The Annual Meeting of Ratepayers was opened in the Masonic Hall on Monday, Messrs, R. 'T, Rennie, M. Coryell, S. 'A. Viguier, C. P. Blethen, 0. B. Bradford, RB. Mackenzie, J. K, Thorndike, E. Av Reynolds, J. G. Purdon, E. B. Oliver, A Paterson, W. S. Wetmore, R. I. Fearon, Mediurst, R. W. Little, R. {Schlik, J. K. Davis, F. W. Lemarchand, °R. Fergusson, J. Dont, Findlay, E. Gutteres, Dr. Barton, J. S. Robison, -Dr.- Henderson, J. Grosse, S. M. Moses, Ford, T. W. Kingsmill, R. A. Mowat, "BH. -Lavers, F. B. Johnson, J.. Haas, Morel, F. D. Barnes, W. A.. Turn-pull, G. J. Scott, J, Wilson, J. A. Mait; land, Rev. W. Muirhead, D. Reid, H. P. Hanssen, Alfred Dent, F. B. Forbes, W. Kidner, E. Iveson, Rothwell, F. C. Walsh, G. 'J. W. Cowie, W. H. Tapp, Scligmann, J. Sheldon, E. W. Batt, J. Wallace, F. G. White, A. Michie, 0. J. Skeggs,'E. ©. Smith, J. Blain, A. A. Krauss, W. Howie, S. W. Cleave, J. S. Gubbay, J: M._ Vickers, G. A. Myburgh, H. Long, Dr. Johnston, M. Kalb, F. Bell, J. Dow, Geo. Butler, A. A. Hayes, J. Ashton, D. Gilmour, W. Birt, J. Born traeger, Sir Edmund Horaby, J. Thorne, F. Gamwell, A. Burkill, E. Byrne, W.
Chalmers, J" A. Primrose, J. 1. Miller, J. Brand, J. B. Tootal, R. Francis, HA. Jamieson, W. Mitchell, Rev. Thomas, J. F. Twombly, C. L. Grant, Smart, Rev. J. Nelson, J. A. Hawes, Cameron, W. H. Carter, F. H. Balfour, W. Hyslop, G. A: Lindssy, J. Blydenburg, R. E. Wainewright, A. Provand, Weller, W. Long, J. P. Barnes, W. 0. Fitzgerald, W. Brand, F. Carnie, and F, Nissen.
Mr. Dexr proposed and Mr. Feanox seconded, that Mr. Medhurat take the Chair.
The Cuarrwax declared the meeting opened and proposed—That Mr. Souper be appointed Secretary to the meeting.
Mr. Devt proposed and Mr. Paterson seconded—
"That the Report and Accounts of the Conpel forthe Foteizn Community of Shanghai for the year ended Bist March 1873 be approved and passed.
The Cuarmuan put the proposi the meeting.
Mr. Mowar presumed this was the proper time to ask any questions with regard to matters that appeared in the Report, and if s0 he would like to ask one with reference to a statement on page 18. It was there stated, in the report of the Public Works Committee, that Willa' Bridge was proved to be unsound, dilapidated be-ive repair; and the question y did not the Council's Engineer find this out before they arranged to buy it?
Mr. Fearon said they knew the condition of the Bridge all along. He thought it was perfectly patent to everybody, at last meeting, that the state of the Bridge was notoriculy' bed, and it was only estimated at a total value of Tls. 2000.
Mr. Carrer would like to ask the outgoing Council regarding the Works Committee's report as to the Bunding scheme, page 19 of the Report. There was ver little said about it, except that it has had to remain in abeyance, in the English Settlement, owing to the non-assent of the Taotai and of some bund-lot proprietors, If he remembered rightly, at the special meeting held last year, the Council were instructed to goon with the Scheme, and not to enter into correspondence with the bund lot holders or the Taotai. He thought they ought to have some better explanation than the Report gave, Another matter he wished to speak of, was the purchase of new rifles for the Volunteers. would acknowledge that the importa these was a luxury rather than a necessity they had only to took at the scores made at the recent Rifle Meeting to see how accus rate and serviceable the old ones still were, and he believed the expenditure was only to have been made provided the Council had sufficient fands. But on the last page of the Watch Committees' Report it was stated that the cost was to be met by loan. He believed it was not the intention of last Ratepayers' meeting that their cost should be provided for by loan, but out of current revenue, Another question that had created a great deal of dis cussion and correspondence in the news papers, was that with reference to the filling npof the Yangkingpang Creek by the ch authorities. He had looked through the Report carefully, but did not find any mention of it.
There had been articles the daily papers, however, pointing out that the line of the Greek had been arranged b; Sir Rutherford Alcock with the French an English authorities, and ample time had elapsed since the question last came up, to communicate with Sir Rutherford and got his opinion, Why had the Council not done so? Another matter he wished to call the attention of the meeting to, was the correspondence which extended from page 13 to 17 of the Report, between the two Councils, with reference to the Wheelbarrow fax, and here he thought the thanks of the comrannity were due to the Council, inasmuch astheyhadnot published any translation of the French letters, There were many English and Americans, and not a few Germans in this community who did not understand French, "0 that their' feelings would not be shocked by reading the letter of the 21st August. In fact, from internal evidence, he was inclined to think the Chairman of the Council himself did not understand French, or he would not have answered the letter at all, Another point in regard to this matter was that the late arrangement between the French and English Coun-oils ended on the 3ist March, and the Ratepayers wished to know' what was to be dono in future. The Council might have taken some pains to ascertain the truth of the French Council's ussertion, that the chief wheelbarrow trafic went from the City through their Settlement; for himself he was prepared to deny it, and to maintain that the major part of the French traffic went through the English Settlement, but they ought abl' to judge. The French authorities to have statistic on the point, to, be threatened to interdict the circulation of wheelbarrows, from this side, along their roads, but even were the number of wheelbarrows reduced through the taxation placed on them by the French Council, it would be a positive advantage if it lessened their number. The wheelbarrows were chiefly owned by men from a distance, who wished to make a largo profit, without giving any corresponding local "benefit, and the narrowness of the streets caused them to interfere with the regular traffic, a circumstance to which the Council ought to look a little.
Mr. Fearow said the Council did not take the same view as Mr. Carter, of the position of the Bund Scheme. They supsed the Rate Payers hiad approved the jund Scheme only if it could be carried out with the consent of the owners of buud land. Without their consent, they had no power. (Mr. Canter referred to the terms of the Resolution.) If the resolution said 30 its terms were mistaken. The Rate Payers could not instruct the Council to what they had no power to do.
Mr. Dexr said, when the Rate Payors were asked to provide fands to pay for the arms, then would be the time for Mr, Carter's question regarding them.
Mr. F. B. Jounson would not occupy the of the meeting long; but wished to ask one or two questions touching the Report. At the outset, he could not but express regret that this volume had not put in the hands of the Ratepayers eatlior, The Report and Accounts had only come to his hand late on Friday evening, and the former was 80 comprehensive aid in many respects so able a book, thatit was to be regretted more time had not been allowed for its consideration. The figures connected with the accounts were so much involved and mixed up with detail, that it was difficult to ascertain their exact bearing. There were, however, two points of interest on which ho explanation lind been given, on which he would like to ask for it, There appeared to be a deficiency "of Wharfage Dues, under the estimate, of Tls. 15,000. It would be interesting to the Ratepayers to know why they had fallen of to extent, From the Customs'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.