Tats notorious case, whose vicissitudes have formed the subject of innumerable notes and articles, and which has been an unfailing source of worry and loss to all connected with it, with hardly a. solitary exception, was settled yesterday morning by the payment by the Chinese authorities of a sum of 'T's. 66,000, of which the Nanking Viceroy had to contribute 'I's, 5,000. In return for this pryment the Chinese recover possession of the Sin Fokien, Ningchow, and Wooning. Added to this is a sum of 'I'ls, 6,182.34, the balance of the proceeds of the Kiangning, after deducting the expenses of raising her but out of this balance tha expenses of the steamers since the bankruptcy proceedings were commenced have been paid.
It has been a miserable business, and nothing in it has been more pitiable than the injury it has wrought to the unfortunate Mr. Bennertz himself. Many of the creditors too, have been reduced to a condition of privation, and this has made it advisable to arrange a settlement as soon as possible, even though better terms might have been secured had it been possible to prolong the struggle. Again, questions of jurisdiction and the v: nationali of the. par-
tributors have made it by no means easy for the British Court to assume that complete control over the property forming the subject of the claim which was an essential preliminary to a settlement, The distribution of the funds received from the Chinese is now in the hands of the 'I'rustee, whose duty it is to see that claims are properly scrutinized and vouched, and creditors may feel sure that no just claim will be overlooked. Reasons which our readers will' appreciate have prevented our dilating on the disadvantage Mr, Beunerlz suffered from the changes at the Consulate-General during the winter. These changes and the accident to the Kiangning accumulated trouble on his head and no doubt broke down his health; we trust to hear before long that the relief that must come from the knowledge that the affair is settled at last, has resulted in his complete re-establishment.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.