§ MR. LIDDELLasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any communications have passed between the Foreign Office and Her Majesty's Representative in China, relative to the permission said to have been given by the Chinese Government to its subjects to own 540 Foreign Vessels and sail them under the Chinese Flag; and, whether, with a view of affording protection to the crews and cargoes of such vessels, Her Majesty's Government anticipate the necessity of any increase of our Naval Forces in Chinese waters, or whether the protection of its Flag will be left exclusively to the Chinese Government, and all risks attending such trade, coasting or otherwise, left to be borne by such Chinese owners?
§ MR. LAYARDsaid, there had been a report to the above effect in the public papers, but the Government had received no information on the subject either from the British Consul at Shanghai or from Her Majesty's Minister at Pekin.