CHAP. V] TREATY RELATIONS 1119
In the case of Belgium and Holland no agreement has
been made by Canada, but on the representations of the two
Governments concessions have been made to them by Order
in Council in 1910, in view of the fact that in both countries
Canadian products receive favourable treatment.
It will be seen that in no case has Canada concluded a
treaty with a foreign power direct ; that in two cases pro-
visional arrangements have been made of an informal
character expressly in contemplation of formal arrangements,
and that even in these cases the approval of His Majesty’s
Government has been obtained, while in one case an agree-
ment for reciprocal legislation was arranged.
Similarly in 1909 Lord Selborne, as Governor of the Trans-
vaal, with the approval of His Majesty’s Government, made
an arrangement with the ex-Governor-General of Mozam-
bique with regard to the recruiting of labour for the Trans-
vaal mines, railway rates, &c.
The principles which must regulate the substance of such
conventions are laid down in the dispatch from Lord Ripon
of June 28, 18951 to which reference has been made above :
no modification has been made in the position since. These
principles reiterated in 19072 are :—
(1) That no foreign power can be offered tariff concessions
which are not at the same time extended to all other powers
entitled in the Dominion to most-favoured-nation treatment.
This is provided for by law in the Constitution Act of New
Zealand? and was formerly so provided in the Constitution
Acts of the Australian Colonies; * and even were this not the
case it is obvious that His Majesty could not properly enter
into an engagement with a foreign power inconsistent with
his obligations to other powers, and before any convention
or treaty can be ratified it is necessary that His Majesty’s
Government should be satisfied that any legislation for
giving effect to the treaty engagements should make full
provision for enabling His Majesty to fulfil his obligations
both to the power immediately concerned and to any other
* Parl. Pap., C. 7824, pp. 16 seq. * Parl. Pap., H. C. 129, 1910.
"15 & 16 Vict, ¢. 72, 5. 61. ¢ 13&14 Viet. 0.59,8.31 ; 36 & 37 Viet. c 22,
09
