We understand that s movement is on foot amongst all classes of hinese within the jurisdiction of the Shang' Taotai to send a joint petition to the Central Government protesting against the transference of His Honour Taotai M. TT. Liang and praying that he may be allowed to remain here. It is also. known fact that there are a number of serious tradal questions as well as several important appeal cases in ci suits pending settlement by the Taotai which would be unnecessarily delayed were s new Taotai to come here just nom, thereby causing great inconvenience and loss of time to the merchants concerned. We further hear that several private meetings were held yesterday by influential gentry and merchants here to discuss the question of sending protest to Peking.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.