Directory_and_Chronicle_1906 — Page 807

678

SHANGHAI

foreign-owned property was destroyed. An extensive fire in the French Concession in August, 1879, destroyed 221 houses; the loss was estimated at Tls. 1,500,000. The foreign Settlements celebrated their Jubilee on 17th and 18th November, 1893, when, it is estimated, 500,000 strangers visited Shanghai. A medal was struck as a memorial of the occasion. In 1894 a fire outside the native city along the river bank having cleared away a great and noisome collection of huts and hovels, advantage was taken of this clearing by the native Authorities to make a broad Bund on the model of the Foreign Settlement roads. This Bund extends from the south corner of the French Bund, along the river some three and a half miles, to the Arsenal at Kao Chang Miao.

It was formally declared open by the Taotai in October, 1897. A Council has been formed to supervise this Bund and attend to other native municipal matters; its offices are situated in the Bureau for Foreign Affairs on the Bubbling Well Road. It controls a special force of police composed of Sikhs and Chinese. A riot occurred on 5th and 6th April, 1897, in consequence of an increase in the wheelbarrow tax. It was suppressed by the Volunteers and sailors from the men-of-war in port, without loss of life. The Consuls and Municipal Council having submitted to the dictation of the Wheelbarrow Guild, an indignation public meeting was held on the 7th April, the largest meeting ever held in the Settlements. At this meeting the action of the Authorities was so strongly con- demned that the Council resigned. A new Council was elected and the tax enforced, the French Municipal Council increasing their tax in like proportion. Another riot took place on 16th and 17th July 1898, owing to the Authorities of the French Settlement having decided to remove the "Ningpo Joss House." The French Volunteers were called out and a force landed from men-of-war, which mea- sures speedily suppressed the riot, fifteen natives being reported killed and many wounded. In 1990, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Japan landed troops at Shanghai for the protection of the Settlements the presence of the troops being deemed necessary owing to the threatening aspect of the natives at the time operations were being conducted in the north. They remained as a garrison until December, 1902, when they were withidrawn.

་

In December last differences arose between the local Chinese and British Officials regarding the jurisdiction of the British Assessor of the Mixed Court, leading to a situation that called for the intervention of an armed foreign force. Some prisoners, amongst whom were one or two wonen, were brought before the Court charged with kid- napping. There were one or two suspicious circumstances connected with the case, and it was by no means clear that any crime had been committed. Under the circumstances it was decided to adjourn the case, and the British Assessor, in order to prevent undue influence being used, desired to have the accused taken to the Municipal Jail, where they would be properly treated and free from interference. The Magistrate, carefully primed by the Taotai Yuen in the new principle of seeing in every remonstrance some interference with the dignity of the Empire, attempted to intermeddle by force, but naturally ineffectually. Had the thing been permitted to cool there would have been no further trouble, and a way out of the difficulty could have been quickly found with- out compromising either. Unfortunately the Taotai, instead of attempting to bring those concerned together, took the unwise course of seeking to imflame the prejudices of his fellow subjects. Inflammatory placards were posted throughout the native city and in the Settlement itself urging a general strike for the purpose of asserting so-called Chinese rights, and on the 18th December serious rioting occurred in the streets when several foreigners were subject to rough usage at the hands of the mob. Determined attacks were made on the Hongkew and Louza police stations. The latter station was set on fire and completely wrecked. Encouraged by this success the rioters directed their incendiary efforts to the annexe of the Hotel Metropole. Their designs were happily frustrated by a force of bluejackets and volunteers who arrived on the scene, but it was not before shots had been fired and a few of the rioters killed that the mob dispersed. In the Nanking road also the police found it necessary to fire on the mob with ball cartridge, two rounds of blank cartridges having failed to overawe them. In addition to the volunteers, the Municipal police, foreign and Sikh, who appeared on the streets armed with rifles, upwards of 3,000 bluejackets were landed from warships of various nationalities for the protection of the Settlement. The men behaved with great moderation, but speedily convinced the rioters that their conduct was ill-advised. The Viceroy himself came to Shanghai to settle the dispute, and the Mixed Court after being closed for a fortnight was re-opened with Mr. Twyman, the British Assessor, (whose dismissal the Taotai had demanded) still on the Bench. The Corps Diplomatique at Peking yielded to the demand of the Chinese Officials for the surrender of the female prisoners.