defendants being represented by Mr. W. Wilkinson appeared for the plaintiffs, the
V. Drummond, with whom was Mr. E. Sharp and Mr. Gedge, (Messrs. Johnson, Stokes, and Master). Messrs, A. R. Burkill and G. R. Rodgers, who had been summoned as Jurors, not being present when their names were called, were each fined $25.
Mr. H. P. Wilkinson proceeded to road the pleadings as follow:
1,—-The plaintiff institution is an establishment under French protection conducted by members of the Religious Society called "La Societe des Auxiliatrices des Ames clu Purgatoire.""
2.—The plaintiff institution is composed of sisters and lay sisters of the said Society, and the plaintiff, Philoméne Agoutin, is the Mother Superioress' of the said institution and authorised to represent the said institution and the members thereof in all matters civil and religious affecting the said institution.
said institution, in addition to the strictly religious duties devolving upon members of the said Society, carries on, and has
educational establishment for girls and the for many years carried on, the work of an echod 80 carried on is, and has been, and at the time of the, commission of the grievances hereinafter complained of was, attended by children of foreigners of different nationalities residing in China, and in consideration of the educational work carried on in the said school the plaintiff institution has for several years been in receipt of an annual grant of Tls. 1,000 from the Shanghai Municipal Council and an annual grant of Tls. 1,000 from the —This suit is brought in the name of the leintiff institution on behalf of the plaintiff institution and its members and in the name of the plaintiff Philoméne Agoutin on behalf of the plaintiff Philoméne Agoutin.
—The defendants are British subjects residing at Shanghai, and are, and at the time of the commission of the said grievances were, the editors, proprietors, printers, and pub: lishers of a dai published at Shanghai called i Mercury, and sise ofa weekly paper published st Shanghai called the, Celestial Empire, the first of the ing an extensive circulation in elsewhere in China, and the latter having also a considerable circulation in Shanghai and _a still larger circulation in the outports of El japan and in the countries of Europe.
6.—The defendants are also the printers extensive creation st Bhenghai and in and publishers of a newspaper, having an
Europe and America, called the Union.
7.—The defendants being such editors, proprietors, printers, and publishers as aforesaid, on the 20th day' of April, 1896, falsely and maliciously printed in the issue of that day of the Shanghai Mercury, aforesaid, of and concerning the plaintiff institution and of and concerning the plaintiff Philoméne Agoutin and of and concerning the said institution as a school, the words following
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.