§ MR. HERBERT SAMUELI beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether there are any treaties between Great Britain and China under which the assent of the Chinese Government would be necessary before the recruiting of labourers for the Transvaal could be initiated; and, if so, 1324 whether the Chinese Government have yet given their assent to such recruitment.
§ EARL PERCYThe recruitment of labourers in China is governed by the provisions of Article V. of the Treaty of Pekin. His Majesty's Government have been informed by the Chinese Minister that the draft Ordinance contains nothing which is likely to conflict with the proposals he may have to make when the time comes for negotiating the regulations provided for in this Article.