§ MR. NORMAN (Wolverhampton, S.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the terms of the agreement between Great Britain and Japan, signed on 30th January, he will consider the advisability of taking any steps to effect the restoration of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs House at Newchwang, since 4th August, 1900, administered by Russian authorities under the Russian flag, to the administration of the Chinese Government.
§ LORD CRANBORNEThe Russian Government have stated that their administration of the Newchwang Customs is temporary and provisional, and that they intend to restore them to the Chinese Administration as soon as circumstances permit. We have not the smallest reason to question the good faith of this intimation, and there is therefore no justification for the assumption upon which the hon. Member's Question is apparently founded. I trust the hon. Gentleman and the House will not think me discourteous if I decline, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, to be drawn into any announcement, in connection with the Anglo-Japanese Agreement, as to the action which we may or May not take in order to give effect to it.
§ MR. NORMANMr. Speaker, may I ask whether I should be in order in protesting against this "assumption" with regard to my Question? My Question was a bona fide one asking for information. There was no assumption underlying my Question.