§ MR. JAMES O'KELLY (Roscommon, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been directed to a Convention signed on behalf of the Russian Government and the Chinese Governor General of Moukden on 12th November, 1900, regulating the occupation of Manchuria by the Russian troops, in which it was provided that the Convention should remain in force until a permanent convention should be signed by the Russian and Chinese authorities, or until both the Governors General agree to change or to abrogate it; and, whether the status quo recognised by the Anglo- Japanese Treaty also recognises this Russo-Chinese Convention as part of existing Treaty rights.
§ * LORD CRANBORNEIt is believed that an Agreement of a temporary nature was concluded in November, 1900, between the Local Russian Authorities and the Tartar General respecting the province of Feng-tien. The Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs informed Her Majesty's Ambassador at St. Petersburg that it was in the nature of a modus vivendi. A temporary Agreement of that kind does not bring in question the international status of Manchuria under public treaties.