THE OTTAWA CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9163, 22 July 1895, Page 5

THE OTTAWA CONFERENCE.

LORD RIPON'S COMMENTS.

Presß Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. London, July 20. The Marquis of Ripon, the late Secretary for the Colonies, writing to the Governors of Canada, the several Australian colonies, and the Cape, on June 23th, regarding the Earl of Jersey's report, comments on the recommendation of the Ottawa Conference respecting differential duties between the products of the Mother Country and the colonies. He condemns the proposal, and considers the results would be of no benefit to the Empire and likely to provoke foreigners to retaliate. It would, he thinks, have an effect on wages and increase direct taxation in the colonies. Altogether, he throws cold water on the idea. As to intercolonial Customs, he fears that one colony would seek advantages which could only be gained to the prejudice of other parts of the Empire. He condemns the extension of the Customs Union to Africa, and says that though the Government passed the Australasian Duties Act this year, they would require the submission in future of any Bill imposing differential duties for the Crown's approval.-. Commenting on the second resolution, he declares that Belgium refuses to permit the repeal of article 15 of the Treaty, and Germany refuses to repeal article 7 of the Zollverein. The Government do not consider the advantages to be derived from permitting the United Kingdom to enjoy preferential treatment in the British Colonies is sufficient to outweigh the disadvantages to the Empire of the renunciation of the entire Belgian and Zollverein treaties. Lord Ripon adds that the demands of the colonies, such as those made by the Cape, Canada, and New Zealand, as to negotiations with foreign countries, must be made through the Home Government, and all concessions by any foreign country must be extended to the British Empire.