8ia,—In reply to your letter of March 3, in respect to the reduction of opium licences, I am directed to inform on that the diminution of twenty-five per cent from July 1, is proposed as genuine part of a programme of periodic reductions to extend over period of two years. While the Council la unwilling to bind its successors in office explicitly to any course of action, or to tie their hands in a matter 60 closely affecting their administration of the Settlement, the course which your Committee sketches will doubtless be followed, and possibly accelerated, if the present policy of the Chinese Council's opinion these considerations must govern all suppressive action against opium houses in the Settlement, I am, Bir, Your obedient servant, W. E. Luvaaow, The Rev. W. N. Birrox, Secretary.
Chairman of ihe Executive Committee, The Shanghai Missionary Association.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.