The Health Olficer reports that very few applications for probationerships have been received in response to Notification No.1772, also, that if a sufficiency of suitable candidates is not be necessary to by Imperial Edict on the 14th January which hss been communicated to the Consular Body. Without defini formation on this point, the Cow 1 can only judge of the situation in the light of the facts reported by the Captain-Superintendent of Police. which ye no doubt also formed the subject of reports by the Consular Assessors Stated briefly, these facts are as follows:—'That the maximum term of imprisonment now imposed by sentence of the Court is sixty days 'That in serious criminal cases (such, as burglary, larewny and robbery with violence) calling for severer sentences, judgment is postpone' and the pria remanded in custo.ly pending reference to the Magi That inadequate sentences have bosn imposed in rec 8 of high-'Viewed in the light of the oven ta robbers and rioters.
which led to the disturbances of the and taken in connection with the abolition of corporal panishment at the Mixed Court (a reform confined apparently to the Foreign Settlement) together with the now. of the Chinese the Settlement Municipal supervise of disorder, and, unless promptly chock-od, to put an end to the good government of the Settlement.
With the growth of the Foreign Settlement, its increasing wealth las inevitably attracted to. its vicinity 0 numbers of the class which lives mua forms of plunder; hitherto, er, by the full exercise of the conferred on the Foreign Com-
Shanghai, 28th March 1906. Sir,—I have the honour to enclose herewith for your information and consideration " Chinese letter, with free from Taotai.
T remain, Si Your obedient servant, D. Sirrant, Gonsul-General for Belgium and senior Consul.
Houpay, Esq., Chairman, Municipal Council, Translation of letter fron th: Taotai to the Senior Consul, dated 18th Murch, 1908.
Shanghai is a principal port of trade wherein Chinese and foreigners settle down and reside—tho good and the bad together. Since assuming charge of the Tuotaiship, I h..ve been informed y ruffians and I jous parts of the city the Settlement, where business is to quoezo and rob the people, and cases of larceny and burglary have been frequently reported, But what is more, in spite of the vast numbers of detec: tives and constables in the Settlement, those lawless vagabonds are still bold enough to use weapons in the commission of violent crime: without the slightest apprehension, Such a state of affaire is already intolerable during time of peace; and they will no doubt be a dangerous factor in time of trouble, and riot. The disturbance of last year haa already seriously affected the good order and peace of the port and caused considerable damage to people, Chinese and fo The fears are thinking of above matter, and Lam therefore of opinion that every effort should be taken to arrest these evildoers and to got rid of them, 1 will issue the in decided, in the first place, to advorrise in the Hongkong and Tientain newspapers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.