SUPPLY-ARMY ESTIMATES-Committee-continued. After debate, Amendment proposed, "That Sub-head A of £275,000, in respect of Regimental Pay of Militia, be reduced by £25,000,"-(Mr. Parnell :)-Question proposed, "That the said Item be so reduced: "-Question put:-The Committee divided; Ayes 8, Noes 190; Majority 182.—(Div. List, No. 120.) (5.) Motion made, and Question proposed, "That a sum, not exceeding £47,900, bẹ granted to Her Majesty, to defray the Charge for Yeomanry Cavalry Pay and Allowances, which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the Motion made, and Question proposed, "That a sum, not exceeding £42,000, be granted, &c.,"-(Major O' Beirne :)—After short debate, Question put, and negatived. After further short debate, Original Question put, and agreed to. (6.) Motion made, and Question proposed, "That a sum, not exceeding £512,400, be granted to Her Majesty, to defray the Charge for Volunteer Corps Pay and Allowances, which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the After debate, Question put, and agreed to. Resolutions to be reported To-morrow, at Two of the clock; Committee to Indian Marine Bill [Bill 182]- Order read, for resuming Adjourned Debate on Question [19th May], "That the Bill be now read a second time:"-Question again pro- After short debate, Question put, and agreed to :-Bill read a second time, and committed for To-morrow, at Two of the clock. Inclosure Provisional Order (Maltby Lands) Bill [Bill 31]--- After short debate, Second Reading deferred till Thursday. Salmon Fishery Law Amendment (No. 2) Bill [Bill 188]-- Moved, "That the Bill be now read a second time,"-(Colonel Kingscote) Motion agreed to:-Bill read a second time, and committed for Thursday. Moved, "That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, that She will be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid before this House, Copies of any Memorial presented by or on behalf of the Convict 'Theodoridi : "Of any Correspondence with respect to Theodoridi,' or Memorandum of any repre- sentations made on behalf of the Convict: "And, of usual form, printed or lithographed, sent to the Judge who tried any convict on whose behalf any memorial may have been presented or representation made for After short debate, Motion, by leave, withdrawn. DS, * mission of exploration to Thibet and thence to India, and the appointment of a Commission to regulate the differences between the Colony of Hong Kong and the City of Canton? There are many questions of much importance comprised in the Chefoo Convention; but I shall only Reading call your Lordships' attention to those rs) (76) points that are indicated in my Question. al (77); 7, Amend The Convention was agreed to two years Provisional ago. The first point to which I shall (79). refer are the clauses regulating the imProvisional portation of opium into China. These graphs in clauses, I may explain, provide that the on Provi- opium should be put into bond, and ghton and that when taken out for the purposes of NTION. S. sale it should be subject to a certain tax called the li-kin; the exact conditions of which were to be the subject of agreement. The tax was originally a war tax, imposed in consequence of the Taeping rebellion; but, like our own ON: My Income Tax in England, has since been he noble maintained as an ordinary source of for India, Revenue. Before any final settlement ve been had been arrived at, Sir Thomas Wade, on of Sep- our Minister in China, who had come to e clauses this country, was sent to India, which ium, the country the question mainly affected, in gitimate manner with the trade of Canton. The result, of course, has been a great deal of inconvenience, and sometimes that inconvenience has reached the point of actual mischief and risk. Power was therefore taken under the Convention to appoint a small Commission, composed of persons fully conversant with the details of the question, which, on the one hand, should endeavour to secure a reasonable amount of freedom for the Hong Kong traders, and, on the other hand, should so regulate matters as to prevent illegitimate mischief being done to the Revenue of Canton. The grievances are very strong on each side, and, no doubt, something must be given and taken by each party. I wish to know whether the Commission has been appointed, whether anything has been done in connection with it, and, if so, what? order to confer with the Indian authorities as to what the exact terms of the Convention should be. Sir Thomas Wade, I understand, has now returned to China, and probably he is not only in possession of the opinions of the Indian authorities, but has opened communications with the Chinese Government. I shall be glad to know from the noble Viscount the Secretary of State for India how the matter stands. With regard to the second point in my Question, which relates to a distinct article of the Convention, your Lordships will, no doubt, remember the case of Mr. Margary. It was desired to open up a trade route through Burmah to China, and an expedition - under Colonel Browne, I think-which was sent from India through Burmah with that object, successfully prosecuted its mission up to the borders of China. There it was met by Mr. Margary, Interpreter to the LORD HAMMOND regretted that the Mission at Shanghai. Mr. Margary ratification of the Convention should was murdered on the Frontier, and the have been so long delayed on our partexpedition came to nothing. Negotia- the more so, as British commerce was altions, however, were subsequently en- ready in the enjoyment of benefits which tered into, and powers were taken in this the Convention was intended to secure; Convention to open up a trade route, while the advantages to which the not through Burmah to China, but Chinese considered themselves entitled through China to Thibet-an undertak- had, so far, been steadily withheld. He ing which is interesting, not only in a could not but think that our future commercial, but also in a scientific and relations with China might very much geographical point of view. We have depend upon the manner in which the Consular Agents posted at no great terms of the Convention were treated by distance from the Thibet Frontier; and Her Majesty's Government. one of our Agents, I understand, made well aware that the date at which China an expedition last year towards the should come into the enjoyment of those Thibet Frontier. I shall be glad to know advantages was subject to an understandfrom my noble Friend whether he has ing between Her Hajesty's Government received the Report of that expedition, and other Powers; but that understandand, if so, whether he will lay it upon the ing did not seem yet to have been arrived Table; also, whether the Article of the at; and until the Chinese obtained the Convention relating to this subject has advantages which were held out to them been carried into effect in any way? -namely, facilities for the suppression Both as regards the opium question and of smuggling-he thought they might the Thibet expedition, large trade in- fairly demand that the British should terests are involved; and these interests, withdraw from the ports which had been so long as the Convention remains un- opened to British commerce. The Indian ratified, or is not carried into effect, opium trade with China would not, he necessarily remain more or less in sus- believed, be prejudiced by the ratificapense. I come now to the last point in tion of the Convention; and he would my Question-that relating to the dis- remind those to whom that fact might be putes which have arisen between the a subject of regret that the exclusion of Colony of Hong Kong and the City of Indian opium from China would not, Canton. For some time past the Hong owing to the extended cultivation of Kong traders have been accused of sys- the native poppy, prevent the Chinese tematically violating the laws of China; from smoking opium. It was to be and, on the other hand, Chinese cruisers hoped that the questions respecting prehave been accused of interfering in an ille-vention of smuggling between Hong The Earl of Carnarvon He was |