§ MR. ASHLEY (Lancashire, Blackpool)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is not usual to obtain the adherence of a self-governing colony to any agreement with a foreign Power before applying the provisions of that agreement to that colony; and, if so, on what ground this practice was departed from in the case of the Newfoundland fisheries.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. CHURCHILL,) Manchester, N.W.The agreement to which I understand the hon. Member to refer is a temporary arrangement intended to avoid the occurrence of untoward incidents during a discussion which has become necessary in consequence of action which the colonial Government has taken in spite of the representations of His Majesty's Government. The usual course has been followed in regard to this temporary agreement of consulting the colonial Government at every step; but the ultimate responsibility for the action 878 taken by Great Britain in order to give effect to her treaty engagements with foreign Powers necessarily rests upon His Majesty's Government. My hon. friend will discover in the action of Lord Salisbury's Government in 1890 in the matter of the modus vivendi with France respecting the Newfoundland Lobster Fishery, should he find the time to examine it, ample and conclusive precedent for the course adopted.
§ SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)Is it not the fact that Lord Salisbury acted with the full concurrence of the colony, whereas the action of his Majesty's Government in the present case is by no means with the concurrence of the colony?
§ [No Answer was returned.]
§ MR. ASHLEYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will lay on the Table the correspondence with the United States Government and the Government of Newfoundland, which led up to the present modus vivendi with reference to the Newfoundland fisheries.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir EDWARD GREY, Northumberland, Berwick)Steps are being taken to prepare the Papers, which will be laid before the House at the earliest moment possible.
§ LORD R. CECIL (Marylebone, E.)Can the right hon. Gentleman give any indication when we may expect to have the Papers, and whether they will include the whole of the correspondence between the colony and the Government?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYI am in consultation with the Colonial Office as to the preparation of the Papers, and am not now able to answer the Question of the noble Lord.