated in his Question?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEsaid, the Papers to which he referred the hon. Member gave a full as well as a short answer.
MR. MAC IVERinquired if the noble Lord would have any objection to state whether the facts were not correctly set out in his Question?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI would refer the hon. Member to the words which I used yesterday. In these International questions I think it would be very objectionable, and, indeed, dangerous, to use different language on different days. I gave, in reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool (Mr. Whitley), a statement which I had prepared with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, showing the general effect of the arrangement which we had entered into with Spain in regard to the Commercial Treaty; and I do not think it would be advisable that I should to-day give another version merely because the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Mac Iver) is dissatisfied with the words which I used yesterday. If the hon. Member will kindly refer to these words he will see that they fully cover the ground of his Question.