HC Deb 19 November 1888 vol 330 c1516
MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, If the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been directed to the movement in America to establish commercial union with Canada, and to the debate last April in the Dominion Parliament in favour rather of commercial union with the Mother Country; and, if it is in contemplation to seek more definitely the feelings of the Colonies upon the effect an Imperial commercial understanding might have on their development if the Foreign Treaties now prohibiting it were modified?

THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)

Her Majesty's Government are, of course, aware of the circumstances stated in the first part of the Question; but they do not consider that any useful ends would be attained, under present circumstances, by the adoption of the course suggested by my hon. Friend.