iyth February, igog. 



Sir John W. Byers, M.A., M.D., President, in the Chair, 



"BITS OF OLD CHINA." 

 By Mr. A. M'Monagle, 



(Abstract.) 



The Chairman said Mr. M'Monagle needed no introduction 

 to a Belfast or Ulster audience. He was known to them all in his 

 professional capacity, and those who read his contributions to 

 local journalism would acknowledge his gay wisdom, his kindly 

 humour, and his unique power of balancing the pros and the cons 

 of a question. 



Mr. M'Monagle then read his paper on "Bits of Old 

 China," which was a humorous and entertaining dissertation upon 

 some of the characteristics of the " Flowery Land " and its 

 inhabitants. In passing, the essayist made reference to the recent 

 visit of Sir Robert Hart to Belfast, and spoke of the famous 

 administrator as a great statesman and a great Ulsterman — the 

 financial regenerator of China, and one of the most brilliant assets 

 of educated Ireland. After speaking of the immense extent of 

 the Chinese Empire, and the various attempts which had been 

 made by European and other nations to secure a portion of its 

 territory, Mr. M'Monagle said they might talk as much as they 

 liked of the Chinaman's country ; they might call him exclusive, 

 ignorant, and unprogressive ; they might preach to him about the 

 blessings of Western ideas till they were black or red in the face 

 — he would not move a muscle, or lower an eyebrow, or feel 

 offended, but they must not ask him to do to-day what he could 

 do to-morrow ; they must not speak disrespectfully of his 



