December to the secretary of the Bureau for registration upon a form to be provided by the Bureau. The Bureau shall consider the evidence adduced by such persons, and may register or refuse to register, according to whether, in its opinion, the necessary conditions in accordance with these regulations have or have not been complied with. In the latter case the Bureau shall inform the applicant of its refusal and of its reasons therefor.

Lot-holders of the district, who have satisfied all the conditions of these regulations, shall automatically and without application be included by the Bureau in the list of voters.

A list of persons entitled to vote at the annual general meeting, with the number of their votes, shall be drawn up by the Bureau before the 15th day of January in every year and shall be published at the entrance of the Bureau, as well as sent round to the persons whose names are included in the list of voters.

Art. 43. Any objection to such a list of voters by persons having a right to vote at the annual general meeting shall be presented in writing before the 1st day of February to the Director of the Bureau, who shall consider the objection, hear all necessary evidence and render his decision not later than the 15th day of February; this decision shall be considered final, and when rendered shall be communicated by the Bureau to the person or persons concerned.

Art. 44. After the list has been revised, no addition shall be made to it. Persons who lost their right to vote before the day of the annual general meeting shall not participate in the meeting.

Chapter VI.-Bye-laws.

Art. 45. The Bureau shall have power to make bye-laws on matters which come within its scope and for the purpose of assisting the attainment of the objects for which these regulations are made. and shall have power to enforce such bye-laws, when they have passed in accordance with article 46, through its own police court or consular court, according to the nationality and status of the defaulter.

The existing British municipal bye-laws, with the exception of Nos. 25, 48, 49, 52 and 54, will be enforced by the Bureau until such time as they are amended under these regulations.

Art. 46. Bye-laws proposed by the Bureau to be issued shall be put before the annual general meeting. Bye-laws adopted by the annual general meeting shall be presented by the Director of the Bureau to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government for confirmation.

Art. 47. To ensure the observance of bye-laws connected with building, the Bureau may demand for inspection plans from persons desirous of constructing new buildings or altering, reconstructing or fundamentally repairing existing structures, and further may order the removal, alteration or demolition of any building begun or completed in contravention of such regulations and/or bye-laws.

Art. 48. The official languages of the Bureau shall be Chinese and English.

Chapter VII.-Amendment and Confirmation.

Art. 49. If any amendment to these regulations is found to be necessary, it may be made at the annual general meeting by a twothirds majority, subject to the confirmation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government.

Art. 50. These regulations shall become operative on the 15th March, 1927.

Sir,

No. 4.

Sir M. Lampson to Mr. Chen.

Hankow, February 19, 1927.

I HAVE the honour to assure you that the British authorities concerned will do all that lies in their power to implement and ensure the successful operation of the agreement signed to-day relative to the British concession area at Hankow, and that as far as the British authorities are concerned Chinese citizens will enjoy and be entitled to the same rights as British subjects in the said

area.

I have, &c.

(For the Minister),

OWEN O'MALLEY.

No. 5.

Mr. Chen to Sir M. Lampson.

Sir, February 19, 1927. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of to-day's date in which you assure me that the British authorities concerned will do all that lies in their power to implement and ensure the successful operation of the agreement signed to-day relative to the British concession area at Hankow, and that as far as the British authorities are concerned Chinese citizens will enjoy and be entitled to the same rights as British subjects in the said area.

I have the honour to assure you in return that the Chinese authorities for their part will likewise do their utmost to implement and ensure the successful operation of the agreement in question and that so far as they are concerned there will be no discrimination against British interests in the administration of the new district. I avail, &c.

CHEN YU-JEN, Minister for Foreign Affairs.

No. 6.

Statement.

THE Nationalist Government take note of the statement made by Sir Austen Chamberlain, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in the House of Commons on the 10th February.

The modification in the original plan for the concentration of British forces at Shanghai announced by him is regarded by the Nationalist Government as a concession which now makes it possible to proceed to the conclusion and signing of an agreement relative to the British concession area at Hankow.

As, however, the landing at Shanghai of British troops-even in the reduced numbers and for the strictly limited purpose stated by the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs-is without legal justification, the Nationalist Government have to protest against the landing and presence of such British troops in the International Settlement at Shanghai.

February 19, 1927.

No. 7.
Declaration.

THE Nationalist Government have to declare that the arrangement made respecting the status of the area hitherto known as the British concession at Hankow has been concluded by them with special reference to the facts of the new status quo in the said area, and is not intended by them to serve as precedent for the settlement of the future status of any British or other concessions elsewhere in China.

February 19, 1927.

No. 8.
Declaration.

REPORTS reaching the Nationalist Government from many quarters appear to make a restatement of Nationalist policy regarding concessions and international settlements necessary and timely in order to avoid misapprehension and prevent needless apprehension and fear.

In the manifesto of the 22nd January the Nationalist Government declared their intention and their immediate readiness to have all questions outstanding between Nationalist China and the foreign Powers settled by negotiation and agreement. This implicitly applied, and it was intended so to apply, to changes in the status of all concessions and all international settlements in China.

This necessarily means that the policy of the Nationalist Government is not to use force or to countenance the use of force to effect changes in the status of any or all concessions and international settlements.

The Nationalist Government have to lay it down that changes in the status of concessions and international settlements wherever situate in China are of such vital and national importance that no local or other Chinese authorities save and except the Nationalist Government can negotiate with the foreign Powers concerned in respect thereof.

February 19, 1927.

No. 9.

Aide-mémoire.

Mr. O'Malley is instructed to take note of Mr. Chen's declaration that

"In the manifesto of the 22nd January, the Nationalist Government declared their intention and their immediate readiness to have all questions outstanding between Nationalist China and the foreign Powers settled by negotiation and agreement. This implicitly applied, and it was intended so to apply, to changes in the status of all concessions and all international settlements in China.

"This necessarily means that the policy of the Nationalist Government is not to use force or to countenance the use of force to effect changes in the status of any or all concessions and international settlements.

"The Nationalist Government have to lay it down that changes in the status of concessions and international settlements wherever situate in China are of such vital and national importance and that no local or other Chinese authorities save. and except the Nationalist Government can negotiate with the foreign Powers concerned in respect thereof."

As regards the last paragraph of the above declaration, Mr. O'Malley is instructed to declare that His Majesty's Government cannot bind themselves to refuse to enter into negotiations with Chinese officials in any part of China with regard to matters arising in areas where such officials are actually exercising de facto authority.

Hankow, February 19, 1927.

GR

DROIT

China No. 4 (1927)

PAPERS

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