HC Deb 11 May 1903 vol 122 cc309-10
MR. BECKETT (Yorkshire, N.R., Whitby)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been called to resolutions passed by Chambers of Commerce on both sides of the Channel in favour of the conclusion of a permanent treaty of conciliation between Great Britain and France; and, if so, whether, in view of the friendly feeling now prevailing between the two countries, His Majesty's Government will consider the expediency of entering into the necessary preliminaries to the negotiation of such a treaty.

THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.

As the House is aware, the Government have always been anxious that international disputes should, if possible, be decided and appeased by arbitral tribunal. My hon. friend uses the word conciliation, which, I think, is not the word used by the Chambers of Commerce to which he refers. If we can do anything to further that general policy in connection with France, we should, of course, be glad to do so.

MR. BECKETT

May I point out that in all recent resolutions of Chambers of Commerce the word conciliation has been used.

MR. JAMES LOWTHER (Kent, Thanet)

Does the right hon. Gentleman confine this policy to one country?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

No, our policy is a general one.