The annual dioner of the Chioa Association was beld in London on November 7, Mr. William Keswick, xr, in the chair, The geests nam-bered some 240. gentlemen, in the year 1880 Sir Alfres Dent, whom I am glad is with os tonight, conceived the idea that " China Association would be of advantage to the interesta of those who were connected with Chios, and s emall band initiated the China Association, which has now grown into most important niversary of coming-of-age 10 give you the toast of sperity of the Chico Arsociation""—(cheors)—and in doing 40, as I have been acquainted with it from ite cradle, I may say that {rom year to year it has seemed to progress in importance, certainly la numbers, and I thiok in the sabjeots it has bad to deal with, it has from the beginning un' il the present, day, increased and grown in wisdom and in strength—(cheers)—and has represented the great interests that we all have io Cbioa aod in Japan with modesty, bat with firmness, and with clearness of vision. It been met by oar Government also with great considerstion, aod with a doe regard to the views: that were expressed, aod that hare beea from time to time brought before the Government in connexion with what, has been then and now recognized as the quiet and slow, perhaps, bat still actively pregreasive intereete that we all porsese as an empire in that part of the world (Cheers.) From the beginning the Association has done ite best to bring forward for consideration all matters of great interest, and it has noted at ite anousl meetings som" of the subjects mich brave received attention. On this occasion, and after 80 elaborate, 0 eloquently expressed, aod 80 fall a statement as was made at the last annvel meeting, I feel that on my part there is not mach rrquired—althoogh I do not desire you, from that express tion of mine, to believe that daring the last twelve months there has beea any slackening of the interest of the sociation in the events that have taken place in the East, (Hear, hear,) Cor of the great events that has cccarrd in Chiva has been the conclariin of conditions of a treaty between Russia and Jepan and between Japan and the Chinese, relating to the position in Manchoria, vast province of China, partly now, I fear, loss Chinese than it ought, or' that st one time it, was likely to be. Mancharia has become, one of the great centres of production and of export to this country, and we there the development of a territory that has been due in a great measure to that vast uodertakiog, the Siberian Railway. That railway as all railways, T thiok, has introduced new elemente, Rew centres of progress, new interests,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.