§ 60. Colonel WOODCOCKasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the notice which has been issued this month stating that, in accordance with the Decree, No. 10,634, of the Portuguese Government whereby certain abandoned assets become the property of the Portuguese State, amongst which are Portuguese bonds and shares the owners of which have not collected their dividends or generally exercised their rights of ownership during a period of 20 years, and dividends and interest coupons which have not been collected within five years from their due date; notice is given that Coupon No. 18 and all previous coupons of the shares of the Banco Nacional Ultramarino are no longer payable, and that all subsequent coupons will also become prescribed in favour of the Portuguese State five years after their due date; and, in view of this statement, will he make representations to the Portuguese Government, pointing out the effect of making such a decree applicable to past coupons held by British subjects?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir Austen Chamberlain)I have no information on the subject, but I am consulting His Majesty's Ambassador at Lisbon. I will communicate with the hon. and gallant Member after I receive the Ambassador's reply.
§ Colonel WOODCOCKDoes the right hon. Gentleman not think it right, with respect to a law of this sort regarding abandoned assets, that the Portuguese Government would be quite within their rights in passing a law for the future, but that it is grossly unfair to make it retrospective?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI have said that I have no information, and I do not wish to give any reply to a supposition as to what law may or may not have been passed by the Portuguese Government.