§ MR. AKROYDsaid, he would beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he is aware of the strong objections raised by the China merchants, both in China and in this Country, to the terms of the Supplementary Convention to the Treaty of Tien-Tsin, negotiated by Sir Rutherford Alcock, Her Majesty's Ambassador in China; and whether or not the Government will delay the ratification of that Convention until the opinions of British merchants engaged in the trade have been fully ascertained?
MR. OTWAY, in reply, said, Her Majesty's Government were anxious to learn the opinions of the Chinese merchants, both in this country and in China, on so important a matter as the supplementary Convention to the Treaty of Tien-tsin. One of the articles of the Convention provided for its ratification at Pekin; and therefore the Government would have an opportunity of learning the opinions of the merchants before the ratification occurred.