22017
4
No. 5.
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received June 19, 1906.)
(Confidential.)
*་
The Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, and, by direction of the Secretary of State, transmits herewith copy of the under-mentioned paper for consideration. Foreign Office,
June 12, 1906.
5
of the 7th instant,* enclosing a copy of a resolution passed by the Westmoreland Sugar Planters Association, Jamaica, on the subject of the Brussels Sugar Con-
vention.
2. In reply, I am to request you to inform the West India Committee that your letter has been laid before Lord Elgin, and has received his careful attention, but that his Lordship is not at present in a position to state what course will be taken by His Majesty's Government in regard to the Brussels Convention.
24423
No. 7.
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
DESCRIPTION OF ENCLOSURE.
Name and Date,
Subject.
Sugar Commission.
Sir H. G. Bergne, May 16
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received July 7, 1906.)
The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and, by direction of the Secretary of State, transmits herewith copy of the under-mentioned paper.
(Confidential.)
SIR,
Enclosure in No. 5.
Sir H. BERGNE to Sir EDWARD GREY. (Received June 2.)
Brussels, May 16, 1906. BEFORE the meeting of the Commission on the 14th instant, I had the opportunity of having a private conversation with the President, M. Capelle, upon matters connected with the Sugar Convention. He wished particularly to impress upon me how desirable the Belgian Government considered it to be that His Majesty's Government should recognize that the Permanent Commission had endeavoured by all possible means to meet the wishes of Great Britain, and to refrain from any decisions which might seem to be inconvenient in regard to British interests. He hoped that the good-will thus manifested, and the certainty that the Commission would continue to be animated by the same spirit, might induce the British Government to prolong the existence of the Convention. If, however, which he sincerely trusted might not be the case, when the time approached at which notice of denunciation of the Convention could be given, His Majesty's Govern- ment did not feel themselves in a position to continue the Convention in its present form, he earnestly hoped that an endeavour might be made to come to some general understanding of a nature to conciliate the interests of the various countries which are parties to the Convention, rather than that a simple denunciation on the part of His Majesty's Government should be made without any previous attempt to come to some mutually satisfactory arrangement. He said that in case His Majesty's Government should desire next year to make any effort in this direction they could count upon the cordial co-operation of the Belgian Government in any preliminary inquiries which they might possibly desire to make.
I said that I was not in a position to say, nor did I in fact know, what course His Majesty's Government might decide to adopt in the circumstances, but I promised to report what he said to my Government.
20437
No. 6.
I have, &c.,
H. G. BERGNE.
Foreign Office,
July 6, 1906.
DESCRIPTION OF ENCLOSURE.
Name and Date.
Subject.
Sugar Commission.
Board of Trade, June 27
SIR,
(C. 3799.)
Enclosure in No. 7.
Board of Trade (Commercial Department),
7, Whitehall Gardens, London, S. W., June 27, 1906. I AM directed by the Board of Trade to advert to your letter of the 12th instant (No. 19063) forwarding print of a despatch from Sir H. Bergne reporting a con- versation between himself and Monsieur Capelle, in which the latter expressed the hope that should His Majesty's Government not feel themselves in a position to remain parties to the Brussels Sugar Convention in its present form, an endeavour might at least be made prior to denunciation of the Convention to come to some general understanding of a nature to conciliate the interests of the various countries concerned.
The Board are not aware whether Sir E. Grey thinks it necessary at this stage to address any communication on this subject to the Belgian Government. But, should such a course be thought desirable, they would suggest, for his consideration, that the communication should be to the effect that His Majesty's Government have not yet considered the question of the renewal of the Convention.
The Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office.
I have, &c.,
H. LLEWELLYN SMITH.
SIR,
COLONIAL OFFICE to THE WEST INDIA COMMITTEE.
Downing Street, June 21, 1906.
I AM directed by the Earl of Elgin to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
• No. 4.
↑ See No. 5,
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
ERIC.O.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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