§ MR. REES (Montgomery Boroughs)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether four European members of the Chinese Customs service have recently been replaced by Chinese; and, if so, whether these appointments were made with the concurrence of Sir Robert Hart, and fall within the purview of the arrangement to which it is understood the British Government last year consented.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASUEY (Mr. RUNCIMAN,for Sir EDWARD GREY) Dewsbury;The hon. Member is probably referring to the recent appointment of four Chinese
†See (4) Debates, clxxii., 955–6.1411 clerks to the rank of assistant in the Customs service. Three of these are in the Shui-wu Chu, or Revenue Council, at Peking, and the fourth remains at Tsingtan in the German leased territory, where he has been for some time. None of these officials have replaced Europeans, and in any case there is no reason to suppose that the position of Sir Robert Hart with regard to appointments in the Customs is altered.