The Municipal Gazette to-day contains a rather appropriate illustration of how the Council really looks aiter Chinese business-men in Shanghai, in spite if its alleged tyrannies and hard-heartedness. The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, it appears, became alarmed last month by rumours that the Chinese Government was arranging with the Council to levy a stamp tax on Chinese merchants in Shanghai. It may be noted in passing that this particular tax is one to which Chinese merchants have ever shown themselves most rigidly opposed, no doubt because of the information which officials would be enabled to glean of their standing when documents were brought to be stamped. Again and again the Government has tried to introduce this tax and has invariably failed. On the 28th ultimo, the Chamber wrote to the Counc' expressing its fears and its refusal to pay. Of course tha Council at ance reassured the Chamber that the stamp tax would never be permitted in the International Settlement. safeguarded the interests of idants and merchants by opposing attempt on the part of outside authorities, in disregard of established agreements, to impose any restraint or restriction upon the trods of the Settlement or to impose any form of taxation upon Chinese resident therein. Apart from the Chinese Government Land Tax and Customs Duties which are levied under express sanction, no taxation within Settlement "Limits is authorized, other than that which levied by the Council to provide for the proper administration of the Settlement and for the protection of all foreigners and Chinese who reside therein, One wonders whether any system of representation would cause the Chinese of Shanghai to be better looked after, than they are under the present regime.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.