At the time the Taiping rebels were in possession of Shanghai, the Settlement became neutral ground, and to which thousands of fugitives fied for protection, as Chinese have been in the habit of doing ever since when under apprehension of fear.
The situation was not easy to command and conditions were perplexing and difficult. of the City are not to bla: did not prove themselves infallible, but in February, 1855, it was agreed between the Consuls and Chinese authorities, That no Chinese subject can acquire land, or rent, or erect buildings within the foreign Settlement without the sane: tion of the Consuls of the treaty Powers." persons of other nations wish land and build within the its. they must first apply to the who will take the matter ion and act on their be-
When the French agreement was published both the British and American Consuls protested against the proviso. and informed their nationals that the protection of their consulate would be given to their land wherever situated. The pro-visa referred to was also in the British agreement, but was never insisted upon, and the owner of land This restriction of 1855 was somewhat a modification of the restric tion of 1845 which prohibited the "native inhabitants from—selling or renting land or houses to other Chinese, and prohibited the foreigners from building houses or renting to, or for the use of Chinese." The regulation of 1845 was the first agreed to between a foreign authority and the Chinese, and, as seen, was more draatic-in its restrictions than subsequent regulations, It "prescribed the method of acquiring title to land,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.