Atthe annual general meeting also the Committee was requested to draw up a letter to the British Foreign Secretary, on the sub ject of the Convention for the revision of the 'Treaty of Tientsin, entered into by Sir Rutherford Alcock, which was completed and submitted to a' special general meeting, held on the 3ist of December, 1969, and being approved of, it was transmitted' to Lord Clarendon, through H. M. Consul, and copies were forwarded fo all the Ministers at Peking, to Chambers of Commerce in England and Fran and to many members of the English Parlia ment. Special letters, conveying this document, were addressed to the various Chambers of Commerce, to the French Minister in China, in view of a' possible revision of the French Frosty, and to the Dutch Foreign, Seoretary, the latter at the instance of Mr. Kroes, wi was leaving for Holland, and who informed the Committee that China matters would probably shortly receive the attention of H.N.M. Government. The result of the representations of the merchants in China and London was the abandonment of the Convention, although, in his communication to the Committee of London Merchants, announcing the decision of the Government, Earl Granville, who assumed charge of the Forsign Office on the demise of Lord Clarendon, stated that the Ministers were in favor of ratification. Copies of the Chamber's letter were furnished tv all members, London Committee of China Merchants, The success which has attended the action of the merchants in London, in regard to the Peking Convention, shows the value of an organization at home'to support the interests of the China trade. The want of such a body has been often felt in China, and the Committee addressed the Chairman of the Associa. tion, Mr. Hugh Matheson, on the 16th June, congratulating the London merchants upon the result of their endeavours to obtain ahearing upon the subject of the Convention, for, those engaged in the China trade, and suggesting the continuance of correspondence with this Chamber, with the view to joint action in the future. The Committee are at present without a reply to this communication.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.