in that lote, but apparently to adopt the
arguments and language employed therein. In the
circumstances, however, it is now incumbent
upon His Majesty's Government to state in detail
their attitude as to the incident in question.
3. In order that the circumstances of
the oase may be properly appreciated it is
necessary in the first instance to rcoall the
faotu as to the rearudesoolide in recent yeaIS
of pir ay off the coasts of China.
prevalence of piracy in those wates and
the noosasity for suppressing it were recog-
nised in the Treaty of Tientsin of 1860,
Article 55 of which provided that "in con-
"sideration of the injury sustained by native
"and foreign commerce from the prevalence of
*piracy in the seas of China, the High Contract-
"ing Parties agree to concert measures for its
"suppression".
After the conclusion of thie
treaty Anglo-ühinese co-operation ia the sup❤
pression of piracy was regularly maintained,
and, thanks no doubt in part to that co-opera-
tion, the operations of the Chinese pirates
J2