Sm,—The Woosung Land Regulations enclosed in your letter to the Consuls of 17th December last have been carefully considered by the Consular Body who desire me to transmit to you the following a,—Regulition 1.—In the treaties between China and the Foreign Powers, it is stipulated that the Foreign Settlements areas have to be defined by the Foreign and Chinese authorities acting in concert. That is an absolute necessity as it is the only way to know if the said areas are fit for the residence of foreigners.
b.—Regulation 2.—Is opposed _to the spi it of the British Treaty of 1858 (Art. XII) which, like other treaties, conveys to Foreigners the full right to lease land and make their agreement for that purpose at the rates prev: among the people, equitably, and without exactions on either side, ¢.—Regulation 4.—The condition of the intervention of a Consular delegate at the measurement of pieces of land may be accepted if the foreign merchant, himself can be this delegate when found fit by the interested Consul.
¢.—Regulation 7.—The cancelling of ormer title deeds belonging to foreigners van only be obligatory if the ground is transferred to other owners.
Regulation 9.—There is no reason justifying any payment, after measurement, for a surplus of land, except when it can be proved that the surplus belongs to the Imperial Government; equity commands that the seller be not bound to any more trouble than to return the said surplus to its real owners.
¢g-—Regulation 10.—It cannot be understood why foreign land owner at Woosung should pay aa impel land tax of 2,000 cash per mot, while in Shanghai such a tax is only 1,900 cash per mow.
h.—Regulation 12—is not allowed by treaties; the full right conveyed to foreigners by them to lease land, ete., would be violated by any obligatory previous registration of title deeds.
Such are the remarks drawn up by the Consular Body regarding the Woosui Land Regulations and my colleagues anc myself hope that you will accordingly amend the said Regulations which otherwise they would be unable to accept.
Esta conform com o original, A. O. Mangurs, Interprete de 1a Classe.
Corps Consulaire to Taotai Tsar, Minute: No. 39S.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.