We take from the Fouchow Echo the following text of the address presented at that port to Mr. Phillips, the retiring British Consul, and his reply. At the various ports at which Mr. Phillips has doen stationed during his thirty-five years in China, he has uniformly earned the respect and confidence of foreigners of all classes and of the Chinese, and his own description of the way in which he has so successfully endeavoured to perform his duties is well deserving of being put on record, both in justice to himself, and as a guide to the younger members of the service from which he is now retiring.
The address was as follows To Geoxce Purutrs, Esquire, H. B. M. Consul, Fouchow.
We, the undersigned members of this community, beg to felicitate you on your approaching retirement from the Consular Service after a long and honourable career.
Your invariable courtesy on occasions of cour having to meet you on affairs connected with your office, and your kindness and urbanity in private life have won fur you the esteem and respect of us all.
On leaving, you will carry away with you the sincere good wishes of the whole Community. May you long live in continued good health to pass the remainder of your days in happiness, and the enjoyment of that rest to which you are so justly entitled.
We beg your acceptance of the accom: panying piece of Plate. It may serve to remind you in days to come of the old friends and acquaintances at this port sansongst whom you spent the last years of your public life.
Foochow, May 28th, 1892, Mr. Phillips then replied in the following wwords..—Mr. Westall, Ladies and Gentlemen. I have most cordially to thank you for the very flattering remarks you have just made, concerning the manner I have conducted my official business since I first came to Foochow, and you think I should not be allowed to leave you without some recognition on your part. Yon have therefore drawn up and presented me with an address signed by some fifty-two members of the community, which you have supplemented with a present of a valuable pirow of plate. I do not thin! services demanded such arecogaition you, I have simply dune my daty, as I have always tried to do in the other ports at which I have been stationed During my official career, I have always been ready to listen to the plaint of avy-one coming to me. I have never turned a deaf ear tu any, T have listened as patiently to the plaint of the coolie as I have done to that of the merchant, to the grievance of the common sailor as to the complaint of his captain. I have always tried to hold fairly the scales of justice un my dealings with the Chinese officials, Thave always fearlessly spoken my mind. have been always courteous, yet firm, patient and yet persistent, and above all things I have always kept my ten It is now thirty-four years since I first came to Foochow, and itis somewhat remarkable that Foochow was the first port to. which T was appointed in China, as it is also the last in which I have served. During that long period many changes have of course taken place. In those early days rapid fortunes were made large houses monopolised the trade. Things have changed since then. There have been three great levellers at work that have brought this about. The establishment of the Maritime Customs, telegram phic communication with Europe, and the opening of the Suez Canal. Before the Customs were started tea duties were paid ina very curious way. I remember 4 case in point in 1859. The Tartar General wished to borrow u large sum of money and applied to the merchants for a loan. This was granted, and a proviso was made for shipping off the ra' tea, during the then ensuing season, at " greatly reduced 1 could not be done ips compound for their dues as was then often the case.
form duty is now levied upon all alike.
Many will ask what was the social aspect of the port in those days? Pretty much the same as now, with the exception of the absence of a great civilizing element, the ladies. There is no doubt about it, ladies are great civilisers in a community, and the young men of this port I consider are very fortunate in having such a number of ladies here, more especially unmarried indies, among thew. I hope however they will not always remain unmarried, Iwill not detain you longer, I again thank you for the honour you have done me to-day, and rest assured I shall always greatly prize the address which has been so fully subscribed to, and T shall always look upon the piece of plate you have presented to me as a souvenir of your regard and esteem; it will always remind me of the many happy days I have spent among you. I most sincerely hope that many years of prosperity are still in store for you all, and I fervently trust that' my successor will be, as ever mindful of your ntereats as I have tried to be, and that he do is wlaans So Eroteet your, welfare.
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.