Generally speaking, the Court is, now working in @ comparatively satisfactory manner and is day by day making progress towards the cfliciency which a Court ought to have. The new arrangement for the Criminal Courts will be put me to effect to-morrow which, introdueing the system of territorial divis-fon and the abolition of summary or police courts will simplify the work and do away with the necessity of demanding eases. A prison visiting committee will be appointed to inpect prison conditions at an early date, Necessary steps will from time to time be taken to introduce reforms in our Court.
In conclusion, I wish to emphasize the importance of making this Court a success, which can, of! course, be obtained only by a greater'
nation of independence, security [and immunity from interference and, above all, the solidarity of all of us. For, after all is said and done, this institution is destined play'a part of the historic role of bringing about the new era in the relations between China and for-ign nations by the abolition of extraterritoriality, and I am con-vineed that on the ultimate success. of this Court the final solution of this question will largely depend.
T therefore have the honour to call you to stand up and drink the health of our Court.
Mr. Whitamore's Appreciation Mr. Whitamore in reply said. I have very little to add to what the learned President has so ably expressed, but I should like to say that T am myself, and I am sure my fellow Deputies are, in full agreement with what he has said. The Provisional Court has now been functioning for one year, and we are now celebrating the first birthday of an infant who, for its tender age, is a very healthy and well-developed child. All children, of course, have their little sicknesses and troubles, that is inevitable, but! if they are' properly looked after and attended to they recover. When the Provisional Court started to function it had many little troubles, and although it would be unduly optimistic to say that there are none left, a very large number have been settled, and the reason why so many of these little troubles have been satisfactorily dealt with lies
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.