§ MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)To ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the fact that Shen Chien, a Chinese journalist and member of the Chinese reform party, was recently beaten to death at Peking by order of the Empress Dowager, will the British representative at Shanghai be instructed to decline to surrender to the Chinese authorities the prisoners in the Supao sedition case.
1440 (Answered by Lord Cranborne.) The demand of the Viceroy of Nanking for the surrender of two of the prisoners has been referred to the foreign representatives at Peking, and is now under consideration. I cannot at present give any information as to the decision that will be taken.