Sim—Mr. Mackay right in insisting holding a jao Shanghai affair is seriously prejudicing British interests in China, and I agree with his Chinese correspondent that it is for the Judge to say whether an employee of the Municipal Council is right or wrong in shooting Chinese in the course of his duty, But is it necessary to have a tribunal of four or five Judges of different nationalities to) try the case? So far as the British employees are concerned,—there would seem to be no reason why their case should not be tried by H. B. M. Supreme Court at Shangha 'A somewhat similar case occurred at Canton in the early eighties. A British Customs employee, named Page, shot a Chinese in the execution of his duty. The British Consul telegraphed the facts to the Judge of the Supreme Court at Shanghai and was instructed to hold a preliminary inquiry at which Twas to act as prosecutor. The accused was committed for trial the Judge of the Supreme Court, who came to Canton for the purpose. The Chinese local authorities and the Chinese Government offered the most determined opposition to the proceedings throughout, and claimed that the accused was exempt from British jurisdiction for an act committed in his capacity as the servant of the Chinese Government. The trial, which occupied several days and' cost the Crown tome thousands of pounds, ended in the acquittal of Page, for whose: defence the leading counsel in Hong Kong had been engaged by the Chinese Government. cite the above case to show the extraordinary solicitude which the British authorities in China have always shown in cases involving Chinese life, and to suggest that if the British Supreme Court can assert jurisdiction over a British subject" in the employ of the Chinese Government, it can equally do s0 in the case of British subject in the employ of the Shanghai Municipal Council. And I feel sure, with Mr. Mackay, that the Muni pal Council courts the fullest posible inguiry into the action of its employees.
Yours, faithfully, Hotel Wampach, Folkestone, fo the Editor of the "NowrH-Ciniwa Dart News"
SiR—Revolutions are usually caused by those in established authority being so satisfied with the state of affairs that they are unconscious of any necessary for change. Thus, instead of having tem built up by evolution, or constant adaptation, we usually find system remaining unchanged for years subjected to violent changes from time to time. In the early days of the International Settlement the system of voting was probably quite excellent, and no one has had the interest or energy to change it materially. At the present time it results in a very large community being subject to the control (how-fever benevolent) of a single class. The political theory of the whole of Western civilization is against its one doubts if any place could now show so extraordinary a franchise. A ery of "Adult suffrage and down with vested interests" would be appropriate. No one has yet given any answer to the question "Why are the majority of the 8. V.
not entitled to vote?"
Tam, ete,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.