§ MR. RICHARD (Merthyr Tydvil)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Joint-Commission, appointed by the Governments of Great Britain and China, in pursuance of Clause 9 of the Additional Article to the Chefoo Agreement, "to inquire into the question of the prevention of smuggling into China from Hong Kong," has arrived at any conclusion; whether it is true that the Chinese Commissioner has made a proposition which is objected to by the British Government; and, whether the Chinese Government possess the right to appoint Consuls to reside in Hong Kong in the enjoyment of rights and privileges such as are enjoyed by British Consuls in the treaty ports in China?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)The Joint Commission is still sitting, and Her Majesty's Government have no report as yet of what has taken place in it. China does not possess the right under existing Treaties to appoint Consuls in any part of Her Majesty's Dominions.