THE FRENCH, ENGLISH COMMERCIAL TREATY.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 155, 24 August 1881, Page 3

THE FRENCH, ENGLISH COMMERCIAL TREATY.

LONDON, Tuesday. In the. House of. Commons, last night a question was put to the Un-der-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with, the object of ascertaining the present position of relations ' between Eoglaod and France m ye- , gard to their commercial treaty. In reply, Sir Charles Dilko announced that France had now declined to ag -cc to the prolongation of the exisi'Og treaties for, a farther period of tb«'ee months, a.nd, inconsequence of this refusal, a com munieai ion had been scot to the French Government st3t : og thatEpg l a!id must decline to consent to the resumption of the vegotiaLlons foe a new treaty, which we r e temporarily suspended m June last. ' It has trar»spv'ed s'vca then that the Freoch. G-overanieut has sent an offic'a,! note to the British. Government in/eply to the latte^'s . commuoii :'.t : on announcingthat England 'declined to resume the negotiations for a commercial treaty, m consequence of the refusal of Fi'auce to ag^'ee to the tempovacy prolongation of the present treaties. The French. Government expiaios that its refusal is duo to the fact that it is thougo c that tbe propo :v's to prolong i')e existing t"en Jci a"'c cont''n^y to taw. At the same 1 ime a hope is expressed that it may yet be found possible to overcome the obsctcles which, have arisen.