MR. WHITEasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, When the remaining portion of the China and Japan Consular Reports for the year 1869 will be issued; and if arrangements can be made for their earlier publication; and, when the Consular Reports from Saigon, Batavia, Sarawak, Bangkok, and Manilla will be issued?
§ VISCOUNT ENFIELDThe only China Returns for 1869 which have not yet been published are those from Shanghai and Taiwan, which were received after the close of the Session, in September and December. They are now in the printer's hands. (See "China," No. 12, 1870.) All the Japan Reports and Returns have been published. (See 753 "Japan," No 4, 1870.) The Returns and Report from Bangkok—our only station in Siam—were also presented to Parliament last Session. (See "China," No. 7, 1870.) The reason of the delay in publishing some Reports is that it has been the custom to lay them before Parliament first, and to keep over those which arrive too late to be presented till the next Session. No Consular Reports for the last two years have been received either from Saigon or Batavia; the former is an unpaid post, and at the latter there is a trading Consul, and their communications with the Home Government are not quite so punctual as would be expected from salaried officers. The last Commercial Report from Sarawak was printed in September, 1869, and from Manilla in April, 1870. There has been hardly time to receive last year's Report from the Manilla Consulate.