PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
14
Nevertheless, the goods produced or manufactured in any of His Britannic Majesty's Colonies, Possessions, and Protectorates shall enjoy in
complete and unconditional most-favoured- nation treatment, so long as such Colony, Possession, or Protecto- rate shall accord to goods the produce or manufacture of treatment as favourable as it gives to the produce or manufacture of any other foreign country."
✡
**
*
"The present Treaty shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be
exchanged at
as soon as possible. It shall come into
[
force immediately upon ratification, and shall be binding during years from the day of its coming into force. In case neither of the Contracting Parties shall have given notice to the other, twelve months before the expiration of the said period of years, of the intention to terminate the present Treaty, it shall remain in force until the expiration of one year from the day on which either of the Contracting Parties shall have denounced it.
[
"As regards, however, the British Colonies, Possessions, and Protectorates which may have adhered to the present Treaty in virtue of Article either of the Contracting Farties shall have the right to terminate it separately at any time on giving twelve months' notice to that effect.
"It is understood that the stipulations of the present and of the preceding Article referring to British Colonies, Possessions, or Protectorates, apply also to the Island of Cyprus."
It would be desirable to learn the views of Premiers as to whether the Article in this form is satisfactory to them.
(c) The most important point in which Commercial Treaties with different countries necessarily differ is undoubtedly in the schedules of Tariff Concessions appended thereto. Many of our Commercial Treaties contain no Tariff schedules, but in several of the more recent negotiations Tariff Concessions have played an important part (e.g., the Greek Agreement of 1904; the Roumanian and Bulgarian Treaties of 1905; the Servian Treaty of 1907, and in certain other negotiations which are still pending). In the course of an actual Tariff negotiation it is frequently impracticable to It has, consult the Colonies officially, since the delay might be fatal. however, been the practice to take previous steps to seek the views of the Colonies which are materially interested in trade with the country with which the negotiation is projected as to the Tariff demands which they would like included in the demands put forward by the British negotiators. For example, codfish was inserted in the Anglo-Greek Agreement at the instance of Newfoundland; tea and jute were dealt with in the Roumanian Treaty in the interest of India.
The preliminary inquiry which is usually made by the Board of Trade as to the effect of any new foreign Tariff on British trade is usually entrusted to the Advisory Committee on Commercial Intelligence, which includes, besides men of commercial experience and Representatives of the Imperial Government, four Representatives of the self-governing Colonies, nominated by the Secretary of State after consultation with the Colonial Governments.
These representatives are-
Canada -
Australia
South Africa
New Zealand
-
Lord Strathcona. Mr. David George.
Mr. Birchenough. Mr. Reeves.
Through these Colonial Representatives on the Commercial Intelligence Committee the effect of foreign Tariffs on Colonial trade can be readily ascertained, and Colonial interests affected can be directly consulted. As, moreover, they are on the spot, their advice can be readily resorted to in the different stages of a Tariff negotiation.
15
It is desired to know how far this method of keeping in touch with Colonial interests meets with the approbation of the Conference, or whether any alternative suggestion can be made.
Confidential.
DRAFT TREATY OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION BETWEEN THE UNITED
KINGDOM AND
His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India, and being desirous of further facilitating and extending the commercial relations already existing between their respective countries, have determined to conclude a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation with this object, and have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say :-
who after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles :-
ARTICLE 1.
There shall be between the territories of the two Contracting Parties reciprocal freedom of commerce and navigation.
The subjects of each of the two Contracting Parties shall have liberty freely to come, with their ships and cargoes, to all places and ports in the territories of the other, to which native subjects are, or may be permitted to come, and shall enjoy the same rights, privileges, liberties, favours, immu- nities, and exemptions in matters of commerce and navigation as are or may be enjoyed by native subjects.
The subjects of each of the Contracting Parties shall not be subject in respect of their persons or property, or in respect of their commerce or industry, to any taxes, whether general or local, or to imposts or obligations of any kind whatever, other or greater than those which are or may be imposed upon native subjects, or subjects or citizens of the most-favoured
nation.
ARTICLE 2.
The Contracting Parties agree that, in all matters relating to commerce, navigation, and industry, any privilege, favour, or immunity which either Contracting Party has actually granted, or may hereafter grant to the subjects or citizens of any other foreign State, shall be extended immediately and unconditionally to the subjects of the other, it being their intention that the commerce, navigation, and industry, of each country shall be placed in all respects on the footing of the most-favoured nation.
ARTICLE 3.
The subjects of each of the Contracting Parties in the territories of the other shall be at full liberty to acquire and possess every description of property, movable and immovable, which the laws of the country permit, or shall permit, the subjects or citizens of any other foreign country to acquire and possess. They may dispose of the same by sale, exchange, gift, marriage, testament, or in any other manner, or acquire the same by inheritance under the same conditions which are or shall be established with regard to native subjects. They shall not be subjected in any of the cases mentioned to any taxes, imposts, or charges of whatever denomination other or higher than those which are or shall be applicable to native subjects.
The subjects of each of the Contracting Parties shall also be permitted, on compliance with the laws of the country, freely to export the proceeds of the sale of their property and their goods in general without being subjected as foreigners to other or higher duties than those to which subjects of the country would be liable under similar circumstances.
B 4