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17 alone in the same period, and notwithstanding the preferences, our exports fell off £5,000,000. During the whole fifteen years the proportions of exports in our foreign and Imperial trade remained unchanged, and were 77 per cent. for foreign countries and 23 per cent. for the Colonies, including re-exports. More than three-quarters of our trade was thus extra-Imperial; and we are asked to jeopardise this for the sake of one-quarter, most of it in goods which we do not, and cannot, produce. Our exports of British goods in 1905 were as follows:—

It will be seen from this table how preponderating is the share of our British Indian Empire, and how insignificant is the relative position of the various groups of our self-governing Colonies. India, it will be recollected, strongly objects to preferences, because we cannot take nearly all her produce, and to irritate her foreign customers could only cause injury. Our exports to our chief foreign customers in 1905 were as follows:—