§ MR. PICTON (Leicester)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether there would be any objection to lay upon the Table Copies of Correspondence not yet issued between Her Majesty's Government and the Chilian, Peruvian, or any other Government, and any other person or persons, in relation to the claims of the English Nitrate Railways Company (Limited)?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. J. W. LOWTHER,) Cumberland, PenrithQuestions of law raised by the Nitrate Railways Company are pending before the Chilian Tribunals, and, at any rate until a decision is given on these questions, it would be clearly undesirable to publish correspondence on the subject.
§ MR. PICTONAm I right in assuming that no decision has been come to as to the rights of the Nitrate Railways Company? Am I right in believing that there has been considerable correspondence between Her Majesty's Government and the Chilian Government, but that the question is not yet solved?
MR. LOWTHERNo, the hon. Member would not be right in that. The last note passed fully two years ago between Her Majesty's Government and the Chilian Government, and since that time there has been no correspondence between Her Majesty's Government and the Chilian Government, but resort has been had to the judicial tribunals of the country, and a decision is expected before long. When that decision is received, it will be the duty of the Government to consider whether it is necessary to take any further steps.