§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true that the town of Soochow in China has been taken from the Taepings by help of Her Majesty's officers employed by the Imperialists with the sanction of Her Majesty's Government; whether, also, the Imperialists were aided by supplies from Her Majesty's arsenals; and whether the town thus taken was delivered over to pillage and massacre by the Imperialist troops, notwithstanding the protest and contrary to the pledge of the British officer in command; and, if so, whether any and what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to withdraw their assistance to the Pekin Government?
§ MR. LAYARDsaid, he was unable to give the hon. Member a very definite answer to his question. Her Majesty's Government had received information that the town of Soochow had been taken, and that an act of great treachery had been committed, but of the exact nature and extent of that act he was unable to inform his hon. Friend, as the only account he had seen of it was in the public newspapers. From the latest advices received from Shanghai, General Brown, who was about to leave that place for Hong Kong, had delayed his departure in order to make full inquiries into what had taken place at Soochow, and he hoped soon to receive such information as would enable him to give a complete answer to his hon. Friend's question. In the absence of definite information, of course Her Majesty's Government 216 were unable to state what steps it might be necessary for them to take.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, he would remind the hon. Gentleman that he had not answered the latter part of his question, Whether the town was taken by the assistance of British officers and supplies from Her Majesty's arsenals?
§ MR. LAYARDsaid, that inquiries were about to be made into the circumstances. Of course it was well known to the House that Major Gordon, an officer in Her Majesty's service, had received permission to take service with the Imperial Government of China. With regard to the supplies, he was unable to answer that part of the question.