Council Room, Shaogbai, January 26, 1910.
Sin,—With reference to your letter of January 18, on the subject of the suppression of the "Min Hsii Pao" under an order of the Mixed Court, I am directed to hand you, herein enclosed, a copy of " letter which the Council has addressed to the Consalar Body in the matter.
Tam, Sir, Your obedient servant, W. E. Lrvssox, Secretary. Monoax Panurs, Esq. was destitute of any semblance of those proper formalities which are associated with modern civilized legal procedure.
It is not the Council's desire to be concerned in the defence of the paper bat, from s cursory inspection of the articles of which complaint is. made, there appears to have been precedent for intervention; aod bad wareing, or or other punishment been administered by regaler process of Court to the editor or responsible manager, no cause for protest would bai arisen.
Total justifiable as it is unprecedented, and, for this reason I have the honour to express the hope that the Consular Body may see fit to bring such pressure to bear in the matter as will result in the charge against the "Min Hsii Pao" being properly heard and adjudicated upon, and that this infringement of the liberties of native residents in the Settlement may not be permitted to go T have the honour to be Sir, Your obedient servant, Chairman.
D. Sirrenr, Esq., Consal-General for Belgiom, and Senior Consal.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.