§ MR. TOMLINSON (Preston)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the negotiations with the Spanish Government, with the view of obtaining fair treatment in respect of duties for British exports to that country or to the Spanish West Indies, are making such progress as to make it probable that further Papers on the subject will be shortly laid before Parliament; whether any negotiations are pending with the Government of the United States of America with reference to the difference between that Government and the Government of Her Majesty in the interpretation put upon the Most Favoured Nation Clause in the Commercial Treaty between the two countries; and, whether, in default of agreement, Her Majesty's Government will endeavour to secure such a modification of the existing Treaty as will make it capable of being understood in the same sense by both parties to it?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. BRYCE) (Aberdeen, S.)Immediately after the present Government came into Office, Sir Clare Ford, Her Majesty's Minister at Madrid, was instructed to take steps with a view to the removal of the impediments existing to British trade with Spain; but no such progress has been made as to render it 462 probable that further Papers on the subject will be shortly laid on the Table. I may add that Her Majesty's Government are of opinion that any arrangement to be made ought not to be of a merely transient nature, and they believe that this is also the view of the commercial community in Great Britain. A Resolution to this effect was lately received by the Foreign Office from the Association of Chambers of Commerce. With regard to the hon. Member's Question as to negotiations with the United States, there is no disagreement with respect to the meaning of the existing Treaty which relates to trade between the British Possessions in Europe and the United States. The United States Government, however, are unwilling to extend its stipulations to the British West Indies; but Her Majesty's Government are expecting a further communication from Washington in reply to Earl Granville's despatch to Sir L. West of February 12th, 1885, which the hon. Member will find on page 20 of Commercial, No. 4, 1885.