Approved, EDBERT A. HEWETT, Chairman, Shanghai Municipal Councit. Suaxeuat, sth Joux, 1900.
Council Room. 7th September, 1900.
Sir,—I am a ted to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th ultimo 1y the subject of a recent order relative to Firemen who are also Voionteers. The Coun has given this matter full attention and is of opinion that the joint order issued by the Chief Engineer and the Major Commanding V. C. on the ath July last embodies the best arrangement which under existing circumstances can he made. Occasion for the adoption of the procedure therein laid down is likely to be of the rarest occurrence; but the order having been issued by the senior officers of of the Volunteer Corps and the Fire Brigade, the Council, in the general interests of dis cipline, cannot take into consideration any modification thereof, more particularly as the points referred to in your letter under reply were carefully considered before the order in question was issued. It must no general rule can be framed which will not be open to objection from certain points of view, but in such cases the Council trusts that the sense of voluntary discipline which has ever distinguished the Fire Brigute lead its members as a whole to recognise the general good even in matters of personal inconveni Tam, Sir, Your obedient servant, 5.0. P, Bras, Secretary. J. A, Poxn, Esq, Secretary, Fire Commission.
Hung-chang.—The Senior Consul notifies the impending departure of the Viceroy, accompanied by his retinue and escort, and the Council directs that the necessary instructions be given for Police rangements. It is understood that the troops accompanying him are to be confined to his personal bodyguard.
Bridge over Hongkew Creck.—The follow. ing letters contain the conditions under which permission has been granted to Messrs. Reuter Brockelmann & Ca, to erect a bridge over this waterway, Shanghai, 24th October, 1899.
Drak Si,—We bei to apply for permis-jon to erect a wooden footbridge 10 feet idle across the Hongkew Creek about 400 fect North of the Scott Rood, to provide access ty the Steam Laundry we are erecting on the Eastern Bank of the Hongkew Creek.
We shall be prepared to submit the plan of the bridge for the approval of the Municipal nginecr and to construct same in aevordanee ith his directions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.