§ MR. CHARLES HENRY WILSON (Hull, W.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, in reference to the Bill before the United States Congress for the imposition of increased tonnage dues, whether any further information has been received from Her Majesty's Ambassador at Washington; whether all possible vigilance will be exercised by Her Majesty's Government to endeavour to prevent the imposition of this tax, or, at any rate, to secure that British vessels shall receive equal treatment as compared with the vessels of all other nationalities; and whether England is entitled to the full benefit of the Most Favoured Nation Clause?
§ SIR GEORGE BADEN - POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale)At the same time may I ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government of the United States have made any reply to the representations of Her Majesty's Government in reference to the proposed heavy increase in tonnage dues in the United States; and whether the proposed increase is confined to the general tonnage tax levied on all vessels, or is extended to or confined to the additional tonnage tax levied on vessels belonging to nations which levy light dues on the vessels of the United States?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYMy honourable Friend the Member for the Exchange Division of Liverpool [Mr. C. McArthur] received, at a meeting at Liverpool on Saturday, a 33 long telegram, which he was authorised to read, and which appeared in The Times of that date. I think, perhaps, I might refer honourable Members to that telegram, as it is rather too long to read to the House. The substance of it, as far as British shipping is concerned, comes to this: that twenty cents per ton is proposed to be levied instead of six cents, with a maximum of 240 cents instead of 30 cents. It is proposed that the new system should come into operation on July 1. The Government are doing their best, I need hardly say, to safeguard the interests of British shipowners. There are no exemptions, I believe, except in favour of vessels in distress and those not engaged in trade. As regards the last paragraph there is no most favoured nation clause with the United States of America with regard to duties or charges on British vessels.
§ MR. T. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I wish to ask whether British vessels will be treated, in the levying of this tonnage duty, differently from other vessels, on the ground that Great Britain levies light dues?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYNo; I thought I explained there were to be no differential duties at all.
§ SIR G. BADEN-POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale)Can the right honourable Gentleman tell us whether the Bill now before Congress will, if passed, repeal the Act of 1886, which enacts differential treatment?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI am informed that it will repeal that Act, and it is in consequence of that repeal that no differential treatment will come into force in the case of Holland.