Consul, in the chair; Messrs. A.J. Johnston, Ford, and Bowen, by invitation.
The Chairman asked of what members the meeting ought to consist, and was referred by Mr. Johnston to the minutes of the meeting held on the 28th September 1870, and also to clause 1 of the scheme for conducting the Sailors' Home which was adopted at that meeting, from which it would be seen that the Working Committee consisted of H. B. M Consul, the Secretary of the Municipal Council,' two Merchants to represent. the Shareholders, and the Secretary of the Home. Mr. F.
Johnson and Mr. A. A. Hayes had been chosen to represent the Shareholders, but both these gentlemen were at present away from Shanghai; and, as it was necessary that something should be done in the way of holding a meeting before Mr. Bowen took over charge of the Home, the present members of the Committee were perfectly competent to decide on all matters which it might be desirable to discuss before that event took place. The first thing to be done, however, was to appoint some person to act, as Secretary, to the Sailors ome, in conformity with clause 14 of the scheme adopted in September last.
The Chairman asked whether there had been any applications for the post, and Mr. Johnston replied that he did not think there had been any, but he understood that Mr. Ford would undertake the duties.
Mr. Ford said he was willing to accept the post provided it was given to him for the whole year of Mr. Bowen's superintendency, should he remain in Shanghai for that period.
The Chairman said that of course was an understood thing, and proposed that Mr. Ford should be appointed Secretary to the Sailors' Home for the period of one year from the 15th May 1871, which pro-Position was assented to by Mr. Johnston.
Mr. Johnston then stated that Mr. Bowen had brought to his notice the impossibility of carrying on the Institution according to the scheme drawn up by Mr. Tapp last September, owing to the anlooked for change in the shipping business of the Port, consequent on the substitution of steamers for sailing vessels, arising from the opening of the Suez Canal." That scheme had been based upon the supposition that there would be at least an average of forty men in the Home, whereas for the last few months there had been under twenty on an average. It was clear that scheme required some slight modification, such as would meet the present. position without trenching on the general basis previously agreed on, and he had gone carefully through it, and had made some alterations which he would now lay before the' meeting with a view to their being adopted. These alterations were simply points of detail.
In the first six clauses of the Constitu-"tion of Sailors' Home" he saw nothing that required Alteration, but he thought that to the seventh an addition should be made to the effect that three months notice (before the termination of the year) should be given on either side. Such a protective clause seemed essential, as it would guard against the Shareholders being suddenly thrown over at the end of the stipulated year, when they might find it difficult to procure another Superintendent at 2 moment's notice, and he conceived it due to Mr. Bowen that he should have due notice as to the Committee's intention.
With regard to clause 8, he thought that it should be left to Mr. Bowen's discretion to make arrangements for the supply of food &e. Mr. Bowen had told him that he could get a contract to supply everything for a year at a very moderate rate, much more so indeed than could be got by inviting tenders for six months' contracts. There was no advantage that he could see to be gained from semi-annual contracts.
As to clause 9, Mr, Bowen had already furnished him with a schedule or memo-random of the repairs required, and it was his intention to go with Mr. 'Oliver, the Engineer to the Council, and vi mises, with a view to deciding the alterations that Mr. Bowen enumerate ed were actually necessary, and the memo-random could then be forwarded to the Shareholders' Committee, to effect the repairs &e., which they undertook by their agreement with Mr. Bowen to effect.
Next as to clause 10. Tt starts with demanding a detailed schedule of approzimate monthly expenses, and then stipulates that no alteration be made in such schedule. This of course was, on the face of it, absurd, as many circumstances might arise to cause alterations in a schedule which was merely approximate, and consequently this clause was virtually of no effect. Now, circumstances had arisen under which it was impossible to abide fully by the schedule drawn up in September. He would therefore suggest that the clause should simply read as follows:—That an amended schedule or estimate of the approximate monthly -expenses &c., be furnished for the information of the Working Committee.
Clause 11 required no alteration, but he thought that the last paragraph of clause 12 should read:—That the Superintendent be held responsible for the order and regularity of his employés—as it was out of the question that every petty trouble that arose between the Superintendent and his European employes should be investigated by the Committee. Such a course, moreover, would hamper Mr. Bowen in maintaining proper discipline.
Clauses [3, 14 and 15 might stand, As tothe Rules, No. 1 was considered by Mr. Bowen to be calculated to deter men from taking advantage of the Home, as they would be led from its wording to suppose that no less deposit than a month's board and lodging money would be accepted, whereas there were occasions when it was for the interests of the Institution that ales sum should be taken, and besides masters might refuse to discharge men 1n-less they had that amount due. Mr. Bowen had prepared a draft of an amendment which it appeared desirable to adopt.
Rules 2, 3,4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 required no alteration, but he thought that 5, 6 and 8 should be omitted altogether. He was doubtful about the legality of the two former, which read th 5. No person being in debt to the Home shall be allowed to remove any property that he may have deposited therein. The Superintendent shall have power to sell such property, after the lapse of a reasonadle period, in liquidation of the debt.
Property left in the Home and unclaimed will be sold after the expiration of ayeer and the proceeds shall be forfeited to the institution.
The disposal of property was, he thought, question for the Courts of the various nationalities to decide upon.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.