Shanghai.
Council Room, Shanghai, 23rd January, 1903.
S1n,—I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of yesterday's date forwarding the reply of the Shanghai Taotai having reference to the Council's letter of 27th December on the subject of Lotteries.
From the Taotai's reply, as quoted, it would appear that tha Council's communication on this subject has been entirely misunderstood. The Council did not request a prohibition of the sale of Lottery tickets in the Settlement, bo-ready been issued and is, theoretically speaking, in force; but, belo prevent this prohibition being in any senso effective so long as Lotteries are sanction ed by the Central and Provincial governments, the Consular Body was requested "to lay the facts before the Chinese authorities, either locally or at Peking as may seem best, and in the general interests of good government and public morals, to request that general prohibition ty against all Lotteries should be proclaimed and enforced without delay."
I have therefore the honour to request that the Consular Body may make ro-presentations in this senso to the Chinese authorities, and that the Council's action in this matter, which is in accordance with the views expressed in the past by the Consular Body, may reecivo the latter's energetic support.
have the honour to be, Your obedient servant, Wa. Geo. Bayne.
Chairman, J. Goopxow, Esq.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.