The French Minister has handed the following letter to his Colleagues in residence at Shanghai and to the Doyen of the Consular Body Lo Gouvernement de la République me fait savoir que toutes les Puissances out ete revenues ofticiellement qu' clu 26 ce mois lo riz sera considéré et traité par I'Escadre Frangaise des ners de Chine comme contrebande de guerre. Les chargements de riz scrout done passibles de maisie an memo titre que les armes et les munitions, L'Amiral Courbet a ete invite en consequence ' prendre ses dispositions pour exercer lo droit de visite sur les navites portant de Shanghai, Il demure entendu queen dehors des articles ci-des sus specifies, toute autre denrée pourra tre transportee librament.
Persistant dans son desir de menager, dans In mesure clu possible, lo commerce des neutres, lo Gouvernement de la Ré- publique m'autorise & ajouter quail maintient, en ce qui concerned Shanghai of Wou-song, les assurances déjd donnees par 'M. Lemaire dans la lettre quail a adressé, lo 26 Aoit dernier, an Doyen clu Corps Consulaire, aucune attaque ne sera done dingee contre ces deux ports, fante que lo star quo n'y sera pas modifié clu fait de La Chine, Cette declaration aura—je Vespdro—pour effect de dissiper les alarmes que la presence eventuelle de_navires Francais dans lo yoisinage clu Yang-tso pourrait susciter dans la population de Shanghai, Les hatiments qui croiseront dans' ces parages n'auront d'autre mission quo de s'opposer an transport de la contrebando de guerre.
Veuillez agreer, ete., Shanghai, lo 23 Fevrier, 1885, IME DEFENCE OF THE RIVER, The following has been handed to us for Extract from a letter written by the Tao-t'ai to certain of the Treaty Consuls with reference to his giving previous notice in case of the river being closed.
"On account of the rapidity of mover ment of the French fleet, which prevents the exact moment of its arrival being known beforehand, it will be necessary on the receipt of alarming news to close the river at once in order to prevent the enemy feom coming in, It is to be feared that dangerous, if, instend of at on ug the ships Inden with es and blocking the river, one were to it to write to the Consuls, #0 that they might give notice to vessels that they should leave the port. The Tao-t'ai would therefore beg the Consuls to give notice beforehand to ships-of-war and merchant vessels, that henceforward, on arriving at Shanghai, they should anchor below the Chang-hua Creek, where the barrier has been constructed,' and that, if they hear alarming news, they should immediate love the port without waiting for notice.'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.