§ MR. EDWARD MOON (St. Pancras, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary for State for Foreign Affairs, whether his attention has been called to the statement that His Excellency Li Hung Chang admits that a Russian railway will be built through Manchuria; and whether the Foreign Office has now any information as to when this railway will be commenced, what will be its course, and upon what terms, as between the Russian and Chinese Governments, it will be constructed, worked, and controlled?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, (Mr. GEORGE CURZON,) Lancashire,1677 Southport We have no information of the alleged statement of Li Hung Chang other than what has appeared in the newspapers; nor, therefore can I say anything as the terms on which such a railway would be constructed or the course it would follow.
§ MR. MOONasked if the right hon. Gentleman would make inquiries as to the latter part of the Question.
§ MR. CURZONNo, Sir. Until we have information that the railway is going to be constructed we cannot make inquiries as to the course it will take.