§ MR. CHARLES M'ARTHUR (Liverpool, Exchange)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the Australian Immigration Restriction Act, 1901, which imposes a penalty of £100 upon the master or owner of any vessel from which any prohibited immigrant enters the Commonwealth, cannot be enforced in the case of deserters from United States merchant vessels; whether treaty provisions exist between this country and foreign countries, Whereby the same exemption applies to vessels of such powers; and whether, if the effect of the Act is to subject British vessels to a liability from which foreign vessels are exempt, he will take steps with the view of having this state of things remedied.
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord CRANBORXE,>Rochester)I have communicated on this subject with my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who has consulted the Government of the Commonwealth by telegraph as to the view which they take of the point raised. Until their answer is received I shall not be in a position to reply to the Question put by my hon. friend.