Indeed it has been our constant thought and desire to see that our Chinese friends who choose to reside in the Settlement should have always a fair deal. I Jcould be clearly recognized: I have almost reason to think that amongst. those who study the situation it is recognized, and that amongst them in any event there is a real desire to work im harmony with their foreign friends.
I would instance in that connex-fon the case of the Union Club in which we are gathered to-night and on the Committee of which or on the Proprietary Committee I have since its inauguration. Here we meet many highly educated Chinese gentlemen engaged as most of us are in trade, and who amongst the three nationalities who compose its membership have been mest eager to work up close friendship and intercourse?
Our Chinese friends unquestionably have done their share in farthering the objects of this Club, and both we British and Americans, responsible as we were in large measure for the formation of the Club, have sadly lagged behind in contributing our share of such work along the lines on which the Club was formed. But it is not too late end I hope that in these new and jeomfortable quarters, with renew. led efforts on the part of the British and American members much may yet be accomplished.
We gentlemen who come end live broad, although we have our patriotic societies at whose gatherings we very rightly keep up our fcountry's customs, become very Jcosmopolitan im our ideas, and I feel that I can and that I have made as many close friendships amongst my Chinese as my Euro-jean friends; when I leave China this month T will leave behind me friends of whose welfare I hope I shall frequently hear.
T have had to-night and dunt ithe past two weeks the most tani possible evidence in the shape of many valuable gifts from- my Chinese friends, of their kindly feelings towards myself which I can most heartily reciprocate.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.