Much as we dislike Dictatorships, we must admit that Portugal
has lately been better governed than for a long while by General Camorna, who is no tyrant. But we have one grievance against our ancient ally, and when His Majesty's Government can attend to such things we hope that they will take a yet stronger line than they have hitherto over the discrimination exercised in Portugal against the British and other flags. Our traders are very weary of it. Promises have been exacted that our ships shall not have to pay higher harbour and port dues than do Portuguese ships, but no steps have been taken at Lisbon to stop the practice of remitting 'a sub- stantial proportion of the duties on goods carried to Portuguese ports in Portuguese vessels. Shippers are thus driven to use those ships for at any rate the last stage of the carrying of goods for Portugal. The whole trade suffers from delays and our shipping trade loses freights. Indians too have threatened that under Swaraj they will aim at similar results, but this is against the spirit of the modern world, throughout which discrimination has been steadily disappearing. We have granted the fullest and freest equality of access for Portuguese vessels to all our ports and have no desire to retaliate upon our old friends. But our present commercial Treaty will not much longer stand this one-sided condition of things.
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