SIR HOWARD VINCENTI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that in the Budget proposals of the Government of the Dominion of Canada the Minister of Finance maintained the preference of 33⅓ per cent. granted upon British goods in Canadian markets directly the colonies were freed from the restraining foreign treaties of 1862 and 1865; and can he state for how long he proposes to accept this arrangement without making any efforts to reciprocate towards Canadian products in the markets of the United Kingdom.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir M. HICKS BEACH,) Bristol, W.I think my hon. friend is well aware that the Canadian tariff differs so completely from our own that, while the action of Canada was confined to a reduction of very high duties in our favour, what he calls reciprocity on our part would involve the imposition of duties by us on imports from other countries for the benefit of Canada. I am not prepared to propose this, and I feel certain that Canada does not expect it. We have shown our sense of the spirit in which the Dominion has acted by the help we give towards the steamship service between Canada and Japan, and the assistance we have promised towards the Pacific cable.