§ MR. YERBURGHI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that it is customary in the China trade for our merchants to make contracts, more especially for cotton goods, for forward delivery, extending in some cases over some months; and whether exemption from the increased import duty will be granted to merchandise under such contracts as were made prior to the acceptance by His Majesty's Government of the five per cent. effective tariff.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Viscount CRANBORNE, Rochester)We understand that the arrangement which the foreign representatives at Peking have decided to propose to the Chinese Plenipotentiaries provides that the enforcement of the five per cent. tariff shall not take effect until two months after the signature of the protocol, and that merchandise which has started on the way out within ten days after the date of signature will be exempted from payment of the new duties. If it should appear that cases of hardship arise under this arrangement His Majesty's Government will consider whether some further arrangement can be obtained for treating such cases on their merits.