Peking, 20th March, 1896.
Your Hiansesses axp Your EXcentencus,—On the 13th day of last August T had the honour to address a communication. to you as Dean of the Di plomatic Corps, wherein I requested Your Highnesses and Your Excellencies to make an order changing the mode of issuing Transit Passes at Shanghai so as to provide that they Shall be issued by the Commissioner of Maritime Customs, instead of the Customs Taotai, as is done at present.
On the 28th of August I had the honour to receive from you an answer to my eommunication, wherein you informed me that you directed the Inspector-General of customs to report whether a uniform system has been in practice at the various Customs, and that he reported that in' addition to the -port of Shanghai, Transit
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.