Later in the day we made a call'At the French Consulate-General and had a short but interesting chat with Count de Bezaure on the situation. He'was evidently very busy and callers were frequent. Spealkin; with regard to Sunday's confabulation wit! the Ningpo Guild he said: All was perfectly satisfactory to me. - Ieannot give you any details for obvious and sufficient reasons but T don't anticipate a recurrence of the disturbances of Sunday. At the same time we are of course amply prepared for any kind of emergency. There has been some exaggeration in both native and foreign newspapers as: to the men killed. We are told they: were innocent and took no part iis the rioting. That I can assure you not the case." The statements, we marked, were published on what was regard ded as reliable native authority. ' Nevertheless," Count de Bezaure continued, it is incorrect. There was no voluntary shoot ing on the part of the French. Rifles were only use atthe word of command: when danger of the most serious description threatened our men. We only shot in self-defence, and in particular at those men leading on the stone-throwers and brandishing heavy bamboos, rendered: horribly formidable by means of spikes secured at the ends. They rushed at our police station' in the East like madmen. They destroyed the wall and would have levelled the building and injured if not killed our men had we not resorted to measures of self-defence. "I might also state that before ball was used. we fired with blank cartridges' whilst the machine-gun was only fired: with blank. This having no effect we were obliged to fire on the crowd as I have said in self-defence. If any body was killed not! taking part in the rioting it was by accident—a stray bullet the consequences: of which no one can foresee." The rumour'that a Japanese subject has been killed is " pure fiction. For the most part, if not entirely, the deceased were howling desperadoes, of bad character, ready to seize any opportunity to destroy order, with.the probable possibility loot. I hear that the majority hail from the district of Sinza, one of the Very worst neighbourhoods." The Count concluded by reiterating his belief that no further rioting would occur.
'The following is our translation of a circular issued'on' Monday by the- Ningpo Guild after their secret conference on Qur prefectural Guildhouse which has been. 7 solely with'charitable objects for a hundred years has'now been disturbed by the unreasonable actions of the French. © Without-waiting for a final settlement with the Tsotai: nor having received the consent of our gentry dnd' Gaildhouse Committee, the French have dared to pull down the walls surrounding our cemetery, and have shot down and killed many people; the wrong therefore lay'with the aggressors. di Hence, it was that yesterday we issued a circular calling upon you, our fellow-provincial, to stop temporarily from doing all business and quietly await a settlement of our affair, and exhorting you by no means to assemble in crowds and create disturbances. For reason and right is on our side, and you must not hold any mistaken ideas on the matter. We now hear that H-E. the High Commissioner of the Southern Ports ieeroy Liu of Nanking) has appointed.E. Nieh Chih-kuei, Provincial rer of Lower Kiangsu, and Shen Tun-ho, expectant Taotai; while H.E. the Governor at Soochow has appointed Lo Taotai; to comic to Shanghai to reason on the matter with the French. It is therefore necessary to issue this circular for the information of all. That all you, whether merchants or artisans have temporarily stopped business and trade is a proof of your united indignation at the treatment our cemetery has received; but we now exhort you all to wait until H.E. the Provincial Treasurer attives "ud meets the French and then see how matters stand before doing anything A Jorst Cmcunar From THe Niycro 18th July, 1898.
We translate the following proclamations issued by the local mandarins; the first two being by the Taotai and: put into a six-metrical form "The Ningpo Guildhouse Cemetery Has long ago been included in the French settlement.
There has been mutual peace for a long time on all sides And'protection has been granted to it.
But being desirous to establish benovolent institutions, And being also pinched for room in the settlement For this reason the French Municipal Council Desired to rent or buy your cemetery.
Thave repeatedly striven to settle matters for you, And even offered to find: some ground.
But then there was the Fukien cemetery as precedent, Which also was long ago removed beyond the Settlement.
On this account it was difficult te exhort the French to stop—Yet I never ceased from trying to satisfy all concerned.
Taise hastened to report to my superior While Icommanded your Committee to try to settle.
Now you all should consider the ultimate results By no means must you act from impulse.
But yesterday noon things approached a crisis For a whole night was I occupied in trying to come to an understanding.
My intention was to- obtain extended time for conference But to-day the walls have been pulled down.
T knew this was not satisfactory to gentry or people But things had-approached a crisis and there was no help for it.
T, your Taotai, have exerted my best endeavour.
To try to settle matters satisfactorily—but in vain.
Now you must know that only a small piece is wanted, And not'the whole of your guild-house compound.
TE you should'be led by the impulse of the moment to riot, Know that you give serious and grave trouble to your Emperor.
Tissue this proclamation in earnest.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.