Minutes of a meeting of the Committee of the Chinese Polytechnic'Institution and Reading Room, held at Mr. Medhyurst's office on Monday, the 3ist August.
Present:—Messrs. Tong King-sing, J. Buyer, Haan (represented by his son}, A. Wylie, Wang Yung-ho and W. H. Medhurst.
Mr. Mepuorst read the minutes of the meeting of 11th June, and, with reference thereto, reported that the institution had at present. to its credit in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Tls. 1,400, which with some subscriptions promised, but not yet collected, might be estimated at an aggregate of Tls. 1,600, so that but Tls. 900 wore yot needed to mako up the capital on which at last meeting it had been suggested that operations might safely be commenced. Various manufacturers of philosophical instruments, apparatus, models, &e., in Europe, had been communicated with by Mr, Fryer, and they might confidently expect favorable replies within the next four weeks, The question which ho would wish to have decided at this meeting was how far it would be expedient to forego the opinion expressed by one of their number at the last -meoting and to commence operations at once, if ever on so emall a se The times had now, from circumstances not before anticipated, become peculiarly favorable for the enterprise; funds were at disposal; Mr. Hsit was prepared to lend some valuable apparatus and to present others to the institution Mr. Fryer had a number of books ready to place at their disposal, and very soon they might look for interesting consignments from Europe of additional material in furthoraneo of their objects.
The Committee all concurred in the opinion that a beginning should be made 5 and it was'arranged that Mr. Wylie and Mr. Medhurst should forthwith place themselves in communication with some of the large house proprietors, with a view to Bie rental, somewhere inthe vicinity of the recuring a suitable building at a reasoua-
Foochow or Canton Road.
'A conversation ensued as to the possibility of procuring subscriptions from the Chinese middle class Mr. Mepuorst said he had mad tempts to secure the interest of natives in Merchants; shopkeepers, &e., but, although the position of bankers, pawnbrokers, one and all of those applied to liked the scheme, yet they seemed cither frightened cly the large sums which appeared in the Fist againatofcfal names, or they appeared to hesitate to give until they observed some Tikelihood of a positive carrying out of the project.
Mr. Toxo Krxo-sto and the other Chinese members thought this class of natives might easily be brought to subscribe in time, more especially if they saw the institution once fairly launched; and Mr. Tong King-sing asked once more to be put in possession of the list, undertaking to circulate it amongst his particular circle, Mx, Mepacrst mentioned that Mr. Hsi had memorialised the high provincial authorities, strongly recommending the pro might have the effect of assuring men's minds and inclining them to come more readily forward.
Mr. Waxa Yuno-o enquired the date of the letter addressed to the Committee appointed in England to promote the Railway Presentation Scheme, and begged to be shown a copy of it, The letter was produced, and shewed the date of May 2nd, 1874.
Tt was thought that a minute of the proceedings of to-day should be published in the foreign and native newspapers for the information of the subscribers, and this having been agreed to, the meeting separated.
W. H. Mepavnsr.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.