§ MR. CROPPERasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he can give the House some information respecting the terms of the contemplated agreement with the Chinese Government in respect to opium, and when he expects to be able to lay the Papers upon the Table of the House; whether, in the Treaty negotiations now pending with China, there is any understanding come to between the two Governments on the subject of Likin; whether, in the Treaty negotiations with China, there is embraced any provision on the subject of taxation on Native opium, direct or indirect; and, whether any of the Clauses of the Chefoo Convention, hitherto unratified by the British Government, are embraced in the new Treaty?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEThe negotiations on this subject are still in progress, and I cannot, therefore, state what the precise result of them will be. Information on the subject will be given to the House as soon as it can properly be made public. The Chinese Government has lately been in circumstances of great difficulty.
§ MR. CROPPERHas the noble Lord any idea when the information will be laid on the Table of the House?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICENo, Sir; I am afraid I cannot say. It depends, not so much on Her Majesty's Government, as on the Government of China.