Minutes of a Meeting of Consuls held xt Shanghai on the 23rd day of Dec. 1873.
Present—Messrs, Scun1k, Hiuty, Mepwurst, ViGNALE, SHINAGAWA, SLAGHEK, cand Sewarp.
Letters from Mi Johnson, Godeaux, and Emparanza, indicating their inability to attend the meeting, were laid on the table.
The Senior Consul reported that he had transmitted copies of the printed corres-Voosung Bar, to the several Consule, the pondence, estimates, &ec., in regard to the
Harbor Master, the Municipal Council, and the Chamber of Commerce; and a tracing of Mr. Hjousbery'schart, furnished by the Municipal Council, to the United States Minister at Peking, in whose hands it would be available for the several foreign Representatives and the Government.
"A letter trol.: Mr. Barnes, Agent of tie Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, with an extract from a newspaper of Washington, United States, and chart of the port of Baltimore and its approaches, were placed before the Meeting. "These show that the United States Government has undertaken works there intended to give a depth of water at low water of 24 feet throughout the harbor and the pas-"sages leading to it. These operations extend over a distance of 15 miles, and the present average depth of water is about 18 feet.
Mr. Slaghek placed before the meeting a letter from one of two Netherlands En-inoers who are now employed by the japanese Government for the improvement of the Osaka Bar, and after discussion, upon motion of Me. Medluret, it was agreed that while moving the Supreme Government at Peking in the matter of the Woosung Bar, it seems advisable to enlist the interest of the Provincial authorities, and that as a preliminary nieasure all the plans and statinties now on record shall be Inid before the lott 'A correspondence which has taken place between the Municipal Council, the Consular Body, and Mr, Medhurat, in regard to the wharf now being constructed in front of the French Settlement, was laid before the meeting. It was agreed that a response shall he addressed to the Council Ju answer to the letter of the 22nd instant, setting forth again the unwillingness of the Consular Body to act upon the repro-ions as made in their present shape, ility to take such action to collect information, as the Council seems expect. 7 'A project for the establishment of a Life-Boat Institution was brought forward, and twas determined to postpone the consideration of the subject until the next meeting.
"The Senior Consul reported a correspon~ dence held by him with the Taotai as re—quested by the Inst meeting, in regard to the discharging of umud-ballast into the stream from junks. The Taotai cheerfully undertakes to enforce upon native craft the rule in this respect long operative as against foreign vessels.
Certain other correspondence, having reference to the Lanzah families; the obstruction of a waterway by proposed alterations of a bridge on the Sikawei road; the uso of earth from the river dyke in repairing the Yang-tse-poo road; and the complaint against the Council's night-soil contractors, was placed before the meeting, and approved.
Belgium—E, Morex. Deuwmark—F. B. Jounson.
France—E. Gopeavx. Germany—K. Hnuxx.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.