We have received the following translation of a despatch. intimating the establishment of Free Ferries on the Soochow Creek, and forwarded by the Chihsien to H.'B. M. Officiating Consul, with a request that measures be taken for the due maintenance of order at the Ferries. The document shows that the Chinese consider the present pontage system to have certain abuses, apart from any question as to the position or rights of the Bridge Company.
Yeu, Chih Hsien, makes a communication-'The heads of the office for the establish. ment of Free Ferries, viz:—Y'ang Y'ing-chu, Fang-chi, Heir Jun, Pang Kuo-chung,
chiung, Ssu Long, Liu Kuang-lien and Chin Yang Kuo-t'ai, Chéag' Oh, Ching Ying. Shihjéu have petitioned the Chih Haien to the following effect In former d ro used to be boats stationed at Y'ou-pa (the mouth of the Soochow Creek) and also at the Second Ferry (about the end of the Honan Road) for the convenience of people wanting to cross (the Creek). Now, however, foreign merchants have erected wooden bridges at the ferry at the mouth of the Soochow Creek, and also at Lao cha the end of the Fuhkien Road), This is very convenient, but the men employed to keep the bridges are bad Chinese and make uso of. their power to extort.money. Whenever chairs carried in either wedding or funeral processions, or whenever wheelbarrows or two-wheeled trucks, loaded with goods, are gither coming or gong over, heavy squeeze is always demanded (by these toll collectors, over and above the proper fare) and if ful payment is not made, these men proceed to use bad we and force. The petitioners have with their own eyes soon the doings, and cannot sit. quietly looking Therefore, after due deliberation, they ha stationed four boats at the Second and the Shan-chi -wharf (bottom of Honan and Shanse Roads—two boats at eric place) the whole expenses of which: will be paid by them. och boat oatness two bostinen, and a head man has been engaged to go backwards and forwards and keep everything proper. These boats are to ply from daylight till dark." They are not to carry more than twenty passengers at. one time. Each chair, whether a wedding: or a funeral one (with its bearers) to be considered as equivalent to ten passengers each ordinary chair to. six "passengers each wheelbarrow or two-wheeled truck, when loaded, to four passengers, and when empty, to two. No fare whatever is to be taken.' "The boatmen will receive five thousand cash a piece per mensem, and the overseer will be paid eight thousand cash per mensem. It is decided that these expenses shall be defrayed by the Silk, Ten, and Bankers' Guilds, and the Fou-k'ang four establishments have scribe and pay' over the amount of the said expenses every. month to the petitioners' office for ever. The boats began to ply at the two ferries on the 16th day of the 8th moon (18th. September), but as it is likely that distur-Dances may arise in consequence, whether created by evil-disposed persons living in the neighbourhood or by the men employed by foreigners to keep the Lowza Bridge, the petitioners now pray the Chih Hsien issue a Proclamation enjoining order and they also beg him to obtain 4 similar
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.