The second monthly rifle competition of roptitious taking possession' of Chinese Go-office by the Taotai. In this connection land, and should be clearly I desire to remark that I consider the examined into and punished, On a former title Deeds for land held by foreigners occasion an English merchant, Li-na-sz, are simply leases or grants from the Imsurreptitiously filled up (a, part of) the Fiver's bulk which was property belong: rial Government, and I know of no clause in them whereby any rights are reserved or ing to the Government, to make land, abridged, which would be enjoyed by a Chiand the case was tried by the English nese holder, who I understand enjoys the judge, whose decision is on record. As to right to the alluvial deposit of the riv the (shallows or) banks of the Soochow creek, "This deposit is esteemed both in your honor-in its whole length, both within and outside able country, and in mine, to bea natural of its mouth, they all are Chinese Government result, consequent upon the situation property, and as the Municipal Council have of the land ea fronting the stream. The never taken out a lease, how can they on their p inciple seems to obtain near the junk No. 2 Company, 8.V.C., was' commenced on Saturday last and terminated on Monday. There were 21 entrants, 16 of whom put in an appearance at the range. The shooting was fair, betokening a piotty general improvement and evidencing the tial It would be well to seo the value of these "little goes" in that casen-
example set by Captain Harvie's Company more frequently followed throughout the corps. In the competition under notice, Private Bowman, the winner in the first competition, had to yield the palm to several own authority raise up a bund? They also should be enjoined to stop, and cannot be allowed irregularly and at their own will to take possession and fill up, In addition to souding a dispatch to the English Consul requesting him to issue prohibitory injunctions, ib in exceedingly proper to address ti patch to you, the Honorable Viee-Consal-general, requesting you to give attention to the subject and travemit instructions to the Municipal Council, enjoining them not to take unauthorized possession of a riv bank, the property of the Chinese Govern-mont, and {ill it up, thereby rendering themselves liable to prosecution. An important dispatch, addressed to' the United States Vice-Consul-General, &0.; Mr, Bradford, dated Kwang-ssu 3rd year, 4th moon 25th day, 7th June, 1877.
D. Brrnunz McCanrzs, Acting Interpreter.
U.S, Consulate-General, Shanghai, 21st June, 1877, 'Mr, Braprorv, Vice-Coneul' General, to H.E.
Hey, Taotai, Shanghai, Srr,—I have had the honor to receive your dispatch of the 25th day of the 4th moon
foreshore of the lot adjoining the 6th), in relation to the filling upon Messrs, Adamson, eptitiously taking posses: rament land" and asking ipal Council be enjoined from bank takin, unauthorized possession of a river's
nor agents of
appropriate to reply' to your fete tly to pear ngth, in order to add to the important question which it raiaes, toud privileges in and to the foreshore of Iau¢a fronting the Soochow held by Mr, Wills, g Tat timber yard, a British subject, under title deeds registered in H. B. M.'s Consulate, The southern, or river boundary of the land is the ' Whang-00 "iver." and the " mouth of the Soochow which, as I understand the Jaw of orable country in this point, clearly the foreshore to attach to the land in for is it not an old established rule that laud on a river's bank follows the course of the stream in ite shiftings, and only the land-holder has the benefit of any accretion, th Tu in point, it is possible ho however paying te the
1 accretion has not been added to the called for in the title deed, but that may easily be done,-and the additional area ascertained for purposes of taxation.
The question of ownership which you raise, has been brought up on several occasions by one or more of your honorable predecessors, and several precedents are on record in this office and in your yamen, and I was hopeful that the principle was clearly established thereby. I will cite one or m Tu 1871 the point came up in respect of Tit Deeds No,'s 268 and 270, and in 1873 in the case of Title Deed No. 246. The Taotai at that time proposed in his view of the case to fix a price per mow for the accretions, but untenable a position was upon examination abandoned by him, he finding that under the law his authority was to ascertain the area of such accretion, for purposes of taxation. In one case, having the report of his deputy, he anchorage at Tun-kah-doo, where I am informed taxes are actually paid by the owners of the front lots, upon-land for several tous of his former score of 28. Privates Thirlby competitors, making only 20 points aguinst feet under water. 'They do this as willingly and A. H. Baker tied with 29, the highest as the foreign renter, who aske that on accrescores reached, and in shooting off they tion be surveyed and added to his title deed. tied again with' centres. At the succeeding Moreover, in a dispatch from the Taotai attempt, Private Baker missed, and his about the 13th September, 1873, he returned, opponent marking another centre, holds after examination, to the Consular Body, a the cup for the present.—Subjoined are lau of the proposed bund line and the scores munding, prepared for the mouth of the Soochow creek. He made one or two suggestions as to the width of the Chan-The plan so modified was submit to the Municipal Council, and in Octobs 1873, Mr. Seward informed the Taotai that the muneil had accepted his amended plan, matter has therefore been fixed long filling in of which yo is ith and the records seem complete, The
the lines defined and the Cc Why should, it then become necessary or expedient to'|pronouuco against a" seitied Lorne made for the public good, or to agitat subject in the discussion of which from your premises, no good result is likely to be obtained? When such matters are brought to your notice by there who are not ful informed, if you will ask information it wil Gorrespondence, always be gladly given you from reliable quarters, and thus much time would saved and useless speculative theories avoided,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.