§ MR. SCHWANN) (Manchester, N.I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to a telegram from Brussels, dated 11th May, appearing in the Standard of the 12th instant, to the following effect:—
The Indépendence Beige to-day states that at yesterday's sitting of the Anti-Slavery Conference Baron Lambermont, the Belgian Plenipotentiary, submitted a proposal having for its object the revision of the provisions of the general Act of the Conference in 1885, which imposed absolute liberty of commerce in the Congo basin, in the sense of empowering the States which possess territories in the Congo basin to levy an ad valorem duty on all imported goods. The British Plenipotentiaries warmly supported the proposal, which was accepted in principle by the German Plenipotentiary, who, however, reserved the final decision to his Government. The Representatives of Italy, France, and Portugal expressed themselves in the same sense;and whether it is true that the British Plenipotentiary warmly supported the proposal empowering States which possess territories in the Congo basin to levy ad valorem duties on all imported goods, contrary to provisions in the general Act of the Conference in 1885; and, if so, on what grounds did he base his support, and had he received instructions in that sense from Her Majesty's Government, and what were those instructions?
§ *SIR J. FERGUSSONHer Majesty's Government are under an engagement to keep the proceedings of the Conference secret until its labours are terminated. I regret, therefore, that I cannot make any statement as to what passed on the occasion referred to, beyond saying that the British Plenipotentiaries did not act without authority.