§ MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALDsaid, he rose to ask Her Majesty's Government, Whether they can inform the House of the amount claimed by the British Mercantile community at Canton as indemnity for property destroyed; and whether it proposed that the indemnity of two millions of taels 719 fixed by the Treaty of Pekin shall be paid out of the money first received from the Chinese Government?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, the amount of the indemnity for property destroyed amounted to something over £450,000. Upwards of £650,000 had been already received and recovered from the Chinese. With respect to the mode of distribution, there was nothing in the Treaty of Pekin with reference to that demand; but instructions had been given to Mr. Bruce that if he should decide to pay rateably according to the instalments received, Her Majesty's Government would approve of that arrangement; but if he should have made any other arrangement they would not decide on the case until they were in possession of the reasons for the course he might pursue.
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE—650,000 taels, or £650,000?
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELL£666,000 received. It is two millions of taels.