For some months past an agitation has boon in progress among the native community for the reduction of rent, As briefly reported in these colamas, an elderly Chinese, who was found distributing pamphlets calculated to incite to breach of the peace, was brought up at the Mixed Court on Friday, and ordered to find security for his fatare good calties will be engendered and thus out bob: saviour. By " printer's error the of the wish to escape responsibility I Magistrate was credited with the re-shoald, on the contrary, be incarrin mark that scoused was the kind of old blame.' Consequently, I could not bear man the Court could respect, whereas to proceed in that manner. what he really said was that ho was the Formerly, on taking over from Liang kind of old man the Court could not Taotai, all that I received were the ro-respect, Whether owing to the means cogaisances of the various banks, and I employed by this elderly Chinese, or was atill obliged to continue the de-because of pamphlets circulated, or Thos the single house of intimidation exerted by other persona, deposit from the shop-keepers throughout the Central ang to the amount of and Hongkew districts pat up their several hundreds of thousands of taels, shutters on Satarday as a passive pro-and no ready money was handed over to test against the refusal of certain landlords to lower their rents, La many aged respects the whole thing was a farce. to take over this with the rest Though shatters were pat up, doors form. Bat with my circumstances not, remained open, and most of the shops a they were, I am now all the lose able were ely too willing to do business to discuss with or compel Taotai Lin to' with those who entered. At the same accept the reoogaisances of these banks time the principal thoroughfares of covering the the Settlement presented a curious spectacle, They were lined on both sides with crowds of idle spectators, stake, and will show leniency for the who fortunately confined themselves to difficulties of the people, aad also wordy discussions of the situation. It in common take note of my own hard ig to be doubted whether the balk of cireamstances. I, la my person, have the shop-keepers who put up their met with wreck and rejection as a0 shatters were in full sympathy with the official. It is not my wish to take to: rent reduction campaign, Doubtless, words with others, yet if I close my like everyone else, they would like to mouth and say nothing, Iam finally see rents lowered, but whether they felt pressed by anxiety lest the trath shoald entirely in accord with the measures not prevail. adopted is an open question To respect to my petition as to the police were ready to deal with any foreign loan of Tls. 3,500,000, a to dintarbances, and several armed parties which the Kiaogse Treasurer La has were la evidence in di parts replied after examination that the action the Settlement, bat their active inter-has not been trae; I have recently vection was not required, The fact advanced argoments la detail and have that a party of agitators could enforce sent them in " petition by post and the nominal shutting up of nearly every count upon its early arrival. In con-shop in the Settlement, is, however, clusion it remains only to be said that serious matter, so it could easily the matter was the subject of a memorial made " pretext for less harmful pro-and approval la the 6th month by the testa by the rowdy element in the Viceroy in the first place, and was far-Settlement. ther the subject of a memorial dated Lia Pao-tering, the elderly agitator, September 5 by the Soochow Governor' who was ordered to find sect setting forth the debilitated financial Fridsy was again brought up at th condition of the merchants and the'
Mixed Court before Mr, 81 alarm prevalent in the money market, Di Schirmer on Saturday morning, for and explaining that the loan of fonds for repayment of liabilities was quite unavoidable. The trae circamstancos at the time in question have already received the honour of your perusal and note, end all provedore in respect thereto having been in agreement from the be-failing to obey the orders of the Ooart. The Magistrate asked him why he had failed to find security, asiordered the preceding day, Accused replied that the Magistrate had ordered him to fied security, snd afterwards not to distribute any farther circular,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.