Directory_and_Chronicle_1900 — Page 621

SHANGHAI

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1898 of 482 foreign houses in the British Settlement was Tls. 605,778 and in Hongkew of 700 houses Tls. 383,854; that of 13,821 native houses in the former Tls. 2,192,459 and of 20,126 in the latter, Tls. 1,188,847, a total annual rental assessment of house property of Tĺs. 4,370,938. During the last four years more than 10,000 new houses have been built. In the French Concession the assessed value of land was TIs. 4,664,942 in 1899; the rental assessment of foreign houses Tls. 83,500 and of native houses Tls. 506,250. The British and French Settlements exclusive of the extension acquired in 1899 are now all built over, and the vacant spaces in Hongkew are being rapidly covered. Many of the best foreign houses both in the Settlements and outside roads are now occupied by Chinese, retired officials and merchants.

A petition was sent to Peking in 1899 praying for a greatly enlarged boundary for the Settlement and this had the support of the Consular Body and also of the native officials and gentry and after much delay the matter was finally referred to the Viceroy at Nanking for settlement. The extension which was asked for has been granted and the new territory is being actively surveyed by the Municipal Council for the formation of roads, etc. It is already policed. The exact boundaries of the Settlement now are:-Upon the North; the Soochow Creek from the Hsiao Sha Ferry_to_a point about seventy yards west of entrance thereinto of the Defence Creek, thence in a northerly direction to the Shanghai-Paoshan boundary, thence following this boundary to the point where it meets the mouth of the Kukapang. Upon the East: the Whangpoo River from the mouth of the Kukapang to the mouth of the Yangking-pang. Upon the South: the Yangking-pang from its mouth to the entrance there into of the Defence Creek, thence in a westerly direction follow- ing the line of the northern branch of the Great Western Road, to the Temple of Agriculture in the rear of the Bubbling Well village. Upon the West: from the Temple of Agriculture in a northerly direction to the Haiso Sha Ferry on the Soochow Creek. The Japanese treaty of 1896

The Japanese treaty of 1896 gave that Power the right to a separate Settlement at Shanghai, but no definite claim has yet been made for such an area. Most of the land along the outside roads, and at Pootung on the opposite bank of the river, is now also rented by foreigners, but natives have recently been considerable purchasers of landed property within the Settlements. All ground belongs nominally to the Emperor of China, but is rented in perpetuity, a tax of fifteen hundred copper cash, equal to about a dollar and a

a half per mow, being paid to the Government annually. The Settlement land was bought from the original proprietors at about $50 per mine, which was at least twice its then value. Some lots have since been sold at $10,000 to $16,000 a mow. About six mow equal one acre.

As a port for foreign trade Shanghai grew but gradually until it gained a great impetus by the opening in 1861 of the Yangtsze and northern ports, secured by the Treaty of Tientsin, and a further increase by the opening up of Japan. In March, 1848, owing to an assault on some missionaries near Shanghai, Mr. Alcock, the British Consul, blockaded the port and stopped the passage outwards of eleven hundred grain junks. This drastic measure, by which grain for the North was cut off, brought the authorities to their senses, and after sending a man-of-war to Nanking the matter was arranged. The first event of importance since the advent of foreigners was the taking of the city by the Triad rebels on 7th September, 1853, who held it for seventeen months, although repeatedly besieged and attacked by the Imperialists. This caused a large number of refugees to seek shelter within the foreign Settle- ments, and the price of land rose very considerably. At that time a Volunteer force was formed among the foreign residents, under the command of Captain, afterwards Sir Thomas, Wade, which did really good service. The battle of "Muddy Flat" was fought on 4th April, 1854, when the Volunteers, in conjunction with the Naval forces, consisting in all of 300 men with one field piece, drove the Imperialists, numbering 10,000 men, from the neighbourhood of the Settlements and burned their camps. Two of the Volunteers and one American were killed, and ten men wounded. Owing to the occupation of the city the authorities were powerless to collect the duties, which for a short time were not paid, and it was in consequence agreed in July, 1854, between the Taotai and the three Consuls (British, French, and United States), that they should be collected under foreign control. This was found to work so much to the advantage of the Chinese Government that the system was extended, subsequently to the Treaty of Tientsin, to all the open ports. The Foreign Inspectorate of Customs was established in 1861, the head-quarters of which were for some years, and according to the original regulations ought still to be, at Shanghai. In 1861 the Taipings approached Shanghai,