Minutes of a Committee Meeting held at the offices -f the Chamber on Monday, the 27th of February, 1897, at 4 p.m Present:—Mesers. E. F. Alford (in the Chair), J. C. Bois, C.J. Dudgeon, A. Korf, W. D. Little, J. B. McMichael, D. M. Moses, E. B. Skottowe, and the Secretary.
The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed.
Light Dues at Hongkong.—A letter from the Chamber of Commerce at Hongkong, enclosing copy of a Petition they had addressed to His Excellency the Governor, protesting against the action taken by the Colonial Government in levying Light Dues on shipping, was laid before the Meeting, together with a letter on the same subject from the Agent of the P. 0. 8. N. Ca. at Shanghai. After careful consideration of the matter, it was decided to reply that, while fully recognising the principle that Light Dues should only be levied on shipping for Lighthouse purposes, the Chamber could not support. any protest against the action of the Hongkong Government until they were in possession of full information as to the reasons which actuated the Gor i complain Ohinese Postal Service:—A letter from the Chinkiang Chamber of Commerce, asking if this Chamber intended taking any action about the charges for postage made by the Chinese Postal Service, was read, and it was decided to reply that the Chamber saw no present reason to move in the matter.
After the discussion of oth business the following correspondence ordered for publication
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.