6th July. Arter all, we now know for certain that the scheme for the amalgamation of the posts of Chief Justice and Consul-General here is Sir Philip Currie's, a suggestion which we advanced soon after. the news of the change reached us, and it is the alternative to an even more impracticable one, which the Foreign Office had under consideration, that the Chief Judgeship should remain an independent office, and that the Consul-General should be Assistant Judge. Wecan imagine how much weight he would have with the Chinese in that position, We know now another important fact'; that if the change had been notified here as impending, and time: had been given for public opinion to pronounce against it, it would not have been carried out; for the Foreign Office is sincerely anxious to consult the wants and wishes of the Shanghai community, and particularly of the China Association, which can really bring an immense influence to bear on the government. One result the protest of the British residents here through the China Association has already had it has been determined that under no circumstances will an outside lawyer be sent here as Consul-General; and if the ranks of the consular service cannot furnish a Consul-General competent to be Chief Judge also, then the General will be preserved on the old THE FOURTH OF JULY. basis. But we know for certain now 4th July, another fact which has been whi: about for some time; that when the Foreign Office had decided on the new lan, it was telegraphed out to Sir John walsham, as is customary, that he might make his objections to it, ithe had any. For a whole month Sir John took absolutely no notice of the intimation, while during that time he might have let the public know what was contemplated, and there would have been plenty of time for the British community to ph home a protest, which we know now would have been favourably received. Action, however, is not Sir John's foible. The Foreign Office, taking Sir John's silence for consent, and having obtained the approval of the Treasury, and got the new salaries incorporated in the estimates, telegraphed to Sir John to offer the new amalgam mated post to Sir Richard Rennie, and then, when it was too late, Sir John sent home his protest in a protracted telegram. So that it is really to Sir John Walsham's invincible dilatoriness that we owe the consummation of the change. Our readers may be tired of the subject, but we have thought it well to put these facts on record, now that we have them on unimpeachable authority.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.