Report of Society's Meetings. 223 
upon the basis of Mr. West's proposition of 1884. 
General Foster strongly pressed this, but I pointed out 
that it was impossible. Things were entirely changed. 
In 1884 the colonies expected a great advantage and 
were prepared to make considerable sacrifices of revenue. 
Now, they would only be placed upon the same footing 
as every other sugar producing country in the world. 
The reciprocity clause of the present Tariff A61 applies 
to countries producing and exporting sugar, etc., to the 
United States. There is no limitation as to the coun- 
tries. In 1884, as shown by the despatches presented 
to Parliament, the negotiations were confined by the 
United States to " its neighbours of the American Con- 
tinent." It is, indeed, abundantly clear that the United 
States Government had no intention in 1884 of granting 
the advantages of the free admission of sugar either to 
European countries or to the colonies of those countries 
in the East. Such a limitation as was proposed in 1884 
would have involved the exclusion from such reciprocity 
agreements of more than two-thirds of the known sugar 
production of the world. General Foster, after much dis- 
cussion, agreed to consider the Schedules of items afresh. 
Thus a most important point was gained and the success 
of the negotiations became possible. Another concession 
was also granted which might have proved of some con- 
sequence to British Guiana. This was, that in case the 
negotiations failed, the reciprocity clause would not be 
enforced before the 1st February, 1892. 
The detailed consideration of the new Schedules was 
then entered upon. The case of the United States 
against the Tariffs generally may be illustrated by 
General Foster's contention with regard to British 
