§ MR. ROBERTSONsaid, that in the Overland friend of China, of March 15, 1858, there is an account of the execution of a woman at Canton, with many horrid details; he would beg to ask the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether such executions are by sentence of any tribunal under our official superintendence, and whether these executions are carried into effect with or without foreign official sanction?
MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALDsaid, that his attention had been called to the Act alluded to by the hon. Member—an act which he was sure every one would characterize by the same term which the hon. Member had applied to it. In reply, however, he had to state that he had received no information from Lord Elgin, or any other authority, as to the occurrence in question. With regard to the latter part of the question he thought the very details referred to by the hon. Member would be 2014 sufficient to satisfy the House, that the execution could not have taken place under the sanction or superintendence of any tribunal authorised by this country.