§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTI beg to ask the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether he can give the Government any information about the present relations between China and Japan?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. GREY,) Northumberland, BerwickA Convention between China and Japan dated April 18, 1885, recognised that in case of any disturbance of a grave nature occurring in Corea, the two Powers shall be at liberty to send troops thither for the restoration of order. A rebellion having recently broken out in that country, both Powers sent troops to repress it, and the relations between them having subsequently become critical, Her Majesty's Government, on the 19th instant, telegraphed to Her Majesty's Resident Representatives at Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, and Rome, to invite the Governments to which they were accredited to send instructions to Resident Representatives at Peking and Tokio to co-operate with Her Majesty's Resident Representatives at those places in their endeavours to avert a war. These Governments have now sent instructions to their Resident Representatives accordingly. We have no information as to hostilities having taken place between Japan and China, though it has been reported that shots were exchanged a short time ago between the Japanese troops and some Corean guards.