§ LORD HAMPTONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true that the Dutch Chamber has refused to ratify the Convention for the abolition of bounties on the export of refined sugar which was agreed upon by delegates from Great Britain, France, Holland, and Belgium at a conference in Brussels in July, 1875; and, if so, what steps Her Majesty's Government propose to take to secure for the produce of the British sugar colonies that equality of competition which the said Convention was designed to establish? The noble Lord said, he thought the time might perhaps not be very far off when their Lordships' attention might be invited to the unfair competition to which the sugar trade of this country and of our West Indian Islands was exposed with the slave-grown sugar of Cuba and Brazil. Now, however, he had simply to call their attention to the competition to which the sugar trade of 558 this country was exposed from the bounties on sugar exported from France, Holland, and Belgium. He had complained, on a previous occasion, of the non-performance of the various Treaties and Conventions that had been framed; and on that occasion the statement made by the Foreign Secretary was most satisfactory, and showed upon his part a true appreciation of the great disadvantages and difficulties to which our sugar trade was exposed. At that very time there was a further Convention between the same four Powers, by which it was agreed that this question should be put upon a more satisfactory footing; and the terms of this Convention were accepted as satisfactory by those engaged in the sugar trade in this country. But although the sugar trade of this country was satisfied with the terms of that Convention, he was obliged to add that they had great distrust as to whether the terms of it would be firmly and faithfully carried out. He had a copy of a letter in his hand from a noble Friend of his who recommended that Great Britain should not sign the Convention unless they were assured that the terms of it would be faithfully carried out. After full consideration the Government determined to authorize the signature of the Convention. But the apprehensions expressed had been fully justified, for the Convention had not been carried out, and those engaged in the sugar trade in this country found themselves in consequence under severe disadvantages. Instead of the operation of the Convention commencing on the 1st July, it was postponed until the 1st of the present month; and since then the 1st May, it was said, had been fixed upon as the term at which under this Convention refining in bond was to commence. He wished to know whether this report was correct; and further, what would be the effect of the refusal on the part of the Dutch Chamber to ratify the Convention upon the interests of those who were engaged in the sugar trade in this Kingdom? He was afraid that the effect would be that all these negotiations that had been going on for years would be entirely useless; and that the sugar trade in this country would be exposed to a most disastrous, if not ruinous competition.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYsaid, he was afraid that the information he had to 559 give his noble Friend on this subject would be found scanty, and he was afraid also that his noble Friend would not consider it as altogether satisfactory. It was quite true that the Dutch Parliament had refused to give the sanction which would be necessary to make the Convention effective. On hearing the result of the debate in which that sanction was refused, he thought it right to inquire of the Dutch Government what they proposed to do. The answer he received from the Dutch Government was, that the question of abolishing the duty on sugar was before the Dutch Parliament—that Notice of a Motion on the subject had been put on the Paper—and that until the Dutch Government knew what the feeling of the Dutch Legislature was upon that question, they would not feel justified in coming to any decision themselves. Her Majesty's Government were in communication with the French and Belgian Governments also on the subject of the Convention. He was aware that the persons whom his noble Friend represented were deeply affected by the question now at issue; and they might be assured that it would not be neglected by Her Majesty's Government—that the matter would not be lost sight of. While he said that, he was bound to say that the powers of Her Majesty's Government in a matter of this kind were very limited. The English duties on sugar had been abolished, and he did not suppose any Ministry or any party in the country would propose their re-imposition. Neither would a proposition for duties of a differential character, to apply to sugar coming from one country rather than to that coming from another, find acceptance in England. It was not a proposal which any Parliament would be likely to sanction. If, therefore, foreign Governments should continue by a system of bounties to produce an artificial cheapness to the British consumer, and so to undersell the English refiner, that was a matter with which Her Majesty's Government would feel it extremely difficult to deal. They could only give what appeared to them to be good advice, in pointing out what were the disadvantages and evils arising from such a system; but, after all, it was in the good sense and sound judgment of foreign Governments that Her Majesty's Go- 560 vernment must place their reliance rather than in anything they could do themselves.