239
UN
PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
C.O. 885
6
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
Printed for the use of the Colonial Office.
Miscellaneous,
No. 101.
OTTAWA CONFERENCE, 1894.
Despatch to the Governor-General of Canada, the Governors of the Australasian Colonies (except Western Australia), and Governor of the Cape.
Downing Street,
the
June 28, 1895.
In my despatch of even date, I commu- nicated to you an expression of the views of Her Majesty's Government on the Resolutions passed
by the Colonial Conference at Ottawa in regard to the trade relations of the Empire.
2. In the course of the discussions there, a ques- tion of considerable importance was more than once alluded to, namely, the question of commercial agree- ments between Her Majesty's Government and foreign Powers in regard to their trade with the Colonies.
Such Conventions have already been made on more than one occasion in regard to the trade of Her Majesty's Dominions in North America with the United States of America, and recently with the Government of France in regard to the trade between that country and Canada; and the Cape Colony has also entered into a Customs Union with the neighbouring Independent Republic, the Orange Free State.
3. Although the area within which such agree- ments are possible is now but limited, owing to the network of commercial Treaties by which the nations
are bound together, there are still sonie Powers, such as France, with which agreements of the kind could be made, either because no commercial Treaty exists between them and this country, or because some of the Colonies have not adhered to the existing Treaty. It appears desirable, now that the same liberty of tariff legislation has been accorded to the Australian Colonies as has been enjoyed by Canada, the Cape Colony, and New Zealand, and
87113.
150.-7/95. G 1. Wt. 8921. E. & S.
A