For previous despatches vide Mun Report for 1897 page 268.
Municipal Council, Shanghai, 24th March, 1898.
Smm,—I have the honour to request that you may be good enough to inform me what progress has been made in the matter of the extension of the Settlement, referred to in the Council's official despatch of 22nd September last, to which despatch no reply has yet been made, "As this matter is one of the highest importance to local interests, and as the Council has been given, unofficially, to understand that the efforts of the Consular Rody to bring the local Chinese officials to move in the matter have been abortive, I shall be obliged ill put me in possession of the details of ions as have taken place in order that the position may be clearly recognised.
Thave the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, J. S. Feanos Chairman. 0. Sruzset, Esq., Consul-General for Germany and Senior Consul.
Shanghai, 22nd May, 1898, Sin,—With reference' to your letter of the 24th of March last, I have the honour to inform you that the matter of the Extension of the Foreign Settlements was soon after receipt of the Council's official despatch of the 52nd of September last, referred to th:
Body warmly supporting the views held by Diplomatic Corps at Peking, the Consular the Council.
In accordance with instructions received hereafter from the Foreign Representatives at Peking, an attempt was made to first obtain the consent of HE. the Taotai to the fas' not been followed by success. Copy of reposed scheme of extension, This attempt the correspondence exchanged in this matter with-the Taotai is herewith annexed.
Tu further compliance with the directions of the Foreign Representatives at Peking the matter has since been referred to the Governor-General at Nanking.
Thave the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Consul-General for Germany and Senior Consul. J.S, Fanos, Esq.
Chairman, Municipal Council.
Stw, - It is, since many years, evident that the present ares of the Foreiga Settlements north of the Yangkingpang ighly inadequate to the large population, both foreign ud nati ig in this district, their nes ind just of to good administration, and that in view of the rapid growth of this population an extension of the Settlements becomes every year a greater necessity. A strong agitation for such extension has, as Your Excellency is aware, set in in consequence among the foreigners of all nationalities living at Shanghai, and the Manicipal Council his worked out and submitted to the Consular Body an extensive scheme showing what parts of the outlying districts of Shanghaj should, in thole opinion, now be added to the area already forming the foreign settlement of Shanghai, in order-to meet the most urgent wants of our ever Eve atthe same time asked for the assistance wing foreign population. The Council of the Consular Body for obtaining the assent of the native authorities to the scheme which they have proposed.
The present boundaries of the Settlement having been ultimately defined in Act. I. of the Land Regulations, it is by amending the Land Regulations that an extension of the Settlement will have to be realised. Sach amendment must in accordance with Art. XXVIIL, be consulted upon and settled by the foreign Consols and local Chinese anthorities, whereupon it is subject to confirmation by the foreign representatives and. Supreme Chinese Government at Peking.
Tam vow instructed by my colleagues to inform Your Excellency that we warmly support the scheme of extension of the Foreign Settlement as proposed by the Municipal Council and to request that Your Excellency will kindly let m+ know whether you are prepared to enter with the Consular Bod into negotiations on the subject in accordance with Art, XXVLIL of the Lind Regulations, If so, it will not be diffi-ult to arrive ata further understanding about what will be the best arrangement for conducting these negotiations.
Thave the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Taorar To Sexton Casson.
Shanghai, 13th March, 1898.
Sim,—On the second inst., I had the honour to receive your despatch, which runs 1s follows (Text of despatch quoted.]
The area of shanghai has been, from the first owing to its us tural situation, a small one. From the time when a foreign Settlement was established, there has been an jax of Chinamen to such a degree that the area now seems to be Lov small in comparison with the large number of inhabitants, It is in fact, impossible to spare a single foot or inch outside of the Settlement to be set apart for a new Settlement. Further, if the number of Koreigners settling in this place is always increasing, the number Of my nationals is increasing in a fivefold way and more. Besides, foreigners, who settle in this place, do not live only within the Settlement, bot a "great many of them rent land and erect houses outside of the Settleme: This proves that the larger or smaller amount of the foreiga population does not at all depend on the larger or smaller area of the Settlement.
Further, the Chinese Government hag already provided for Police Stations, roads und lighting of the streets outside ut the Settlement; all kinds of such works will be extended in due time. Foreigners generally do not meet with any obstruction as to their Settling outside of the Settlement, ey. outside of Hsiichinbui ($5522) and Peineechengehiao (JI JBIR¢HE), and there is no clause in the treaties. providing for an extension or reduction of the Settlement in tion with the larger or smaller number of the foreign residents.
As to your suggestion, Mr. Senior Consul, to enter into joint negotiations about the proposed scheme of an extension of the Settlement, I therefore hold' that it will be the best to conserve the present state of things.
Asking you to communicate this my reply to your colleagues, etc. I have the honour, ete, Seal of Taotar Tsar.
Kidnapping of Native Children Shanghai, 28th May, 1898.
Sir,—I have the honour to submit fur your information copy and translation of lector received fro the Taotai under date of the 22nd of April last, dealing with several cases of alleged kidnapping of Cuineso dren within. the Settlements, 'The Tao asks for' the support of the Municipal Police in his endeavours to bring the perpetrators to justice and to avoid similar occurrences in future.
I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, 0. Sruzpet, Consul-General for Germany and Senior Consul.
Franox, Beg.
Chairman, Municipal Council.
Translation, "Paorat ro Sexton Coxsut.
Shanghai, the 22nd April, 1898, On the 9th inst. I received from the office of the Chinese Telegraphs at Shanghai the following communication As one of the employes at our office has reported to us, Chang Chung-lien, who holds the rank of a District Magistrate and lives in the English Settlement on the western end of the Foochow Road, Huihsiangli 427, made this verbal statement, viz: that on the 3rd inst. ut ¥ p.m., his female servant, 10 years old, had disappeared and that on the follow-
office, Chou Wan-ping, who holds the rank of ing day he had asked an employs in one a District Magistrate, through the good offices of the interpreter Yen of the Central Police Station to ask the Superintendent of Police to instruct the detectives to make the proper enquiries about this affair; he had also given a complete description of te personal appearance of the said servant girl and bad it published for three days in the Hsinwanpao up to this date not the slightest trace could be found of her abode. However, in the afternoon of the present day there was a man besting the metal cover of a warmiu Ferhis disappeared child; when he had pass and calling out that he was searching the gate of Huihsiangli, Chaog questioned the man and heard from him that he lived in a lane near the Kiukiang Road; in the fore: neon of the preceding day he had lost his child, a boy of 10 years; immediately he had set out, beating a small gong and calling out everywhere for his lost child the whole day, when he was walking about the streets, he met other people, who on the same preceding day had also lost children of rheic owa and were now try them out;.he four of stich This is what Chaog strange is this star ment indeed. Chere is another case, wh fa friend of ours, Lung Twé-hou, who is expectant Szechuan District Magistrate and who lives in Kiukiang Mod 340, called on us and told us that he also lost a few days ago asecvant girl. Weare of opinion that, as the present times are very hard ones, the price of food being so excessive, thera are penniless vagabonds who stroll about kidnapping children; these people decoy boys ant Sones they putin this way sunder and out of iris away and sell then repeatedly; flesh and
Koceuch crime. Our very hearts are wrung storify. Death is too lenient a punishment
when we think of that.
Now, we have long admired Your Excellency, who, whatever calamities occurred in the Provinces of the Empice, always found his way to provide for funds of charity to save the lives of the population, At the present time the small place of Shanghai is now so overrun with kidnappers that it appears as if every path were abstracted by thorns; we consider it a proper way of protection, if Your Excellency would grant us the favour to communicate with the Superintendent of Police, that the latter may tell off o sufficiently large body of detectives and constables carefully to make enquiries and arrests, whenever time and place will
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.