CORPS, Our local French contemporary Lo Messager de Chine, in its issue of Thursday, published portion of the full report of the meeting on the previous day in the French Municipal Hall of those who had signified their willingness to join a French corps of Volunteers in Shanghai. According to this report, M. Brunat who presided, explained that' the work of the Committes appointed at the original meeting to consider the question had been delayed by various causes, notably the absence of three members of the Council.
'M. de Malherbe then read the minutes of the meeting held on the 20th of April, during which it was stated that several French residents had desired to see a Volunteer company formed, in consequence of the troubles arising out of the enhanced wheelbarrow tax, to cooperate with the Shanghai. Volunteer Corps in the defence of the Settlements, while being under the orders of the French Consul-General. These minutes having been approved, M. de Melherbe read the correspondence which had passed between the Committee and the French Municipal Council. The Committee estimated the cost of uniforms for 60 members at about $2,000; the provision of a drill hall at from Tls. 1,200 to Tls. 1,800; and suggested the engagement of a French non-commissioned officer as drill instructor, whose services might also be utilised by the Municipality. In reply the Council agreed to defray the cost of uniforms, postponed the consideration of the question of a drill hall, and expressed the opinion that the duties of drill instruc-for could be satisfactorily filled by a member of the Municipal police. In further correspondence it was proposed to arm the company with Gras rifles, and the proposed regulations of the company were then submitted one of them being that French-speaking foreigners should be admitted to membership on the same conditions as Frenchmen, or French protéyés. These sed regulations were then discussed in detail by the meeting.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.