§ MR. D. A. THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the views expressed by the Prime Minister in his despatches to Sir E. Monson, of 9th and 20th July of last year, that the action of the French Government in greatly increasing the import duties upon the principal articles of British manufacture was a further infraction of British rights in Madagascar, and inconsistent with the international rights of this country and with the assurances given by the Government of the Republic, and must inevitably kill the greater part of British trade with Madagascar, whether it is the case that the declared value of British goods exported from this country to Madagascar during the first quarter of this year was less than one-eighth of the value exported in the corresponding period of 1896; whether, in accordance with the promise of M. Delcassé made last July, that he would lose no time in answering the representation made by Lord Salisbury, any reply has been received; and, if so, what is the nature of it; and, what action Her Majesty's Government is taking to protect and enforce British rights in Madagascar.
§ * THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordI am afraid I can add nothing to the replies which I have made on several occasions during the present session respecting the action of the French Government in respect of British trade in Madagascar.
§ MR. D. A. THOMASThen no answer has been received.