§ MR. D. A. THOMASI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can state the position of negotiations with France in regard to the hostile tariffs imposed upon British merchandise imported into Madagascar; and whether any reply has been received to recent representations on the part of this country; and whether his attention has been drawn to a statement made last month in the Chamber of Deputies by M. Etienne, who occupied the position of Under Secretary for the Colonies from 1888 to 1800, to the effect that the undertaking in the Treaty of 1890, to maintain and respect the rights and immunities the English enjoyed in the island at the time, had only a local or residential application, and was not intended to refer to goods imported from England; and to what extent this statement is somewhat imperfect?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. ST. JOHN BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordNo reply has been received to recent representations on this subject. Attention has not been specially called to the statement by Monsieur Etienne alluded to; but the views of Her Majesty's Govern- 978 ment upon the point in question will be found fully expressed in the Dispatches which have already been laid before Parliament, Africa No. 8, 1897, and France, No. 1, 1899, to the last of which no reply has been received.