§ COLONEL SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is in negotiation with the Governments of Canada, of Australasia, and of South Africa for the better treatment of British goods in those Colonies of the Empire from the 1st of August next, when the hands of Colonial Ministers will be free from the prohibitory clauses of the denounced treaties of 1862 and 1865 with Belgium and Germany; 1050 and, in such case, if he has good hopes of the successful issue of such negotiations?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIESThe hon. Member will see, on reference to the second Resolution passed by the Conference of Premiers in July last, that they undertook to confer with their colleagues on their return, with a view to seeing whether the trade relations between the Mother Country and the Colonies can be properly secured by a preference given by the Colonies to the products of the United Kingdom. I have not yet been informed of the result of the action therein promised.