§ MR. ASCROFTI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give any information as to the number of British gunboats now stationed near Samshiri; and, whether the statement of Acting-Consul Fox, which was received at the Foreign Office on 10th April, that cases of piracy in the neighbourhood of Samshiri were unpleasantly frequent during the last months of 1898, that attacks had been made on two steamers flying the British flag, that the provincial authorities wore either unable or unwilling to put a stop to such a state of affairs, that the outrages were perpetrated in broad daylight often within sight of the guard stations, and that in hardly one instance had the offenders been captured, had received the attention of Her Majesty's Government; and, if so, whethes any representation has been made to the Chinese Government; and, whether he can give any information as to the results of same.
§ MR. BRODRICKHer Majesty's Government have had under consideration the increase of piracy in Chinese waters in the neighbourhood of Hong Kong and in the West River, and strong representations have been made to the Chinese Government on the subject. The correspondence has been forwarded by the Admiralty to the Commander-in-Chief on the China Station. The gunboat "Sand-piper" is at present stationed in the West River.