APPENDIX  B  413

as  trying  to  bind  the  other  two  members  to  the  agreement.
However,  when  this  agreement  was  presented  to  the  defendants
who  were  named  therein  as  parties  to  the  agreement,  they
refused  to  sign  it,  or  to  carry  out  its  terms  ;  and  it  has  been
shown  by  evidence  that  to  do  so  would  be  grievously  injurious
to  the  plans  and  future  work  of  the  mission.  And  since  the
provincial  officials  have  offered,  upon  their  own  motion,  written
testimony  to  the  fact  that  the  Tls.  1,000  named  as  the  consideration ­
  of  this  agreement,  and  that  the  Tls.1,000  presented  to  the
mission  for  charitable  purposes  had  been  provided  for  by  themselves, ­
  and  does  not,  nor  ever  did  in  any  manner  belong  to  the
plaintiffs,  and  the  further  fact  that  the  defendants  have  never
accepted  or  been  in  possession  of  this  money,  it  is  evident  that
plaintiffs  are  not  entitled  to  bring  action  against  the  defendants
for  its  recovery.
According  to  solemn  compacts  between  China  and  the  United
States  of  America,  the  Southern  Methodist  Mission,  as  well  as
all  other  American  missionary  societies,  have  the  right  to  purchase, ­
  or  lease  land  in  perpetuity,  at  Huchow,  as  well  as  at  all
other  places  within  the  Chinese  Empire.  And  when  they  have
obtained  their  land,  and  secured  properly  executed  title-deeds,
they  are  entitled  to  enjoy  full  and  complete  possession  of  all
such  land  without  annoyance  or  molestation  of  any  nature.
The  petition  of  the  plaintiffs  is  hereby  dismissed  at  plaintiffs'
costs.
The  defendants’  prayer  for  damages  is  disallowed,  as  this
Court  has  no  jurisdiction  to  award  damages  against  Chinese
subjects,  and  leaves  defendants  to  follow  plaintiffs  into  a  regularly

constituted  Chinese  tribunal.
(Signed)  Frederick  D.  Cloud,
American  Vice-Consul-in-Charge,
Acting  Judicially.
J.  Steinacher,  )
J.  H.  Judson,  )

Associates.

INQUEST
Shanghai,  December  7,  1906
Before  Mr.  W.  P.  Boyd,  American  Vice-ConsuTGeneral-in-Charge,
Acting  as  Cuban  Coroner
A  Sad  Ending
An  inquest  was  opened  at  2.30  p.m.  yesterday  at  No.  2,
North  Honan  Road,  to  inquire  into  the  circumstances  attending