We are glad to see that the Superintendent of Polics has brought one very serious source of annoyance to the notice of the Municipal Council, The admission of Chinese residents into the Settlements set apart for the exclusive benefit of foreigners has not been without vaulages, though whether it was a wise slop in the first instance or the reverse it is too late now to recal it. But the conditions under which the Chinese live and thrive are in many instances highly detrimental to foreigners. One of the peculiarities of the Chinese physical constitution is apparently a deadness or an indifforence to noise, A Chinaman will sleep soundly amid n racket which would effectually keep any foreigner awake. His nerves are so little sensitive that ho will converse with perfect sang-fraid in the midst the most exasperating confusion of sounds, and never betray the slightest symptoms of uneasiness, Ib is therefore not to be wondered at that foreigners who live surrounded by natives should find themselves atagrioyonsdisadvantage. When, someyearsago the Council earned the gratitude of the community by putting a stop to the squeaking of the unoiled wheelbarrows by which the Settlement was infested before the introduction of jintickehas, it was observed that the Chinese them-solves bad never complained of the infliction, and were, indeed, entirely unconscious of its oxistouco. The diabolical tintamasre of the baud in a Chinese theatre affects them no more than the humming of a mosquito, and they find not the smallest difiiculty in keeping up a conversation when it requires the most strenuous efforts to make oueselé heard at al It is clear, therefore, that while our native fellow-residents habitually eu-dure, if they do nob actually enjoy, a state of things which is absolutely supportable to a foreigner, and are, in fact, profoundly unconscious what a nuisance they are to other people, steps must be taken by those who suffer in their own defence. Sammerisapproaching, when doors and windows are left open; and we have a right to expect that something shall be done to presence us from the perpetual din of the Settlement, Oar thoroughfares are so narrow that every shout from a heedless passer-by reverberates through any room the windows of which open upon the streets. Those who live in the neighbourhood of a Chinese resstaurant are singularly ill-placed. The diners shout, laugh, and talk at the very top of their voices, frequently refreshing their jaded energies with the intellectual finger-guessing game known to foreigners as "morra." As an arithmetical exercise nothing perhaps can compare with this diversion, Bat it is not conducive to the repose of persons who reside anywhere in the neighbourhood of its performance; and when the yells of the performers ace accompanied by the rattling of a string of jinvickslas past the win. dows, and the no doubt valuable bat somewhat obtrusive remarks of belated revellers, the discord proneed is unbearable. We are therefore glad, we repent, to see that the Superintendent of Police has, and not at all too soon, made a report to the ti Council on the subject; and we venture to suggest that special measures be adopted at the prosont moment to prevent what is, or may be, a special source of annoyance.
We would be} i the last in the world to advocate any interference with whatevormark of respect the Ohinese may seo fit to pay to the eminent man who is now residing io our midst, But there is a limit. do not think that the soldiers in attendance on the ex-Viceroy should be permitted to fire mortars upon the afreets, and to keep up a dram.
ing and tomtomming in his honour all nightlong. The thing is too absurd. If the Viceroy goes to sleep at night like an ordinary mortal, it would seem that such demonstrations are thrown upon him; while if be prefers being kept awake by them, he would so are sure be very sorry to think that lie was forcing Lis own tastes upon his foreign neighbours. The Council should not, we consider, have permitted the Kiukiang Road to be blocked up by the two unsightly booths to which we have before referred; uor should it allow Chinese soldiers to make noi at night which compel peaceably-inclined residents to take the law into their own lauds and stop the racket themselves in self-defence. The men in attendance on His Excellency, ragged-looking tatterdemalions as they are, have hitherto behaved well enough. It is not to be expected that they should understand the conveyances of a civilised community, and we do not bring any charge at all against them of wil-fally interfering with the comfort of foreign residents. In fact, were any man among them to behave improperly, we are sue that the ex-Viceroy himself would be the first to punish him. But think that certain representations might be made by the Council in thepropor quarter, which should have for their object the discontinuance of such prac. tices as are a source of annoyance to foreigners and are not practically useful in themsel THE FRENCHAIAIL PAPERS, Tre papers to hand by last mail are not pavticolariy interesting, The Standard, however, has an article on the Tonquin affair which will puzzle many here, and ought to delight the Chinese. ~The writer ently upholds Chinw's rights of suzerainty in Avnam, and quotes Dupuis's admission a few years ago that "there can be no doubt" as to their reality, "The Chinese claim not morely Tonquin, but the whole of Annam, as 8 Tributary Slate," writes the Standard. "The Ruler of Hué receives investiture is accession to the throne from Peking, the tribute or present at the nods to the capital of the These are not shadowy are in the eyes of Chil real and as full of force aa are in ours the ties that bind Canada and the Colonies of Australasia to the Mother Country." The draws from these remarkable premisses the conclusion that the fact of the Tronty of 1874 having ignored and sot aside " the undoubted rights of China," it trially peaking, not a binding agroomont, as it has never received the sane.
Standard's champion of Chinese pro-given a litle more study to neat at Pekin; suzerainty as hold by the and followed it fgentrally rather heavy. the Spertatar we have a review of Stop. niak's " Underground Russia', the author of which strange book was formerly editor of the Russian Torrorist paper Land and Liberty, "Ttiaa matvellots exposition of Nihilist doctrine, One of, the chief -suppro that i fright and enforced by the Cathar A'body of men ao ineorrupti-'s0 unselfish, so daring, an scribed in the follow graph cannot but con: danger to any state men, wot unreasonably, the perfection of virtue. derers who go to the allows smi era who would jo og " if that would help; "ihioves who would regard th Wraclien pf " copper onto from tae a money for their own indulgence as ful crime. All of them hold the doctrine love, most of them find female corns u vote them-but many of more exclusively to their work, them as their sisters. Imagine a mil ion and help a murder, ai ising, and not condemn theft ro, holding and acting inks oppressed, Such a mau lived la Demetrius Lisogat who acted on his belief in precisely that which seem to most of us the lardest of al.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.