218 REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 



recall a conversation between Lord Lawrance and one of the Native 

 Princes of India. Lord Lawrance expressed his concern over one 

 of his officers, a very capable but rather untrustworthy man ; to which 

 the Native Prince replied, "my concern is that all mine except 

 possibly one or two are untrustworthy." 



The administration of justice was exceedingly chaotic at first. 

 Regulations had to be drawn up and precedents established. But 

 even these were not easily formulated as the place was without judges 

 and lawyers. So we read that the American Commissioner Davis in 

 1850 had drawn up certain regulations and forms, relying entirely 

 upon his own resources and his limited knowledge of law and forms. 

 Nowhere was there an American lawyer or an American law book, 

 with the exception of the statutes at (sic) Large and Rents Com- 

 mentaries. But he and his successors continued to make regulations. 

 It is not surprising that a jurist like Judge Thayer found many 

 of them gravely defective. But still we must not forget the patient 

 work of these pioneers and the way the constitution of the Settlement 

 was gradually built up. 



The chapter on the Chambers of Commerce too is instructive. 

 Here necessity forced action. The example of the French who formed 

 in Marseilles the first Chamber that ever existed must have helped 

 the early merchants in their attempts in Shanghai. The present 

 chapter only takes us as far as about 1850. Later developments will 

 be noticed in the forthcoming volumes. The chapters on early ship- 

 ping, on Trade experiences are worth reading. A comparison of the 

 imports of 1844 and 1S20 will show how trade has expanded and give 

 some indication of the tremendous growth of Shanghai in the inter- 

 vening years. It is also instructive to find how heavy were the 

 duties imposed by the Chinese on piece goods. It is not surprising 

 that foreign merchants are slow to allow them to have this power 

 put in Chinese hands again. The history of Banking is somewhat 

 rudimentary. Hongkong and Shanghai Bank had not yet come into 

 existence. The Shansi Bankers had transactions with the Roman 

 Empire and their bank orders, "Comparable with our cheques have 

 been known for centuries past." 



The chapter on the social life should be read by all who are 

 inclined to grumble at life in Shanghai to-day. Those days in the 

 fifties were rude and hard on ladies ; and when we are about to 

 instal a big organ in the Cathedral, the organ presented to Trinity 

 Church in 1855, we should remember that it was too powerful 

 for the building. They had shooting, riding, and fives in those 

 days, and the Race Club was well organized. They read too, and in 

 1857 the Public Library was formed with Dr. Bridgman as President 



