asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If the statements in the public prints relative to the proposed Treaty between the Dominion of Canada and the United States of America were so far correct, that Canadian-built vessels were to be entitled to the advantages of the coasting trade of the United States of America, including the important traffic between the Eastern States and California, while similar advantages were denied to British-built ships?

Sir, the statement in question is not correct, inasmuch as it assumes that the proposal contained in the draft Treaty referred to was to open the coasting trade generally, whereas the provisions in question apply only to the inland waters lying between Canada and the United States, and not to the coasting trade on the seaboard.