The last Annual Report of the Committee was presented to the Meeting of 21st Noveuber, 1873, when the following gentlemen were unanimously re-elected as tle Coumittee for the current year, namely—Messrs, F. B, Johnson, R. 1 Fearon, D. Reid, F, H. Bel M.S. Gubbay, A. Paterson, A. A, Ela June) B. Nisben, LIB, Forbes and J. rat Mr.' Johnson was elected Chairman, and Mr. Fearon Vice-Chairman, Meewrs. F. H. Bell and D. Reid having resigned, on their departure from the port, Messrs. E. H. Lavers and W. Lan, 1g were invited by the Committee to fill the vac Mr. Hay having also left, was suc Mr. Pardon, and on the resi r. Johnson, Mr. Keswick took ace on the Committee 5 was then chosen as El Keawiok aa Vi past have tended to crib ly the Foreign trade wit Phe action of the local offd with respect to Transit action of the Tsuog-lo Yamen as regarde Woosung Bar, are glaring instances of that indifference of the Chinese Government to their own duties, and to the Treaty rights of Foreign merchants, which has been a constant subject of complaint. In the case of the Wovsung Bar, your Committee have pleasure in reourding te recent effurte of His Excel-louey Wade, and of his coll to bring the Imperial Government to a sense of the urgent necessity for some immediate spite of all th haa passed, the highest Nati Authorities should have declined to move in the matter, on the ground that the Woosung Bar is a natural and heaven-sent defence to Shanghai, are deplorable facts which need little comment.
It is improbable, however, that such an excuse for disregarding an obvious and essing duty will be accepted without protest the Foreign Ministers; and, now that political complications with Japan are happily arranged, it may be hoped that the coming year will see some vigorous action inaugurated in the right direction, There is, indeed,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.