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SHANGHAI TRAMWAYS.
The following correspondence relating to the raising of the capital necessary for carrying out the terms of the concession is published:-
Shanghai, 18th November, 1905. Sir,-We have this morning received from Messrs. Dent Bros. & Co. a telegram relating to the Tramway Agreement, of which the following is a translation :-
"With reference to Clauses 36 and 39 obtain written consent concession to be transferred to Shanghai Tramway Company, Limited; getting it is only a matter of form. Telegraph when done."
Assuming the Conncil will have no objection to granting the above, as the clauses referred to provide for sale, assignment, etc., to a British Company, we have to request you to kindly
obtain for us the written consent asked for,- We are, sir, your obedient servant,
ALFRED DENT & Co.
W. E. Leveson, Esq.,
Acting Secretary, Municipal Council.
Council Room,
Shanghai, 21st November, 1905. 18th instant, I am directed to inform you that, Gentlemen,In reply to your note of the in the Council's opinion, the agreement recently
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
From Messrs. Dent Bros. & Co., received 23rd November, 1905. What particulars do you require in addition to proof prospectus ?
To Messrs. Dent Bros. & Co., dated 23rd November, 1905.
proof prospectus will it be adopted present Do yot mean Construction Company if so form.
From Messrs. Dent Bros, & Co., received 24th November, 1905. Shanghai Tramway Co. referring to our letter 28th July name has been altered desired (ie., Shanghai Electric Construction
as
Co., Ld.) prospectus of Company otherwise unchanged except modified in accordance with added: We want to register at once but all we Council's two agreements. One Director
want is Council give their sanction as deposit has been received. The shares are all taken up.
If this should not be sufficient for your
requirements, it is unreasonable.
Shanghai, 29th November, 1905. Sir,With reference to our letter dated the Tramway concession to the private company, 24th inst. on the subject of the transfer of the
or syndicate, called the Shanghai Electric
London friends, asking us to inform the Council received this morning a telegram from our
that this combination bas been formed for the
[ December 16, 1903.
saying, we have to-day received authority to con firm them,-We are, sir, your obedien t | servants,
ALFRED DENT & Co.
J. O. P. Bland, Esq.,
Secretary, Municipal Council.
SHANGHAI MİXED COURT.
FIGHT BETWEEN POLICE AND RUNNERS.
EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENTS. The N.-C.Daily News of Dec 9th reports:- The tension between the Municipal authorities and those of the Mixed Court reached a climax
កន
yesterday morning, when an attempt to carry out contradictory orders from the Bench led unfortunately to an exchange of blows between the Municipal Police and the native runners.
There a preliminary to yesterday's occurrence on Thursday, when the magistrate against the presence of the police cadet in (Mr. Kuan), after making another futile protest
Court, and his supervision of the proper execution of the sentences of the Court, retaliated by sending a runner to the Central Police Station to see that they did their duty
courtyard of the Central Police. Station, where there properly. The selected runner spent a long and presumably rather tedious day in the
concluded with Messrs. Bruce, Peebles and Co., Construction Company, Limited, we have be was allowed to remain unmolested. We
Ld., unmistakably contemplates the transfer of the benefits acquired thereunder to a public company formed and promoted in terms of Clauses 36 and 39.
Without knowledge of the Shanghai Tram- way Company, Limited, or of the terms and conditions upon which the proposed transfer is to be made, the Council is unable to comply with your request, even as a matter of form.
con-
purpose of providing funds for the undertaking
and that a transfer of interest to the under- writers is consequently necessary.
Bruce, Peebles & Co. are quite willing to We are also requested to say that Messrs. I am directed to state that this refusal is not guarantee the Council that the aforesaid com- dictated by any desire to act otherwise than in pany, or syndicate, will carry out the agreement. complete harmony with the tramway
As the forming of such a syndicate is the cessionaires and in accordance with all the ordinary way of conducting such operations at conditions of the agreement, but
their outset, we trust the Council will now have you will under-
any objection to sanctioning the transfer as stand that the present request of your London house is not readily explicable to the Council, requested,--We are, sir, your obedient servants,
ALFRED DENT & Co. W. E. Leveson Esq.,
Acting Secretary, Municipal Council.
and that under the circumstances no other course remains but to await the receipt of the pros- pectus and other information in respect to the company which is about to be formed and floated.-I am, servant,
gentlemen, your obedient
W. E. LEVESON.,
Acting Secretary.
Messrs. Alfred Dent & Co.
We now
Shanghai, 24th November, 1905. Sir,-We are in receipt of your letter dated, the 21st inst., and thank you for same. It appears we have been under a wrong impression as to the requirements of our friends, and in order to show you what has passed in the interval, we think we cannot do better than send you translations of the telegrams that have passed. These you will find enclosed. understand that what is required is the Council's sanction for Messrs. Bruce, Peebles and Co., Ltd., to transfer their interest in the Tramway Concession to a private company, or syndicate, called the Shanghai Electric Construction Co., Ltd., which has been formed for the purpose of raising funds for the construction of the tramway.
It is this company our friends desire to register, but, before doing so, they require the Council's sanction to transfer.
We enclose a copy of the proof prospectus referred to in the telegrams, in which we have made the alterations mentioned.
Requesting you to obtain from the Council as early as possible, their written consent to the transfer as desired.-We are, sir, your obedient servants,
Alfred Dent & Co.
W. E. Leveson, Esq.,
Acting Secretary, Municipal Council.
TRANSLATION of TelegrĀMS. To Messrs. Dent Bros. & Co., dated
22d November, 1905. Referring to your telegram dated 17th November Municipal Council states agreement contemplates transfer but while willing to your proposal cannot give written consent without full particulars. Shanghai Tramway Co.
Council Room, Shanghai, 30th November, 1905. Gentlemen,I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 24th and 29th inst, from which the Council understands that the request of your London house, as amended, is that the Council, in terms of Clauses 36 and 39 of its agreement with Messrs. Bruce, Peebles & Co., will transfer the concession to the Shang- hai Electric Construction Company, Limited.
understand, indeed, that a letter was sent from the Council to Mr. Kuan congratulating him on the interest he had suddenly taken in police. administration and offering his representative every facility for gaining useful information.
Circumvented in this attempt in his policy of annoyance, a policy which Mr. Kuan has himself declared he has orders from the Taotai to pursue,
it would seem that only the Opportunity was wanted to force matters to a more serious issue. There are indications in fact that yesterday's disorder was premeditated. Early in the session the magistrate had a difference with the British ssessor (Mr. ordered for bearing on another date, and which Twyman) over a case, which had, he said, been
he now refused to hear. The real trouble came, however, wheu two women and three men were put before the Court on charges of kidnapping girls from their homes in Szechuan. Fifteen young girls, who were to be the witnesses in the case, had been cared for by the Municipal police, and were brought to the Court in their charge. When the case came to be remanded the Assessor marked the charge sheet "Children to go to the Door of Hope pro tem and instructed the police to take them there. Mr. Kuan, however, wished to keep the children in the Mixed Court cells, and gave his orders to the runners to take them away. The runners went to remove the childrev, but the police, under instructions from their cadet officer, Mr. Fenton, refused to give them up. There was some hustling and one of the runners struck Inspector Gibson in the eye. This started a general fight, in which the police were victorious and carried off the children and prisoners to their vans in the yard.
In reply thereto I am to state that the Council has no objection to the assignment by Messrs. Bruce. Peebles & Co. of the benefit of the agreement to this Company provided they will guarantee that such transfer shall not affect their obligations under the agreement for its due performance, and in particular guarantee that in the event of any public company being promoted to work the Tramway, the Shanghai
During the fight Mr. King, the assistant public, including small investors, shall have an
magistrate, Was heard shouting from the opportunity of subscribing for shares on the Bench to the native municipal constables and same footing as other members of the public-detectives in Chinese, that they were Chinese
gentlemen, your obedient servant,
W. E. LEVESON
Acting Secretary. Messrs. Alfred Dent & Co.
I am,
Shanghai, 1st December, 1905. Sir, We have to acknowledge the receipt of the Acting Secretary's letter dated yesterday in which we are informed that the Council has no objection to the assignment by Messrs. Bruce, Peebles Co. of the benefit of the agreement for the Tramway concession to the Shanghai Electric Construction Co., Ld., provided they will guarantee that such transfer shall not affect their obligations under the agreement for its due performance, and in particular guarantee that in the event of any public company being promoted to work the tramway, the Shanghai public, including small investors, shall have an opportunity of subsorib- ing for shares on the same footing as other members of the public.
The above conditions were telegraphed to London yesterday, and we have pleasure in
subjects and if they resisted the magistrate's orders they would be severely punished. The native constables, however, appear to have considered their first duty lay to their employers.
The riot was sufficiently serious to induce Mr. Felton to go to the telephone to send a message for reinforcements. He had used the instrument an hour before and it was then all right, but now the mouthpiece was nowhere to be found. This may have been a coincidence merely. At all events it did not render the telephone unusable. The gates of the compound leading into the road were, however, shut and locked. The magistrate, assistant magi- strate, and assessor were then standing in the middle of the Court. Mr. Fenton went to ask that the gate be opened to allow the vans to go out, whereupon the magistrate turned on him in a perfect fury, and told him that he might break the gates open and destroy the Court itself. "You may trample on my body," he added, and then strode away. The gates were subsequently opened, and the
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