§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what was the date of the signature of the Commercial Convention between the United Kingdom and Persia, Government in regard to the modification or interpretation of Article II. Of the Convention; and what were the terms of the communication thus made.
§ LORD CRANBORNEThe date of signature was the 9th of February last; the date of the exchange of ratifications was the 27th of May last. Sir Arthur Hardinge was instructed on March 9th that His Majesty's Government were anxious that it should be made clear before ratification that in our view the 329 words most-favoured-nation did not preclude preferential treatment by one part of the Empire to another.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANWill the noble Lord say whether it is the case that this treaty is not now to be had, that the copies of it have been withdrawn for the purpose of correction?
§ LORD CRANBORNEYes. The nature of the correction is this. The signature of the Persian plenipotentiary was not inserted in the Papers originally laid. The Persian Plenipotentiary signed the Persian text, and it ought to have been included in the Papers.