§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been actively directed to the fact that the United States have already concluded, under Clause 3 of the M'Kinley Tariff, 12 Reciprocity Treaties, securing for 2,000 classes of American goods in markets which have heretofore taken a large proportion of British exports either a remission of the whole duty or an abatement of 25 per cent. on the import charges levied upon British goods, and that the result has already been an increase in the American trade with those markets, amounting to nearly 155,000,000 dollars in 1892 compared to 661 1888; and if any steps are being taken, having regard to the falling trade and the growing dearth of industrial employment in the United Kingdom, to conclude similar Reciprocity Treaties, or, at least, to meet in a friendly spirit the overtures of Canada and other British Colonies for preferential trading arrangements with the Mother Country?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. GREY,) Northumberland, BerwickThe attention of Her Majesty's Government has been actively directed to this fact. It is impossible to discuss the whole subject in a reply to a question, but the hon. Member will find some valuable information in the Foreign Office Report No. 277, Miscellaneous Series. The Government do not consider that a policy of preferential duties will increase the volume of trade or the amount of industrial employment in this country.