Ameetingof contributors to theChildren's Home and of others interested in the subject of education washed on Thursday after-hoon (19th) at the Municipal Council Board Room, to consider the letter received from Mr. Thomas Hanbury kindly offering to transfer the lot of land 1526, subject to the conditions sot forth by him in his said letter. The chair was taken by Mr. John Macgregor and there was a fairly large attendance.
The Cuarmay opened the proceedings by reading " circular (of which a notice appeared in the Novth-China Daily News of the 11th inst.) which had been sent round I have received your letters of 24th June, 6th and 7th September, and one, under date of 6th September, in the name of the Committee of the Children's Home. I have carefully perused the scheme for the Thomas and T fully approve of it in the main, It Hanbury School and the Children's Home,"
to me the title is cumbrously long, ye do not abbreviate it the public will in everyday parlance. As the institution is to bear my name I should have been quite content to have had it called The Nanbury School" or "The Hanbury School and Home," but 1 know how much my friend Mr. Thorne has worked in the cause of "The Children's Home." and as he and the rest of the Committee may like to adhere to this name in addition I therefore leave it to them to decide.
I now promise to transfer Lot 1,526 (4 more, hac) to the Municipal Council and to sub: scribe five thousand taels towards the cost of the new building to be erected thereon, provided the public in Shanghai will subscribe the remainder of the fund required for the same, viz., not less than Tls. 500. I therefore suggest that on receipt of this an immediate effort be made to raise the money by an appeal to the community, and that if this be successful you, telegraph to me, through Messrs. Iveson & Ca. the code word T shall plan for. On receipt of that I shall do my Part in sending out the title deed and an order to pay the Ts. 5,000. But if the public proves apathetic and the money is not forthcoming by the end of February entirely withdraw my offer.
I thank you for the full explanation you have given, and with kind regards, Believe me, &e., Mr. Tuorse, continuing, said that in brief Mr. Hanbury's most' liberal offer was to give them a piece of property which any expert would tell them was worth Tls. 20,000, and Tls. 5,000 towards the erection of the new buildings which would be required. Mr, Hanbury only asked the Shanghai community to give the small sum of Tis, 5,000, and the question waa whether that amount could be raised. Mr. Thorne added that two gentlemen had promised Tls. 100 each and two more $50 each, while, to show that all classes were taking an interest in the affair, he mentioned that a police inspector had promised $10. Through the kindness of Mr. Carles, a further sum of Tls. 160 had been collected, Gen, Mrsxy moved that circulars should be sent round asking for subscriptions. He i ink it would be a very difficult matter to raise the sum needed; and it would be a great pity to lose this splendid offer without making some effort to secure Mr. E, Davis second the motion.
Me. G. J. Morntsox suggested that Mr, Thorne or some of the gentlemen connected with him should give some decalls, as well as they could, as to the way in which they proposed that the institution should be managed and supported. He was sure that in the community there could be no possible difficulty in raising Tls. 5,000 if the community were satisfied that the thing was wanted and could be kept going; an he was algo certain that there wi hardly anyone who would say that such an institution would not be a good thing, whatever their views might be as to who was to pay font, He thought a great many people would like to know, before they subscribed, if this really was to be an institution ona solid basis. He had heard remarks outside about a - reposal to have a school for about 100 children, who wore to be supported free. That' would entail a very heavy annual cost, and so far as he knew no provision had been made for it, except the hope that the people who had subscribed in the past would subscribe in the future. Keeping such a large number of children might mean an annual expenditure of Tis, 5,000; and it was quite possible that a man who was willing to put down his name for his share of Tls. 5,000 at once might not peso willing to make an annual subscription. As to the probable sources of income, he supposed that the Municipal Council, having already contributed for some years to the Eurasian Schoui, would continue their grant, and that the income derived from the funded property of the Children's Home would also be available; while there were probably means of getting payment for children even when nominally destitute. When a man died here leaving a destitute family, he nearly always had relatives at home who would be willing to subscribe a sufficient amount if there were an institution of this kind, It should be clearly stated in the circular that subscriptions were asked. for the foundation of the establishment, and not an annual subscription. He hed heard a suggestion that the Municipal Council should be asked to subscribe the necessary funds, He would not dispute the right of the Municipal Council, as representing the ratepayers, to vote this sum; but, lookin; at it as a matter of public policy, he coul not think it would be a good thing for the Council to subscribe, nor did he think it would be a handsome way of accepting Mr. Hanbury'sverykindoffer. Mr, Hauburyhad
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.