§ MR. EDWARD MOON (St. Pancras, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether certain land at the Treaty Port of Chefoo, claimed by right of pre-emption, or possession, by British subjects, has been recently occupied by or on behalf of Russian subjects or the Russian Government; and, if so, whether he can give any further details in the matter?
§ MR. JAMES O'KELLY (Roscommon, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether the report that Chefoo has been occupied by the Russians is true; and, if so, whether the Government propose to make any representation on the subject?
SIR ELLIS ASHMEAD-BART-LETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he can communicate the facts regarding the alleged seizure by Russia of territory near Chefoo, which is in occupation of British concessionaires; whether such seizure has been made by or on behalf of the Russian Government; and, what action Her Majesty's Government propose to take?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. GEORGE CURZON, Lancashire, Southport)No information of any occupation by Russia of Chefoo has reached Her Majesty's Government. What has happened is as follows:—According to information received from Her Majesty's Minister at Peking a concession has been granted to a Russian firm at Chefoo by which certain British riparian owners consider their vested rights to have been infringed. The Chinese Government have been warned that they cannot include in such a concession lands or houses belonging to British subjects unless the latter agree to be so included, or accept compensation for the surrender of their rights, and Her Majesty's Minister has informed the Tsungli Yamen that they will be held responsible for all injury to British vested interests.