§ MR. FORWOOD (Lancashire, Ormskirk)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, under the new Spanish Convention, Spain grants to Great Britain the most complete favoured nation treatment in all that relates to trade and navigation, or whether the grant is not for the most complete favoured nation treatment, but is limited to be co-extensive in amount of benefit with that accorded to France and Germany; whether, if the grant is thus limited, merchandise carried from the United States to Porto Rico in United States vessels will be liable to less duty than if conveyed by British ships; what nations, if any, have more favourable treaties with Spain than those to be accorded under the Convention to England; and, what are the additional benefits enjoyed by them?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. BRYCE) (Aberdeen, S.)As the new Convention, when brought into force, will give to British subjects the same benefits as are now enjoyed by French and German subjects under the Treaties of those countries with Spain, and as French and German subjects enjoy, in matters of trade and naviga- 1163 tion, the same treatment as nationals, it is clear that British subjects will enjoy the same advantages as Spaniards themselves. In some of the Spanish Colonies, however, there exists special local regulations affecting commerce to which the Treaties with France and Germany are made subject. Should it appear that, under any such regulations, Great Britain, although enjoying the same privileges as France and Germany, will be less favoured in Porto Rico than the United States, Her Majesty's Government will endeavour to have any such inequality removed. Under the Convention, as it stands, British merchandize will be largely benefited by paying duty in the Spanish Antilles under the 3rd instead of, as at present, under the 4th column of the Spanish Tariff. No nations have any more favourable Commercial Treaties with Spain than these whose benefits England will enjoy.