§ Mr. REMNANTasked on what date the first official communication was received from Mr. Bryce respecting the reciprocity-negotiations between Canada and the United States; and what was the nature of that communication?
§ Sir E. GREYAs papers are to be laid soon, I propose to defer any statement about the nature or dates of communications which have passed, till they can be commented upon as a whole.
§ Mr. REMNANTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it will be possible, in view of the great interest taken in this matter, for the papers to be laid at once?
§ Sir E. GREYYes; I am having a statement prepared on the subject, and it will be laid as soon as possible.
§ Mr. REMNANTasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if his attention had been called to the official Report of the debate in the Canadian House of Commons, of 21st February, 1911, which shows that M. Lemieux said that the arrangement of reciprocity with the United States was not unfriendly to England because it had been approved by the British Government, and had been made with the assistance of Mr. Bryce, the British Ambassador to the United States; and if he will now lay Papers showing what steps were taken by Mr. Bryce to bring about this reciprocal arrangement?
§ Sir E. GREYI have already explained the real position in reply to questions, and papers shall soon be laid.
§ Mr. REMNANTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the assistance given by Mr. Bryce in these investigations has the approval of His Majesty's Government?
§ Sir E. GREYYes, certainly; Mr. Bryce's action has been approved by His Majesty's Government, and I explained the other day how it came to be taken.
§ Mr. CROFTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman if the statement made by M. Lemieux in the debate in the Canadian Parliament is a correct one?
§ Sir E. GREYI have already answered the question more than once.
§ Mr. REMNANTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the other day, in answer to this very question whether Mr. Bryce had been instructed by His Majesty's Government to further and assist these negotiations, he said, "the answer is in the negative"?
§ Sir E. GREYI said no instructions had been sent to Mr. Bryce. I was asked a supplementary question as to whether the Canadian Government had asked that definite instructions should be sent to Mr. Bryce and I said they had not so far as I remember made a special request. During recent years Mr. Bryce had frequently given assistance in many matters to Canadian Ministers, and Canadian Ministers had particularly expressed their satisfaction and gratitude for the assistance Mr. Bryce had given. It had been, therefore, regarded during recent years as a matter of course that when Canadian Ministers went to Washington they would receive his assistance without special request.
Sir GILBERT PARKERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been directed to the statement made by M. Lemieux, the Postmaster General of Canada, in the Canadian Parliament on Tuesday last, to the effect that the reciprocity treaty between Canada and the United States had been made with the assistance of Mr. Bryce, the British Ambassador to the United States, and that it had the approval of the British Government; and if he will state what form that assistance took?
§ Sir E. GREYI would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I have just given.
Sir G. PARKERWill the papers when laid show the nature of the assistance given by Mr. Bryce to the negotiators?
§ Sir E. GREYThey will contain Mr. Bryce's report.