A notable meeting was held on Saturday afternoon at the Treaty Commissioners' rooms in the interest of the International Institute w!. 30,000 were promised and subscribed. An invitation had been sent out to leading Chinese by four members of the Executi mittee, Mr. R. E. Bredon, C.M.G. Charles Dudgeon, Mr. John' Prentice, and Dr. J. C. Ferguson, and by four Chinese on the Council of the Institute, who are also directors of the Chinese Bureau of Commerce, namely, Yen Shao-fang, Chu Pao-san, Tong Kid-son, and Chu Chin-piao.
About 60 responded to the indi tion, indicating a readiness to do something. Among those present were their Excellencies, the Treaty Commissioners, j-huan and Wh Ting-fang, the istrate, Wang the Grain Taotai at Nanking,' Pfan- Yen en, the Directors of the China Merchants' and the Imperial Chinese Telegraphs, and men from the different guilds." The Shanghai Taotai was unable to attend unt of illness. BLE. Sheng Kung-was kept away by the sudden dear)
brother.
At 3 o'clock, the hour appointed, the guests began to arrive. Refreshments were provided in one of the large rooms, where the guests were received by the gentlemen who had issued the invitation. After chatting with each other for some time, they adjourned into another room veting and decide on Ww: and means." Mr. R. E. Bredon, Chairman of the Committee, called the meeting to order, and asked Dr. Gilbert Reid to explain what the International Institute was to do, what were its benefits, and what wae wanted in the way of mone Dr. Reid, "peaking in mandarin, briefly outlined the plan of the Institute. 'The plan, he said, had origally' been presented for approval to the Prince and Ministers of the Foreign Office in Peking, and it was now proposed to go on wit the plan asa whole without any change from its form officially sanctioned. Those present had copies of these Regulations in their hands. In brief, its aim was to do all that was possible to help China and the Chinese, remembering that foreigners would be benefited at the same} time. The way proposed to effect the good was educational and institutional. First it was desired to bring about more friendly social relations between Chinese, whether officials, merchants, or scholars, and for-[ciners, whether Consuls, merchants or aries, and this not only in Sh but in other places. So far as Shang-was concerned, it was proposed in th to have reception rooms or a club, where respectable Chinese of different Frovinces not only could meet each other but could meet with educated men from abroad. The next thing was to have a large hall for lectures to grown-up men, hall which could hold at its utmost about 1,300. In a large place like Shanghai some such halt was needed for the Chinese. Thirdly, by using part of the same hall there would be provided elassrooms, not intended as a. college, but as giving special instruction in those branches which would fit men for public positions. Then it was intended to have a library and a museum, using at the outset also part of the same main ball, and developing as needs would require. Dr. Reid showed the drawings for such a building, costing upwards of 60,000 tals. Besides this amount, some 30,000 taels would be iteeded for a site, and this amount it is now asked of the Chinese to subscribe. Unfortunately the mistake had been made in not having purchased 20 years ago. There were four reasons why this meeting had been called. First, some foreigners had remarked that the Chinese in Shanghai did not want this Institute, and even if they did, they would not help it along. A rear answer was wanted to this objection. Secondly, there had been so much delay that friends in Europe and America could not be induced to do what they were first willing to do, unless the Chinese in Shanghai made the start. Thirdly, as the Institute was not a Church, it was hard to get the supporters of missionary societies to contribute to this, and hence support must largely come from others. Fourthly, the Chinese in Shanghai were not the poor of the land and as the better-class Chinese were to participate in the benefits, and the Institute was not a famine relief hall, the Chinese here would naturally be expected to contribute money, even though the plan was something new and foreign Before Dr. Reid had finished his explanation, the well-known Ningpo gentleman, Mr. Yen Shao-fang, Chief Director of the Chinese Bureau' of Commerce, and for many years at the head of the Custom: Bank, was already on his fect. and amid' much applause exclaimed, "Very good, very good When foreigners come forward to thus help us in establishing this Institute, we surely must do our part to make it a success Dr. Gilbert Reid has already exerted himself to the utmost. in our behalf. and now that he asks us to subscribe Tael: 30,000 for the purchase of a site, this we will do, will we not?" And amidst applause and excitement, all exclaiming "Yes, yes,"" the speaking part of the programme' ha ended. After conversing and consulting with each other in different parts of the room as to the best. way te proceed, they decided that as: body they would guarantee the whole amount, and would designs six of their number to secure whatever subscription from those not present which would be neviled to complete the subserip-{tion which could be made at this meeting.
Mr. Yen Shao-fang then took pen in hand and sat down at the table where the subscription hook was placed. Different persons came forward to amount of their subscription, time nearly half the amount was subscribed. His Excellency Wu Ting-fang subscribed 500 Taels; His Excellency Lu Hai-huan subscribed 300 Taels; the China Merchants made a new subscription of 2,000 Tnels Mr. Yen Shao-fang, Mr. Tseng Shao-ching, a Fukien man, and Mr, Pang Lai-chen, a Huchow man, each subscribed 1,500 Tuels the Shanghai Maxistrate subscribed 200 Taels; Mr, Tong Kid-son subscribed 300 Taels; Mr. Hsii Yui-chih, now chief Director of the China Merchants, and the ik Guild each subseriled 1,000 Taels. With the subscriptions thus made it should by very easy to secure the other half of the amount from others who were not present, but would be willing to ce-operate. meeting was most creditable 10 the gener ous spirit of the Chivese and to their sense of honour. The six persons designated as the Committee were: Mr. Yen Shaofanz, Mr. Chu Pao-san, Mr. Tong Kid-son, Mr. Chou Chin-piao, Mr. Chu Pao-kuei, and Mr.—Shao-ching, representing the Ningwo, Soochow, Cantonese, and Fukienese parts of the Chinese' community.
The meeting closed with mutual conatulations and in the confidence that the International Institute was now guaranteed speedy fulfilment of its aims and plan, and that Shanghai would be honoured by its establishment at this commercial centre.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.