§ COLONEL SYKESsaid, that he wished to state that he was not a friend of any party in China, but that he was a friend of an honest neutrality in China, and he wished to be the friend of the tax-payers of this country. In that sense alone was he connected with the Taepings in China. He understood from his hon. Friend the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs that the whole of his motion for papers would be acceded to, and therefore he would not trespass on the time of the House, further than to observe that the opinion of the House upon the policy of the Government in China would no doubt be influenced by a perusal of those papers.
§ MR. LAYARDsaid, he was much obliged to his hon. and gallant Friend for 713 having confined himself to moving for the papers. There was no objection to give him any information the Foreign Office possessed on the subject. In fact, a large bulk of the papers had already been published; and if the hon. Gentleman looked back to the papers published in 1853, he would find among them the identical despatch of Sir G. Bonham for which he then moved. The only return which the Government were unable to give was the last one moved for by the hon. Gentleman. There were no British subjects in the military employment of the Tartar Government that he knew of; some idle adventurers had attached themselves to the Chinese troops but the Foreign Office had no cognizance of them, and could give no account of their proceedings.
§ MR. KINNAIRDsaid, he thought if his hon. and gallant Friend had proceeded with his speech in support of his Motion, that he should have been able to show him that the movement of the Taepings which he considered so excellent, was not all he had represented it to be.
§ Motion agreed to.
§
Address for,
Copies of the Despatch of Sir George Bonham, K.C.B., dated the 30th day of April 1853, to the Taeping Authorities at Nankin, of the Answer thereto, and of any Correspondence consequent thereon:
Of any Despatches or Letters, subsequent to the above Correspondence, addressed to the Taeping or other insurgent Authorities in China, and of any written Overtures by the Taeping Authorities to the British Agents to enter into friendly and commercial relations with them:
Of Correspondence between Prince Kung and Mr. Bruce respecting modifications of the Treaty of Tien-Tsing, and the establishment of Customs Departments on the Yang-tsze-Kiang:
Of all Communications from the Taeping Chief's on approaching Ningpo and subsequently to the capture of the city, and of Answers thereto:
Of Communications from the Taeping Chiefs now threatening Shanghai, and of Answers and Proclamations consequent thereon:
And, Return of the names of all British Subjects in the employment of the Tartar Government, the nature of their employment, and the amount of Salary or Fees attached to each office or situation.