Since I have been in office in Shanghai, all the merchants of the Settlement hare received protection and lived in quietude. At present, erroneous reports have been the French intend to he buildings of the ningpo Josshouse), and also intended to build horse roads on the grounds, and thus to interfere with or damage the graves. Theseare the reports of worthless men, who are spreading false rumours to excite the people. The head men of the Sz-ming-kung-so at present petition to have the plans of the roads changed, and a further request has been received from the Taotai and likewise one to the Mun change their previous plans, s0 as not to jure the buildings of the Guild or to disturb the graves in the cemetery. They are not only not to construct a road, but they are to desire the head men of the ig-kung-so to erect a wall round the limits of their property. to define the boundaries, and thus avoid future misunderstanding 'The foregoing proclamation was about to be issued when, unexpectedly, a lot of foolish people, not' waiting for a reply to their representations, daringly assembled together and created disturbance. The matter is much to be regretted, and on this account we issue a proclamation ordering all the merchants and people in the Concession that they should live peaceably and attend to their business, and not give ready ear to false reports, which lead to matters to be repented of when too late.
The view taken by the Municipal Council of the Consul-General's instruction (or request), is shown in the minute of a special meeting of the Council of the 4th May.
They unanimously refuse, in view of the excesses of the previous day, to reconsider the question of the roads, till the tendency to riot has disappeared; and justice—by which we suppose is meant compénsation— has been afforded. The Council also ex-pies the opinion that the regrettable occurrences of Sunday might have been easily stayed at the outset, had the Consul-General taken a more energetic attitude, We may ada that not only had no instruction to reconsider and change their previous plan" been received by the Council, at the time his proclamation was issued; but that, even on the following day, no communication on the subject had yot reached them, *We are informed that the Council met on Tuesday afternoon, and addressed to him a dignified remonstrance concerning his silence.
Though there are doubtless many details of interest which might be added, we do not find ourselves in a position to offer much more than are given above, regarding the disturbance itself, On one important matter, viz. the loss of life, we have made many inquiries, but without satisfactory result. Accounts conflict as to who engaged the crowd between 7 o'clock and 8.30, but we are credibly informed that a party of about a dozen French police then drove them back with the bayonet. Certain it is, however, that the mob was then working itself up to the crowning pitch of recklessness. Men were rushing about with lighted wisps of straw, and some foreigners, the English police included, who were regarded as neutral in the affair, were warned away, The mob deliberated for some time whether the house which Miss Maclean had occupied should be included in the conflagration, and once resolved to spare it, but afterwards set it on fire, A party of irregular volunteers, it is stated, fired into the crowd and charged them with the bayonet. Some of these men had received arms from the Municipality; but there were others, we are told, who were acting with private weapons and in too independent amanner, That the mob required a severe check by force of arms, there is no doubt but the check should have been offered by an organised body, and not by individual tion which is likely rather to irritate than to subdue, And we are sorry to have to report what we conceive to have been, in some instances, judging from the appearance of the bodies, an unnecessary amount of violence. One informant says he saw aman shot; after he fell he endeavoured to escape, upon which his assailant ran up and hewed him down with cutlass, Another reports that he saw a man fire deliberately at some one standing quietly by the edge of the crowd. A third gentleman, who assisted some of the wounded to Dr, Johnston's Chinese
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.