CHAP. Vv] TREATY RELATIONS 1109
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs agreed that com-
mercial treaties should not be applicable to the responsible-
government Colonies automatically, but that these Colonies
should be given an option of adherence, usually within
a period of two years! The first treaty to contain a Colonial
clause was apparently that with Montenegro of January 21,
1882. The Treaty of 1883 with Italy permitted the respon-
sible-government, Colonies to adhere within one year, the
Treaty of 1888 with Mexico permitted the same Colonies,
including Natal in view of the probable early grant of
responsible government, and fixed the time for adherence
at two years, and the same principle was laid down in the
treaties of 1887 with Honduras and of 1891 with Muskat.?
The right of separate withdrawal was not then asked for,
and it appears first in a Convention of July 15, 1899, with
Uruguay, and in a Proclamation of February 3, 1900, with
Honduras, which enabled Her Majesty’s Government to
terminate the Treaties of 1885 and 1887 with these states
on giving six and twelve months’ notice respectively on behalf
of any British possession which might have adhered to the
original treaties.
At the Colonial Conference of 1902 a resolution was passed
in favour of restricting coastwise trade to those countries
which permitted English ships to engage in coastwise trade,
and in consequence of this Conference declarations were
signed at Athens on November 10, 1904, and May 4, 1905,
enabling the Treaty of 1886 with Greece to be terminated by
a year’s notice in respect of any of the adhering Colonies.
In 1907 the resolutions of 1902 were reaffirmed, the Imperial
Government dissenting in so far as the proposal was intended
bo regard as coasting trade the trade between the Mother
Country and the Dominions. Before the Conference in 1906
Australia gave a preference to British goods imported in
* See Canada Sess. Pap., 1883, No. 89. i
Of. also the Masl Ships Act, 1891 (54 & 55 Viet. c. 31), which con-
templates the agreement of the Colonies to the issue of Orders in Counct
bringing it into force (s. 8); Jenkyns, British Rule and Jurisdiction beyon
the Seas, p. 91. note 2; below, p. 1126.
