§ MR. HARWOOD (Bolton)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the sum to be exacted from China by the Powers exceeds the expenses to which those Powers have been put, and whether the Government will do its best to secure such arrangements for the payment of that sum as will be least injurious to the trade between this country and China.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIn reply to this; question, I have to say that the sum to 609 be asked by this country from China is based entirely upon the expenses actually incurred. I cannot give any detailed information as to the course taken by other Powers. As to the last part of the hon. Member's question, we have had the consideration present to his mind very much before us in determining the policy we ought to pursue.