MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, At the Meeting of the Council held in the Council Room, 17, Kiangse Road, Shanghai, on Monday, the 5th August, 1878, at 9 o'clock a.m.
Present:~Messrs. J, Hart (chairman), R, H, Artindale, G. J. W. Cowie, P. G. Hubbe, E. H. Lavers, E.G, Low, J. H. Wisner, G. Withers, and the Secretary.
The Minutes of the last Meeting are read, confirmed, signed, and passed for publication.
Cash Statement, for the week ending Srd instant, is submitted for inspection, and cheques for sundry accounts are signed.
Coffins in Field near Rifle Butts.—Further correspondence with the Senior Consul is submitted Shanghai, 2st August, 1878.
Srr,—I have again to request that you will bbe good enough to direct the attention of the Chinese authorities to the coffins containing the decomposing bodies of destitute natives about in the field to the west of the Acting Taotai, in his promised that the matter should be enquired into, and arranged at once; and that on th 20th ultimo a dopaty from the Cheb-haien's 'Méllendorff and the Municipal Sect office visited the ground along with Mr. von than stated that instructions would be given to the Topo to have the coffins covered up Since then nothing has been done, and the uisanco complained of remains unabated, I have, therefore, to beg that you will impress upon the authorities the urgent necessity there is for immediate action, By Artiolo XVI of the Revised Land Regulations it is expressly stipulated that no Coffius of Chinese are to be placed within the limits of the Foreign Settlement, or left above ground, and although the field in question may not be actually within the boundaries of Hongkew, it is still situated in sach close proximity to the Settlement that I venture to hope HE. the Acting Taotai will seo the propriety of complying so far with this regulation as to order all the coffins to be placed Under ground at once.
I take this opportunity of enquiring when ther you have had any farther communication from the authorities on the subject of the Markham Road Extension.
Lhave the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, J. Hans, His German Majesty's Consul-General, Senior Consul, Shanghai, 2nd August, 1878.
Sin,—In reply to your letter of yesterday's date, I beg to inform you that according to letters received from the Acting Taotai, the Chinese Burial Ground belongs to the Paushan district, and that the Magistrate of this district has been ordered to arrange the matter with all possible despatch, Enclosing translation of a reply which I have addressed to-day to thie Acting Taotai, Thave the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, His German Majesty's Consul-General, Senior Consut.
Chairman, Municipal Council.
[Copy of Translation.] Shanghai, 2nd August, 1878.
Sur,—I have the honor to acknowledg receipt of your communications dated the 27 and. 25th Joly last regarding the Chinese Burial Ground near the Rifle Batts, and beg to inform you that the Municipal Council have again requested me by a letter dated the 1st inst., to impress upon the Chinese authorities the urgent necessity is for immediate action, T have laid the matter yesterday before the Consular Body. Since the 9th July last, when I first addressed you nothing hasbeen changed on the Bui Weeks may olapee, if the Paushan Magistrate remains entrusted with the arrangement of the matter. The weather being hot, and northerly and westerly winds having set in "petre yesterday, driving the stench right over the Settlements, there is immediate danger for the health of the Shanghai res-ideate, The Consular Body therefore request_you to order yourself at your earliest convenience the coffins to be covered with earth, and not to entrust the Magistrate of Paushan with the arrangement of the matter.
Thave the honor, eto., (Signed) C.'Luxpze, To the Acting Taotai Can, p.p.
Despatch.
Shanghai, 5th August, 1878, setal informs me that to cover with earth Placed in the Burial Ground near atte, and that the Benevolent Society Pau-an-tang, in Shanghai, has been ordered to cover up new 'a8 soon as they reach that ground, have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, His German Majesty's Consul-General, Senior Consul. To J. Harr, Esq Chairman, Municipal Council.
Shanghai, 12th August, 1878, Sir,—I have the honor to ackoowled receipt of your favor of Sth instant, stating that you had been informed by the acting Taotai, that workmen were employed in covering with earth the coffins placed in the Barial Ground near the Rifle Butts, and that the Benevolent Society Pau-an-tang had been ordered to cover up all new coffins 80 soon as they reach the ground.
In reply, I beg to say that the Council feel much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken in order to get the nuisances complained of abated, and at the same time I have to tender their thanks to H.E. the acting Taotai for having complied with their request.
T have the honor to be, Your obedient servant, J. Harr, Chairman. C. Luxper, Esq., His German Majesty's Consul-General, Senior Consul.
Roads.—Widening Foochow Road between Kiangse and Honan Roads.—Read letter from representative of owners of Lot 26, accepting the Council's offer of assessed Value for portion required to widen the Buildings.—Hongkew Police Station Minutes of Works Committee submitted. Decided that at present only the Central Station, Police Cells, Gates, Walls, should be constructed, and that Wo Sung-keo's tender for the same be accepted.
It is further decided that the sum Tls. 24,000; voted, for the Hongkew Polica Station by. the Ratepayers in 1877, be raised by Municipal Debentires, bearm interest of 8 per cent., tenders for wi Markham Road Eztension.—hofollowi to be atvariaed for in the Led spore, letter from the Senior Consul is submit $1e,—Lhave the heonoar toliand yon to tae Shanghai, 3rd August; 1878,
tions of two communications received from the Acting Taotai, dated the 15th and 20th July last, and regarding the extension of the Mark. ham Road. "You will have learned that the Shanghai Chih-hsien in the presence of the puties of the Consular Body and the Munici. pal Council, informed on thie lat July last the topoos concerned, that the landowners were at liberty to sell their land for the purpose of having the road constructed.
The Consular Body authorises mo to add, that they are not prepared to sustain the scheme after the impending investigation, unless you show that, as stated in your letter dated the 8th April, 1878, the landowners are willing to sell the land in question, Thave the honour to be, Siz, Your obedient servant, His German Majesty's Consul-General, Senior Consul, To J, Hann, Es
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.