Fearing that, on account of the troubles in the North of China raised by the Boxers, evil-doers meet at Shanghai in order to create disorders, Lasked and obtained from His Ex. the Taotsi the permission to! engage 20 braves to guard my yamen. T also decided that the said braves go to the TTaotai's yameo and receive there 1,000 caps, 10 catties lead and 50 Ibs. powder but as, for the introduction of such armament and ammunitions into the settlement, permission from the competent authori-ities is necessary, im order to avoid any possible trouble with the Municipal police, I beg to apply for such permit.
7th July.
Council Room, Shanghai, Lith July, 1900.
Sin,—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 10ch and 12th instant and to hand you as requested, herein enclosed, copy of certain reports regarding the enrolment by the native authorities of recruits in_the neighbourhood of the Arsenal, The Council considers that the presence of a large number of undisciplined troops in the vicinity of the Foreign Settlements is highly undesirable, and trusts that the Consular Body will call upon the local authorities to relove these levies without delay. The fact that the Chinese authorities in the North have com-letely lost control of their troops should form a good and sufficient reason for objecting to the enlistment of men in this province where, as the Consular Body has been assured, the existing resources of the Viceroy are sufficient to maintain order.
ularly, in regard to the Mixed Court Magistrate's proposal to engage a guard of 20 "braves" for the defence of his yamen and to bring arms and ammunition for the r use into the Settlement, the Council would request that the Consular Body should convey an early intimation to the Magistrate that his request cannot be complied with, but that the Council will be glad, should he so desire, to provide an adequate guard for his yamen so long as he may be apprehensive of disturbance. The Council lays the greatest stress on the firm maintenauice of the principle that 20 independent armed bodies can be sanctioned within Settlement limits.
Thave the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Eorent A. ewer, Chairman, Consul-General for Portugal and Senior Consul.
The Meeting then adjourns.
The following are forwarded for publication with the foregoing minutes
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.