We translate the following Report of the Shanghai magistrate, Wang, to the Grand Secretary and Imperial Commissioner, Kang Yi, with reference to the proposed establishment of a Native Merchant Volunteer Force for the protection of Chinese merchants living in the Settlements and native suburbs "Your EXcELteNcy, "Ihave the honour to report the receipt by me of dispatch from my immediate superior, the Sungkiang prefect, embodying Your Excellency's instructions with reference to the proposed establishment of a Municipal police force, a Volunteer battalion and Reserve granary for the district of Shanghai; impress the necessity of earnestly obey Excellency's instructions in the matter and ordering me to report separately upon the result of the preliminary steps taken by me under each heading.
"Bearing in mind this proof of Your Excellency's anxiety to improve the conditions of the country in the difficult crisis it is now undergoing, it is incumbent upon your petitioner to use his best endeavours in the matters entrusted to him, and I have, therefore, now the honour to make the fellowing circular Report, both to Your Excellency and to the high provincial authorities at Nanking and Soochow.
"Now the primary duty of a Volunteer force is to protect the inhabitants of place, but the Voluntee enrolled by me will not only attend to the duty of protecting the people hut also to protect the commerce of the district. "Shanghai is jointly governed Foreigners and by Chinese. Outside the native city walls dwell wealthy merchants and extensive traders as thick as the scales of a fish and who crowd together in clouds, whilst their wealth and rich cargoes are stocked in the Settlements to overflowing. It is but natural that the riffraff of the Port look greedily upon them, and although there are large numbers of wealthy families living in the Settlements they are greatly outnumbered by the masses of the unemployed who number in their thousands and tens of thousands, and who are constantly on the look-out for opportunities to plunder those whom they consider their legitimate prey. Again, although the Foreign police number strong force and are proportion ately strict and vigilant in dealing with evil-docts, they are really ton weak in numbers: for. the task of crashing large bodies of armed desperadoes or any armed They are only equal to the pre p-tty fights and thefts within their jurisdiction. It is; therefore, most important to guard against the desperate men of this port, or else the local officials will soon be' having their hands full of cases of armed robbery and even of such serious matters as riots against missionaries and their converts, thereby adding to the troubles of Your petitioner has, since coming to his present post, been constantly occupying hig mirid as to how to deal with these prospective dingers and often trembled at the thought oF some untoward circumstance which may force the situation such as described above.
"T find that commerce is looked upon as the most important institution of the countries of the West and, to protect this commerce, they always enrol Volunteer forces from their own men of commerce. Although I have here such bodies of men city militia, suburban militia, and militia enrolled from among the fishing population, these are only sufficient for their respective localities and for the protection of their individual homes; but if they should be ordered to take also the protection of the Foreign Settlements under their care they would prove unwilling protectors with their hearts anxious for their own families and hearth-stones,—leaving aside the question of in sufficiency of numbers, have, therefore, recently had close consulta tions with a number of the wealthy native merchants living in the Settlements with reference to this question of enrolling a Volunteer force for the protection of those, following commerce. The men with whom I consulted naturally had their anxiety for the safety of themselves and their families, and my propositions having fallen in with their ideas of the exigencies of the case, they showed every willingness to give every assistance within their power. It has now been arranged that the money for such an undertaking shall be contributed by the mercantile classes, the organisation and enrolment to be in their own hands, while the local officials will direct affairs. In other words, the proposed Force shall be modelled and organised after the Foreign Volunteer Forc- of this Port, the members to be selected from the well-to-do mercantile classes, in the following manner:—200 men to form the infantry; 60 men for the artillery; and 40 men as cavalry troopers. This force will be drilled by Japanese instructors engaged from that country, who will be expected to act diligently and earnestly in their duties in instructing the Volunteers in their work. In
ities, we shall have no anxiety for this way, being prepared for eventual-the future. The funds for the support of this Volunteer force, it is estimated, will consist of the annual interest derived from a contribution of Tls. 100,000 deposited in some secure institution. Fortunately, I have to report that within a month's time I have succeeded in securing the subscrip~ tion of one-bult of the required sui already and there i+ reason therefore to believe that the proposed movement will successful one.
"The proposed Force being one in ad-ition to the regular city, suburban, and fishermen militia, and one which will have for its special object the protection of commerce and the mercantile classes, has, although we have advanced to" successful result, one obstacle in the way. It is that, being meant for the protection als> of the Foreign Settlements, T dare not venture to complete our arrangements without first receiving distinct commands from the high provincial authorities 50 to do (the Settlements being beyond your petitioner's jurisdiction).
'I have the honour, therefore, to present for Your Excellency's approval the foregoing outline of the Farce intended to he raised, and would bey that Your Excellency will see fit to grant a rescript therefor. Should Your Excellency favour me with your written approval I will again convoke an assembly of those interested in this movement to decide upon rules and regulations for the placing of the proposed Commercial Volunteer Force on a permanent basis. With com-piiments," ete.
{L.S.J Seal of Wang; district magistrate of Shanghai, Province of Kiangeu.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.