CHAP. V] TREATY RELATIONS 1117 
ment, either as a plenipotentiary or in a subordinate capacity, 
as the circumstances might require. If, as a result of the 
negotiations, any arrangements were arrived at, they would 
require approval by Her Majesty’s Government and by the 
Colonial Government and also by the Colonial Legislature, 
if they involved legislative action before the ratification could 
take place. This procedure had been in the past adopted, 
and Her Majesty’s Government had no doubt as to its pro- 
priety, as securing at once the strict observance of existing 
international obligations and the preservation of the unity 
of the Empire. The exact mode in which the negotiations 
have been conducted was varied slightly in 1907 in the case 
of the negotiation of the French Treaty regarding Canadian 
trade in that year! In the case of the previous Treaty of 
1893, not only was the treaty signed jointly by the Ambassa-~ 
dor and Sir Charles Tupper, but in the negotiation Sir Charles 
Tupper was assisted by Sir Joseph Crowe, who was attached 
to the Paris Embassy. On the other hand, in 1909, Mr. 
Fielding and Mr. Brodeur carried on negotiations directly 
with the responsible French officials, and it was only after 
an agreement had been practically arrived at that full powers 
were issued to the Canadian Ministers together with the Am- 
bassador for the signing of the treaty. There was, however, 
it should be noted, a ground of convenience for the associa- 
tion of Sir Joseph Crowe with Sir Charles Tupper in the earlier 
negotiation. Sir Charles Tupper has told me that he desired 
the aid of an officer who could converse fluently in French, 
and as early as 1884 the Imperial Government were prepared 
to permit Sir Charles Tupper to negotiate directly with the 
Spanish representatives if he had so wished. In both cases, 
before the plenipotentiaries were authorized to sign the 
treaty the conditions laid down were carefully examined 
by the Imperial Government, and the treaty was of course 
subject to ratification by the Imperial Government. 
* The claims of a real change made by the Liberal party in the Canadian 
House of Commons on January 18, 1908, repeated in the Imperial Commons 
on July 21, 1910 (xix. 1456-8), and by Ewart, The Kingdom Papers, pp. 6, 
75, were completely refuted at the time by Mr. Foster, Mr. Borden, and 
Sir C. Tupper; see Debates, 1907-8, pp- 1265, 1384, 3517-22. 
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