29th July. Ly another column -this morning. will be found a series of documents sent us by the Secretary of the Frouch Municipality, which throw some useful light on the dispute in reference to the Ningpo Joss-House, and answer satisfactorily some of the questions put by Mr. Drammond in the correspondence which has been going ov in our columns. The first is an extract from the Minutes of the French Council's meeting on the 11th of May last, at which it was decided to: ask, the. French Consul-Gerieral_to: expropriate,, as: authorised by the French treaty of 1844 and the proclamation ' of "1849;-the lots on the French Concession in dispute, 186 and 191, This was the opening of the ball.
'The.next is a letter of the 18th of May from the Chairman of the French Council, M. Bard, to the Count. de 'Bezaure, explaining' that. the lots in question, were, wanted. for. the. erection of a. School aud.a Hospital; there being no: other ground "available, - asking him to proceed to their expropriation, and adding that the Municipality. would deposit in a bank at the disposition of the holders" of " the title-deeds the assessed: value of the property,"''ls. 41,875.
Then follows an extract from the minutes of the meeting. of the French Council on. the Ist of June last, at which an ordinance from the French Consul-General was read, calling on the proprietors of the two lots in question to present themselves within eight. days at the Consulate-General to prove their titles. "This ordinance, dated the 23rd of May, was communicated to the occupants of the two lots in question by the Secretary of the French Municipality.
No, 4 is an extract from the minutes of the meeting of the French Council on the 22ud of June, The Secretary announced that he had written to the Representative of the Ningpo Joss-House, telling him that in conformity with the Consul-General's ordinance of the 23rd of May, he had to prove his title to lots 186 and 191 at the Consulate-General. Up to the 21st of June, the answer of the Representative of the Ningpo Joss-House was, that he had no title-deeds for these lots. No. 5 is a letter of the 28rd of June from the Secretary. of the French Municipality to the Representative of the Ningpo Joss-House acknowledging a letter of the latter in which the fact that there were no title: deeds forthcoming was conveyed.
The sixth and last document published this morning is a letter, dated the Ist of July, from the Secretary of the French Municipality to the Representative ofthe NingpoJoss-House. It says:—"Sir—The Representatives of the Association known as the "Ningpo Temple" who have been, for several years, occupants of lots 186 and 191 on the cadastral plan of the French Concession at Shanghai, not having, as is Iearnt from your written information, any title-deeds for the said lots, I instructed to inform you that, in accordance with the terms of the Treaties, the French Municipality has lodged with the Cousn!-General of France a claim to repossess these lots which are necessary for the accomplishment of certain works of public utility which will be especially of udvantaga to the Chinese population of the French Concession, and which are as follows "A School for the education of young Chinese "A Hospital where medical attention will be given gratuitously to poor Chinese residents "An Abattoir for the provision of wholesome meat for the inhabitants of Shanghai.
"The. Consul-General having admitted.the claim of the French Municipality, the Intter assumes from this day the rights of proprietorship over lots 186 and 191, "The: agreed' indemnity will be paid to: the: rightful claimant after an understanding between the Consul-General of France and the Chinese authorities."
"These documents give a clear and intelligible account of the negotiations which would undoubtedly have ended peaceably and amicably had not the Taotai exhausted the patience of the Count de Bezaure and the French Municipality by his procrastination and indecision. As we have: alrendy said, these papers clear up one or two doubtful points, and answer some of the objections that have been: made by pro-Chinese advocates, and we cannot but commend the action of the French Municipality in making them public. They might well have -been made public even sooner, though: few have doubted that our French neighbours were acting well within their rights in the steps they have.taken in reference to this old bone of contention, the Ningpo Joss-House.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.