'Minute' of a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce held at the offices of the Chamber, No. 1, Kiukiang Road, on Friday, the Lith of March, at 4 p.m.
Present:—Messrs. E. F. Alford (in the chair), C. J. Dudgeon, J. ©. Bois, J. Chapsnl, Wade Gard'ner, F. W. Koch, A. Korf, W. D. Little, J. H. McMichael, Worth, and the Secretary.
The Minutes of last meeting were rend and confirmed.-
New Mail Contract:—Tho Chairman explained that he had had a conversation with the Agent and the Inspector of the Messageries Maritimes Cie. lately at this port about the desirability of delaying the closure of the mails until noon on Tuesday, and that those gentlemen offered todo what they could in the matter. The meeting decided to write to the Agent of the Company at Shanghai asking him to put the proposal before his Directors with the object of effecting the desired change. panies:—The Senior'Consul's reply to the Native Shareholders in Foreign Com-
letter sent him on the 28th of January Inst on this subject was read, and owing to the unsatisfactory nature of the communication it was resolved to address the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps direct, calling attention to the seriousness of the questions involved, and that a copy of the letter should be sent to the Board of Consul Methods to prevent the Adulterution of Tea:—A lotter from the Senior Consul was Inid before the meeting, which covered dispatch from the Tnotai embodying u decree from the Viceroy Liu concerning nieasures that it was necessary to take to prevent the adulteration of Tea, As the Tnotai requested the assistance of the Chamber in the matter, it was decided to refer the dispatch to Messrs. J. W. Harding, J. Welch, and E. Davis, as representatives of the Tea trade, for their consideration and advice.
Exploration of Hunan:—Tho Chairman explained the nature of the agreement made with Captain M. O'Sullivan; now exploring the province of Hunan, to furnish the Chamber with a report on his investigations, and stated that the preliminary letters received from Captain O'Sullivan were extremely interesting, so that there was every reason to believe that his report would be a valuable document.
The Annual General Meeting:—A draft of the Report for 1897 was considered and agreed to by the Committee, and the Annual General Meeting was' fixed for Thursday, the 31st of March, xt 4 p.m, After the transnetion of other business the following correspondence was ordered for publication Shanghai, 3rd January, 1898.
Sim,—With reference to the dispatch of the Senior Consul addressed to you under August 2nd last, I have the honour to forward herewith copy of a dispatch of the Dean of the Diplomatic Body at Peking of December Sth last, relating to the case between the Bank of China, Japan, and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.