Although the presentation of commendatory addresses to officials leaving Shanghai has become rather a fashion of late, and the significancy and value of the compliment have been somewhat reduced; yet in the case of the farewell meeting and address to Mr, Medhurst on Thursday, there was a heartiness and reality of feeling manifest, and a moderation of expression conveying an evident depth of meaning, which proved the occasion to be far from a merely formal or flattering one.
Mr. Medhurst's early training in the Chinese language and long acquaintance with Chinese affairs, as well as actual perience of over 35 years in H.M.'s Civil service here, have given him a fitness for his office which has been possessed by scarcely any other English official in this country; and in the term of his life here and the crises of affairs with which he has had to do, he has had frequent need of all the qualifications he could bring to his work.
He seers to have caught somewhat of the spirit of his chief, Sir George Balfour,—the first occupant of the post now vacated by him,—who, when he thought fit, in accordance with the treaty, to go into the city of Shanghai to reside, and was refused by the amandari i going in; and when they replied that no one should rent hin a house, he said he was a soldier and would pitch his tent the This firm stand, at the beginning, easily opened the city of Shanghai, and the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.