THE Committee of the Hongkong Chamber held its regular monthly meeting on the Sth inst., Sir Thomas in the chair, and the Tminnres as given in the " Hongkong igo Dairy Press" of the 12th that we propose to give a brief summary of them. The first matter after the transaction of the usual formal business, which included the substitution on the Committee of Mr. E, A. Hewett for Mr. H. A. Ritchie, was a mention that the tariff drawn up under the auspices of the Shanghai Branch of the Chinn Association had been accepted at Peking, though it was not known whether any information on the subject had been received at Canton; and "the Chairman said it was a feather in the cap of the Shanghai experts if their classification had been so promptly accepted. The Chamber would have to congratulate the Association on their well-deserved success in the matter." The Secretary mentioned that he had given Sir James Mackay full information on the Chamber's memorandum on Tariff and Trade questions, which had been endorsed by Canton, and it was decided to publish the memo-random, to which. we refer Inter. It was then determined to write strongly to the British Minister and to Sir James Mackay on the subject of the preferential tariff granted by the Native Customs at Can'on and on the West River to junks over steamers, there having been so far no indication of the expected transfer of the Native Customs to the control of the Foreign Customs. The meeting then decided that the Colony could not actively participate, as it had b en suggested under a misapprehension that it should do, in the proposed Exhibition at Cork in Muy next, that enterprise being "described as being undertaken for the purpose of stimulating the growth and improvement of manufacturing and other industries in Ireland." 'T! after a notice of the Private Chair and Riesha Com mission, we come to the Meni random, of which the following is the op-ning paragraph In connection with the commercial negotiations about to be opened between His Majesty's Government and China under the Protocol recently signed, it is hoped that the numerous trade rights and facilities' (many' of. which' were really conceded by former Treaties butin different either nullified or evaded)" so long agit fated for by foreign merchants in China will at length "be placed on sure grounds nud beyond further question. Situated as this 'Colony' is," being "a'free port, amt ne) Hongkong does not al move very 3 1193 Bntein so inch of interes: Sesefore mot deli dre oth te Chat, number' of important the commercial world in China, gutestions affecting foreign trade with Chi
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.