§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER (Croydon)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the negotiations between His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington and the United States Government embraced the tariff relations of the United States and Canada; and whether it is a fact announced in New York that the United States Secretary of State has proposed the adoption by Canada of the United States tariff as laid against Great Britain and all other countries, and then to establish free trade between the United States and the Dominion.
‡ See (4) Debates, clxxi, 1265.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe general negotiations respecting commercial reciprocity which were left unsettled in 1898 have not been reopened in recent negotiations with the British Ambassador, and have formed no part of them. In answer to the latter part of the Question, His Majesty's Government have not heard of any such proposal having been made.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERWould the Ambassador be empowered to enter into such negotiations?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYHe is empowered to do the best he can to settle outstanding questions between the United States and Canada. As the House is aware, there were questions respecting commercial reciprocity left unsettled, and these would technically form part of the outstanding questions; but, as a matter of fact, in the negotiations that have taken place, neither the United States nor Canada, so far as I know, has shown any desire to reopen that question.