§ Major ARCHER-SHEEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the new duties which the French Government are about to impose on hemp and cotton yarns will injure the English export trade; and, if so, what action he intends to take?
Mr. BUXTONThe tariff proposals of the Customs Committee of the French Chamber of Deputies with regard to the duties on hemp, linen and cotton yarns were referred to in the communication to the French Government, to which I alluded in the reply given on 2nd March to the hon. Member for the Ecclesall Division of Sheffield. I am happy to say that the proposals were considerably modified by the Chamber, and that in the Tariff Bill as passed by that body the duties on the highest counts only are raised, the duties on other counts remaining as at present. The attention of the French Government has, however, been again called to the matter, and, as I have already stated, the Tariff Bill has still to be considered by the French Senate.