Chairman of the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai.
Sin,—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated November 2int, referring to the newspaper rumours on the subject of a Convention in progress between the existing European Telegraph Companies and the Chinese authorities, as well as to the apprehensions created by them among the members of the Chamber of Commerce.
My colleagues and myself fully appreciate and share the wish expressed by the Chamber of Commerce that no monopoly of telegraphic communication between China and Europe or 'America should be created and that the tariff should be as low as consistent with existing vested interests, but we regret that the Chamber should' have adduced in support of their views more than one statement which, by being far from exact, takes away from the value which under other circumstances an expression of the opinion of the Chamber would possess.
My colleagues and myself are also of opinion that it would have facilitated matters in this instance, and would undoubtedly do so in future, if the Chamber instead of acting upon rumours would take the trouble to ask for information, informally, through their Chairman, where it was most likely to get it; the universal courtesy with which the Chamber of Commerce has always been met by the Foreign Representatives would seem to indigate such a proceeding not only as the most advantageous but also as the most natural one. have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed) M. von Braxpr.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.