§ LORD CONNEMARAMy Lords, I beg to give notice that on Friday I propose to ask the Prime Minister whether an agreement had been concluded by Sir Claude MacDonald with the Chinese Government for the extension of the 9 boundaries of Hong-kong, so as to afford means of better protection to that colony; whether any reply has been received to the dispatch of Lord Salisbury of April 4th, 1898, with respect to the desire of the Chinese Government to reform their military and naval power; and whether any reply has been received by Her Majesty's Government to the inquiry addressed by telegraph to Sir Claude MacDonald with respect to the concession given some time ago to a Belgian syndicate for the construction of a line from Pekin to the Yang-tsze valley.