§ MR. MARKHAMI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the assurances given by the United States Government to His Majesty's Government, on the annexation of the Philippines, that no preferential tariffs should be imposed 528 detrimental to any old established trades between this Country and the Philippines, he proposes calling the attention of the United States Government to the fact that a preferential tariff, which will be of moment to the rope industry in the United Kingdom, has been enacted in favour of American manufacturers competing with this country.
§ LORD CRANBORNEAs I have already stated general representations were made to the United States on behalf of British Trade in the Philippines in 1898. His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington will be instructed to draw the attention of the United States Government to the effect upon the rope industry in this country of the exemption of Manilla fibre, exported to the United States from export duty in the Archipelago.