MR. STAVELEY HILL (Staffordshire, Kingswinford)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any protest has been received from the Colonial Government of Newfoundland against the modus vivendi agreed to by Her Majesty's Government with reference to the fishery rights claimed by France on the coast of Newfoundland; whether Her Majesty's Government will seek to enforce that modus vivendi; and if they will lay upon the Table of the House the Correspondence and other Papers on this subject?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSPapers which are about to be presented will show what has occurred, and the steps which are 1068 being taken by Her Majesty's Government.
MR. STAVELEY HILLI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Her Majesty's Government has refused to ratify a Convention entered into between the Colonial Government of Newfoundland and the United States; whether the Colonial Government has protested strongly against this refusal; and if Her Majesty's Government will lay upon the Table of the House the Papers in this matter?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSA colony cannot enter into a Convention with a Foreign State. Her Majesty's Government assented to Mr. Bond, a member of the Colonial Government, visiting Washington for the purpose of communicating the views of his Government and seeing what terms of arrangement could be made. A Convention acceptable to the colony and to the United States was drafted, but Her Majesty's Government have delayed (not definitively refused) to authorise Her Majesty's Minister at Washington to sign it, because it is necessary to consider further the wishes of Canada and the effect on Canadian interests of the provisions of the draft Convention if now concluded independently of Canada. The Government and Legislature of Newfoundland have strongly protested; and the Papers, now in preparation, which will shortly be presented, will show the reasons for which Her Majesty's Government do not think that protest justifiable.
§ BARON H. DE WORMSAs soon as possible.
§ BARON H. DE WORMSI cannot pledge myself to the exact date.
§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)Will the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking that the Colonial Vote will not be taken until hon. Members have had an opportunity of seeing the Papers?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSI think the Papers are sure to be printed before the Vote comes on.
§ SIR G. BADEN-POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, when the sanction of the 1069 Imperial Government was given to the mission of the Hon. R. Bond to Washington on behalf of the Government of Newfoundland, it was clearly understood that no arrangement could be come to with the United States on the part of one portion of the Empire which should be directly prejudicial to other portions; whether Papers can be presented to Parliament explaining Mr. Bond's mission; whether he can also present further Papers on the general question of Newfoundland, in continuation of those presented last June; and whether such Papers would give any further information as to the progress of negotiations for the friendly settlement of the French Shore controversy?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSThis question does not state correctly the conditions under which the negotiations referred to were conducted. A full explanation of the position of Her Majesty's Government in respect of these matters was given by the Secretary of State on the 17th in another place, and will be found in the Papers about to be given.