§ MR. KINNAIRDsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is proposed to take any steps to remedy the evils arising from the Consular Courts in China being the only accessible Courts for the trial of Civil and Criminal as well as the ordinary Police cases; the Consuls not being lawyers by education, and the amount of business having become very large?
§ MR. LAYARD,in reply, said, measures were in progress for establishing a Consular Court at Shanghai, and to that Consular Court an Assistant Judge and Secretary would be appointed. All the Provincial Consular Courts would be under the jurisdiction of the Court at Shanghai, and, in case of necessity, the Judge would have the power of going on circuit, and appeals would lie from the Provincial Courts to the Court at Shanghai, and thence to the Privy Council.