22nd March.
A satisfactory if rather uninteresting meeting was brought to a close early yesterday afternoon—it might have been brought to a close before the adjournnient for tiffin. With the exception of the formal addresses by the Chairman, both full of pertinent remarks, there was very little speaking, and the voting showed that the Shanghai ratepayers are still swayed by common sense. The first three resolutions went through without any speaking whatever; on the fourth Mr. Hewett, the Chairman of the Council, made his exposition of the Report for last year. He began with the subject of the Volunteers, mentioning the deep debt of gratitude that the community owes to the officers and non-commissioned officers, whose zeal and knowledge enabled the recruits who poured in last summer to be promptly made efficient; the valuable service rendered for the time by the American company; the cordiality with which the Japanese company was welcomed; and the hearty assistance given throughout by General Gascoigne. He added that the necessary preparations for the defence of the Settlement had brought the total expense of the Volunteers up to nearly is. 100,000. Mr. Hewett then turned to the Police, and alluded to the experienced and distinguished new Captain-Superintendent, Captain Boisragon to the good work done by the detective department, and to the backing which the Consular Body have always p given to the Council in their endea-yours to suppress encroachments on the part of the Chinese authorities. Mr. Hewett made some interesting allusions to the work of the Sanitary Department; the long-felt want whicl the Victoria Home soon to be opened will supply; and the imperative necessity for an increase in the Health Officer's staff. He lavished well-deserved praise on the Volunteer Fire Brigade, and they, turning to Works matters, mentioned that the Council, having much need of funds, were devoting themselves more to acquiring land for roads than to making the roads, He pointed out the necessity for obtaining a Park in Li Hongkew where land is still fo be purchased at a reasonable price; and mentioned that concessions had been made to the promoters of Resolution No. IX which had decided them to withdraw it. Mr. Hewett gave some account of the improvements that are being made in the electric light service, mentioning that there will be an all-day service during the coming summer if there is sufficient demand for it. He added that we are still without a rubbish Cordon and Jessfield Roads to Sicadestructor, though the garbage to|wei would be a useful road, be dealt with amounts to 100,000) and could carried through tons a year. The troubles inj for a reasonable figure at the present the North have necessitated the) time." In reply to a question by postponement of action in the Chi-|Mr. Mordhorst Me. Hewett promised nese Educational scheme. The rela- that the Council would look into the tions of this Council with the French lighting of the Bubbling Well Road Council have been most cordial between the Race Course and the throughout the year, and the staffjCarier Road; and the Budget was have displayed the greatest loyalty then passed nem. con., as were Re-and ability during a very trying! solutions VI and VII, electing Mr. J. time. Mr. Hewett concluded with} L. Scott on the Land Commission, some eloquent sentences in which he! and Messrs. R. Inglis, A. McLeod, dealt with the loss during the year} Dr. Paulun, and J. L. Scott on the of King Humbert and Queen Victoria, the siege in Pekin, acres of missionaries in China, at pecial loss sutfereil_by Shanghai in the! deaths. of Sir Nicholas nen, Dr. Muirhead, Mr. David Brand, and Mr. Chi Dowdall. Mr. Hewett} was heartily applauded when he sat down, and the resolution was passed without any discussion whatever.
Then Mr. Hewett rose again to expound the Budget (Resolution V). He noted how fast the expenditure was inevitably increasing with the growth of the Settlement, and mentioned that the sum to be raised by loan had to be increased to Ts. 70,000, owing to the change in the situation of the lottery question since the resolution was announced. He read the most recent correspondence on the subject, the effect of which is that if the Taotai will withdraw his protection from all Chinese lotteries, no more licenses will be granted, and the plague will be stayed. This will reduce the estimated Budget receipts by some Tls. 35,000, and as the intended loan is to be increased by Tls. 30,000 there will be a decrease of Tls. 5,000 in the estimated sur-lus. Meanwhile, if the Taotai's reply is unsatisfactory, the Council will have to retain its power to license lotteries. Mr. Hewett commended to the ratepayers the proposed increase in the subsidy to the Public School, and the appropriation for a municipal gaol, which is most urgently required, and whose provision it is hoped will banish beri-beri, which is the curse of the present cells.
One amendment was moved by Mr. Drummord—that the small greenhouses in the reserved public arden should be rebuilt and the louses supplied with a hot water system. Mr. Drummond dealt at some length on the necessity for the amendment, and went into the matter of the disfavour shown by recent Councils to sub-committees of ratepayers. Mr. Hewett did not oppose the amendment at all strenuously, only repudiating the charge that he was not a lover of flowers, and the amendment was carried. After this Mr. Hewett, in answer to Mr. Drummond, stated that the Council giving their attention to Mr. Mayne's suggestion on page 203 of the Report: "A road from the junction of Board of Governors of the General pital. Resolution VILL, a motion by Mr. Nils Moller in favour of the reduction of the franchise, was ruled out of order after Mr. Brenan, the Chairman, had asked the mceting if they wished to discuss it, and they had replied by a large majority in the negative. Resolution IX was withdrawn as already announced, and the meeting adjourned to tiffin.
On reassembling at two in the afternoon, three-quarters of an hour were occupied in burying out of sight the absurd string of resolutions brought forward by Mr. fT. Cowen. It is unnecessary to dwell upon this me-lanchaly ceremony. After parts 1, 2, 3, and 6 had been voted down, the mover in every case stating that he had nothing to say in favour of his resolutions, and paris 4 and 5 withdrawn, Mr. Cowen realised the hopelessness of his adventure and withdrew the other six, and the meeting passed a vote of thanks to the Chair and dispersed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.