§ COLONEL HILL (Bristol, S.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been called to the fact that, in view of the proposed abolition of the duties in the?United States on sugar below No. 16, Dutch standard, considerable opposition on the part of the sugar refiners of that country has arisen, because the intended protective duty of nearly £2 per ton against refined sugar imported from abroad would probably be insufficient to allow the American refiners to compete on equal terms with such imported refined sugar from European countries where State bounties are granted; and whether, under the circumstances, Her Majesty's Government would again invite the Government of the United States to join the Sugar Convention?
§ *THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOB FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir J. FERGUSSON,) Manchester, N.E.No Reports relative to this alleged opposition have been received at the Foreign Office. It is not by any means certain in what 1568 shape the provisions of the Tariff Bill now under discussion will finally be settled by Congress. We have no ground for thinking that a renewed invitation to the United States Government to join in a Convention on this subject would be successful.