§ MR. O'SHEE (Waterford, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the articles seized I by the British troops in Peking, with a view to restitution after peace is declared, have been removed from the places or palaces where they were seized; and, if so, whether these articles were left untouched by the Russian troops during their prior occupation of the same places or palaces; and, if so, on what grounds the British troops acted differently from the Russian troops.
§ LORD G. HAMILTONThe articles in question have not been seized, as the question implies, but put into safe custody by General Gaselee with a view to restitution to their owners when the war is over. I have no information as to what 1193 has happened to all the other articles which were in the palace when it was first occupied by the Russian troops.