While "dissociating themselves with our leading article of Sept. 32, the British Chamber of Commerce aid the China Association scarcely give in their letter, dated -Sept. 13, any constructive opinion therefor. Praeti all that we are told is they are whole-heartedly in agreement with the view that Chinese should be given representation on, the Municipal Coureil and are. Prepared to support this claim to the full. Curiously enough this is the point on which we found ourselves most intimately in accord with IL M. Minister, when he sugxested that the wisest thing to do, was to educate the Chinese against. the day when the "surrender would have to be made." Surely ti Advisory Committee was a step in that direction, and as we stated, was ad measure of representa ti It depended on the Chinese—for we Know that the Council thing possible to a thoroughly useful body—to ensure: the suees of the experiment. It! ix difficult in the circumstances to Why the gentlemen who writ to-day should desire to dissociate: themselves from us on this special point, the only which they specify. After pointing to this, there is not very much that can' be usefully udded, except a reference to the conditions under which the speech was made and the place. Had H.M. Minister been addressing a joint gathering of the British Chamber of Commerce and China Association, all men with a first-hand know-edge of Shanghai, his remark would have been interpreted in a sense entirely different from thd which must to-day be given them at Home by people whose acquaintance with the place is slight or for: the most* part second-hand. That, iv why it is impossible to contem-pluto with equanimity the effect of the general tenour,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.