On the afternoon of Monday, the Sth of January, there was a very influential gathering in the Town Hall, in connection with the Tien Tsu Hui, which on cheer the hearts of Mrs. Little and ladies of the Society.
Mr. F. Anderson, Chairman of the Municipal Council, presided. 'There were present the Tnotai of Shanghai, the Shanghai Magistrate, the Shanghai Colonel, several other officials, and some scores of influential gentry, merchants, and s with a number' of attendants who tilled the entrances.
As the meeting was specially called to interest: native gentlemen the movement very fow foreigners were the speakers these were Hannen, Me. White-Cooper, the Rev.
Williwns, the Rev. D. McGillivray, ud the writer. spoke in English and was by Lord He said tha were now help to start the movement. to put a stop to this cruel custom it ped that the Chinese mandarins and gentry would take it up and carry it on all over the Empire.
high mandarins were al He told how in many es of the Empire ready taking up the matter, forbidding foot-binding in their and writing pamphlets ex-borting others to do the same.
The Rev. F. L. Ha Pott followed, speaking in Chinese with his usual ease and force. But it is to be feared that many of the mandarins missed this as he spoke in the Shanghai dialect.
After that one of the Arsenal Taotais Hu Kien-yin said that he had prepared a aper and would like to speak on it if in order. The Chairman gladly seized the opportunity of getting a mandarin to speak in favour of the movement. Mr. Hsii thereupon gave a most racy speech which repeatedly convulsed the audience. He said that when the Northern hordes invaded China in the middle ages they repeatedly carried away the women with large feet bat left behind the pleasure women with small feet. In consequence of this the cus.om of binding women's feet became universal. But it isa cruel custom and string cent measures should now he adopted to put a stop toit. He suzzested that every grown-up won tan should pay a license of one tael cent per day for having her foot bound. Estimating the grown-up women who bind. their fect at only nine millions this would sive an income of over 30) million taels per annum (2). Thisincome he suggested should be used as follows 20 per cent to replace the likin tax and to pay silaties to the poor expectant officials 10 per cent should he given the Empress Dowager to ensure her carrying out the heme; 20} per cent to he given to the n Tsu Hui to collect the revenue; and ming 50 per cent to he handed over to the Government for general purposes, Dr. Milles then spoke on the evils of the custom from a medical standpoint and was interpreted by Lord Tseng.
Thus was brought to a close a meeting which we hope will become historical as one of the first in. which the natives officials and gentry of Shanghai began to take a very. practical interest; in this humane movement to remove this gigantic evil.
Timotay Ricnaxn.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.