We have received the following letter for publication Peking, Jununry 8th, 1888.
Sim,—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated December Joth referring to the uponing of bonded warehouse: at Shanghai, Before entering upon the subject itself I beg to mention for the information of the Chamber that during the negociations which have preceded the decision taken by the Chinese Government, the desirability of extending the right of storing goods in eud to those wharves, which by being the property of shareholders 80 to ay on international character, has been represented very strongly to the Tsungli Yamen, On the other Band the right of the Chinese Government to establish bonded warehouses of their own could not be doubted and as the only choice left seemed to lie between the adoption of the principle by the Chinese Government and its application with certain restrictions or the rejection of the principle altogether, I for one have been of opinion that in the general interest of t1 it would be best to ive the system proposed by the Chinese government a fair trial.
My colleagues, to whom I have submitted your letter, and myself are of opinion that eir future action will depend very much upon the result of this trial. If by it should be proved that the general interests of trade or even the personal interests of those persons, who, we are very willing to recognise the facts, have by their action done so much to add to the shipping facilities of the place, suffer from the decision adopted by the Chinese Government my colleagues and myself will be very willing to take such steps as may seem best calculated to remove the danger or inconveniences thus created.
My colleagues and myself will therefore feel much obliged to the Chamber if that the local but also the 1 interests of body representing in our opinion not only
trade, will after a certain time favour us with their opinion on the effect the working of the system inaugurated on January Ist has had upon trade in general and the existing wharves in particular as well as with their suggestions as to the remedies to be applied to the defects of the system as proved by its practical workly T have the honour to Sir, Your obedient servant, M. voy Braypr. To KO. H. Lavens. Esy., The Chairman of the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.