§ MR. LOUGHI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been drawn to the assurance given by Lord Curzon to the Viceroy's Legislative Council at Calcutta, that if the Government of India were invited to enter a conference instructions would be given to her delegates that they must reserve full liberty for India to trade with the whole world on such terms as would suit her best, unfettered by engagements with other countries; and whether, having regard to his pledge that nothing would be done by this Parliament to alter existing free trade institutions, he will undertake that if any invitations are issued to a Colonial Conference the British representatives shall reserve the same liberty for the United Kingdom.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe statement is erroneous, and the speech which is quoted in the Question was not made by Lord Curzon, but by an unofficial member of the Council.
§ MR. LOUGHBut in any event will the First Lord do nothing to protect the interests of this country in a free-trade direction?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that I have said over and over again that in my opinion the conference should be free as regards all the interests concerned,