§ MR. HENEAGE (Great Grimsby)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the French Government have given legislative effect to the North Sea Fisheries Convention, signed at the Hague on the 16th November, 1887, by the Representatives of all the European Maritime Powers; if not, what is the present position of other Maritime Powers in respect to grog boats sailing under the French flag in the North Sea; 696 and what steps, if any, have been taken to obtain the ratification of the Convention of the French Government?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. J. W. LOWTHER,) Cumberland, PenrithThe French Government have not yet, I regret to say, seen their way to ratify the Convention. It has, however, been submitted to the Chamber; and it is hoped that in the interests of the fishermen of all the nationalities which take a part in the North Sea Fisheries, the Chamber may be able to assent to the unanimous conclusions of the Conference. Until the assent of the French Government is given, the Convention does not come into operation. The Netherlands Government, as the Government of the Power which convened the Conference, is charged with the duty of obtaining the ratification of the Convention, and I have no reason to suppose that it will not endeavour to obtain the ratification of the French Government, in order to put an end as soon as possible to the evils justly complained of and universally admitted to exist.