§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if, having regard to the frequent requests made by the Government of Canada to the Colonial Office during the past eleven years to be freed from the Inter-British Trade Disabling Clauses of the Treaties with Belgium and Germany, and particularly to the Address to the Crown of September last from the Dominion Senate and House of Commons, and the joint representations on the subject twelve months ago by the Agents General of the Self-Governed Colonies, and to the approving resolutions adopted by numerous public meetings in England and Canada and transmitted to Her Majesty's Government, including one from the delegates to the Birmingham Convention of the National Union of Conservative Associations, any progress has been made towards the redemption of the announcement on 19th June, 1891, by the Prime Minister to the United Empire Trade League—
We shall be glad indeed to take every opportunity that arises for delivering ourselves from these unfortunate engagements.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Prime Minister entirely adheres to what he stated on the 19th of June last year, and has no desire to withdraw from it in the least degree. I can only say at present no opportunity has occurred for delivering ourselves from these unfortunate engagements.