Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-04-08
THE WEST INDIAN TREATY.
Correspondence Between Our Govern.
ment And Great Britain.

correspondence Between Our Govern
ment And Great Britain.
LONDON, April THE foreign Office has
published the correspondence respecting the
negotiation for a treaty between the United
States and Great Britain in regard to reel
procity of trade with the British West In
dies. On October %, 1884, Lord Granville,
British minister of foreign affairs, directed
Minister West to propose to the American
Secretary of State the following basis for
treaty: The British West Indian colonies to
abolish their duties the following articles
coming from the United States: Bread,
biscuits, butter, cheese, corn meats of all
kinds, -four, lard, lumber, kerosene, oil meal
and oil cake; and some of the colonies to also
abolish the duties hams, meats, shocks
and slaves, the United States in return
therefor to reduce the duty on sugar coming
from these colonies at least so per cent. On
November 30 Minister West informed
Lord Granville that the United
States desired wider basis for
the treaty and that they also stipulated that
the advantages proposed to be conferred upon
the United States should not also be cenced
ed gratis to third parties under ''the most
favored nation" clause of treaties. On De-
Granville draft of a counter treaty proposed
by Mr.. Frelinghuysen. This is elaborate
document containing schedules of $50 arti-
cles upon which an abolition of colonial du-
ties was desired, in return for which
concessions the United States would abolish
the duty on all sugars below No. Is Dutch
standard. The exclusion of third parties
from the benefits of colonial concessions is
also insisted upon in this draft an indis-
pensable element in any further negotia-
ton. Included in the correspondence at this
point is estimate by Sir John Lubbock,
NJ. P. for London university, in
which he states that the adop-
ton of Secretary Frelinghuysen's pro-
affected colonies by only 100000 annually,
while the yearly loss to the United States
would be $12, 500, 900. Sir John strongly
urged the acceptance of the Frelinghuysen
draft and this accommodation was concurred
in by Minister West. On February 10, how
ever, Lord Granville directed Mr.. West to
inform the American Secretary of
State that it would be impossible to
accept the proposals made by the
United States. To do so would be to adj
NIT principle which would revolutionize
the continental stipulations as to commerce
among all nations. 1t would render the ia
vored nation clause "a fruitful cause of dis
pute and would in fact be plain infringe
ment of international law" Lord Granville
infinitely criticised the points raised by Mr..
Frelinghuysen's proposition and in conclu-
sion expresses his regret at being compelled
to reject the draft and his hopefulness
that an agreement satisfactory and beneficial
to both nations will be reached sooner
or later. A copy of this despatch was for
warded by Lord Granville to the colonial
Office with the additional that the conces-
sions offered by the United States were of
less real than apparent value and that the
proposals lacked the essential elements of a
stable agreement