If it be allowable to contrast the manner in which the different nationalities re sented in Shanghai celebrate their national fete days, it will not be difficult to find an outcrop of each nation's salient peculiarities. Inthe United States everybody is s0 uncom-mouly free that every public vccesion requires freedom of utterance in the form of speeches. Consequently un the Fourth of July speeches are more prominent than anything else. Our neighbours of the French Concession view the matter esthetically. They make speeches, it is true, but not with great zest. They prefer to make their not very beautiful Concession as bright and gay as they can, for one day lin the year at least.
Accordingly the Fourteenth of July sees xn outbreak of tricolour on the Bund, the public buildings, and the shipping. "The Consul General and his officials put on their best uniforms, the French naval officers do likewise, and there is no room for doubt that a celebration of some kind is going on. The other nations—but alas! beyond the two already mentioned, there are no more are owls In) iceiana, 12 0: cent nal festivities in shanghai than there account the hoisting of " few flags on the Queen's Birthday, and the dinners at the Club Concordia un the German Emperor's Birthday.
On Tuesday the weather was dull, close and rainy, and the decorations on the Bund were not as bright as they would have been in the sunshine usually expected at this time of the year. The reception by the Consul General (MI. Wagner), held at the French Municipality, was' well attended by the male French community, but there was not one lady to be seen. The guests also included the Consular representatives of England, Austria, Belgium, Holland and Russia, and some sixteen officers from the Villars und Aspic. Rear-Admiral Besnard remained in his flagship, the Trivmphante, at Woosung, owing, it is understood, toillness. MonsvigueurGarnier and three other ecclesiastics were present, and the French Mixed Court Magistrate arrived after the speeches but in time to drink long life to the Republic, The salon in which the brief ceremony took place was profusely decorated with the tricolour, plants, flowers, ete.; and there was " band to strike up the. Marseitluise at the proper moment. M. Chapsal, President of the Municipality, opened the proceedings by reading the following address Moxsteur 1 Coxsvt-Grxerat,—C'est In sixiéme fois quail mest donne de m'adres-ser an representant de la République Fran-suite, Pour lo fioter an nom clu Conseil municipal et en celui de tous nos compatriotes, d l'occasion de La fate nationale de la France.
Jai lo droit d'étre tier d'un_pareil hon-nour, mais jo suis oblige, une fois de plus, de deplorer mon inguftisance 2 interpreter, comme ils devraieut I'étre, les sentiments patriotiques des Frangais groupes autour de Vous en une circonstance aussi solennelle.
Mais & défaut de I'éloquence des levies jo puls dire avec tout mon ccour et parlant ssu nom de tous, avec quelle join nous saisissons l'occasion qui nous est offer te de vanir témoigner publiquement de notre inalterable amour pour notre chore patrie, si dignement représentée parlous, Monsieur lo Consul-General, et pour exprimer les voeux que nous formons pour so prosperity et so grandeur.
An nom clu Conseil Municipal jo dais vous re mercier clu concours éclairé que vous lui ave toujours prété et lui a permis administer ala satisfaction de tous, jo Tespére, les affaires municipales.
Ti est de mon devoir de declarer queen tout temps et eu toutes circonstances lo régoer entre lo Consul de France et la Municipalité; et vous pouvez tre assure, M. Ie Consul-General, que lo Conseil ne ménagera aucun effort pour lo mainten @une harmonic si néoessaire aux intéréts et an bien tre de la Concession.
Vive la France Vive la République!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.