§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary of State if he would inform the House by what means it was suggested in any report in his possession that the Canton-Kowloon Railway, 126 miles long, could ever, in the absence of docks at Hong-Kong, the construction of which would cost some millions sterling, successfully compete in goods traffic with the navigable river, 90 miles, which connected Canton with Hong-Kong, and had cost nothing; whether His Majesty's Government intended to co-operate with the promoters of this railway which the Chinese would not use for goods, in forcing China to favour the railway at the expense of her waterways and of her taxpayers; whether the chief British accountant of this railway was now under arrest on a charge of embezzling large sums of Chinese money; and whether, for the sake of British prestige in China, he would institute a public sworn inquiry into the working of this railway project ab initio?
§ Sir E. GREYI have no information which would enable me to answer these questions, and I see no reason why I should interfere.