Chairman and then divides itself into there committees， the Finance，Works and Watch committees， which have oversight of the variousdepartments and sub-committees.
The Secretariat acts as the Chief Executive of the Council， and asa clearing house for all departments.
Although in some ways the government is cumbersome， andmany difficulties arise from the limited powers of the Council， yet onthe whole it has proved satisfactory. Its success has been due in no smallmeasure to the time and labour given by the members of the Council，who render their services freely.
Critics have called the Council a Taipan oligarchy， but it wouldbe more fitting to refer to it as a good example of the efficiency ofcommission government.
Political events in recent years have made it exceedingly difficult toget all the Treaty Powers to agree with any unanimity to any proposalsput before them in regard to the amendment of the Land Regulations.
Development of The BundFor a long time it looked as though utilitarian considerationswould gain the day， and the foreshore would be used for mooringships. If that had happened， its appearance would have been similar tothat of the present French Bund， and it would not have become， as it isA Taipan is the head of a business firm.
now， a beautiful esplanade.
It was made unsightly by the erection of sheds， used as work shopsfor builders， with annexes for kitchens and latrines. The sewers， whichdid not reach to low water mark， deposited considerable garbage andrefuse on the mud banks.
At last the work of filling in and bunding was taken in hand， butit was not until May， 1886 ， that the grass plots， extending from thePublic Gardens to the Customs shed， were thrown open to the public.
All respectable and decently clad Chinese were admitted to them， butwhen it was found that coolies used the benches for siestas， noticeswere posted on the benches restricting their use to foreigners.
It was not until some years later that the whole foreshore wasfilled in up to the line approved by the authorities.
War between France and ChinaDuring this period China engaged in another foreign war. TheFrench were desirous of opening up a trade route from Cochin-Chinainto Yunnan by way of the Red River which flows through Tongking，one of the provinces of Annam. China claimed that Annam was avassal state， and supported her in resisting this demand. This led to astate of hostility between the two countries from 1881 to 1885.
Shanghai being far from the actual seat of warfare， was notdirectly concerned. There was， however， great trepidation among theChinese in the Settlements， and attempts were made on the part of theCanton merchants in Hongkew to raise a volunteer corps to help in thedefence of Shanghai.
In order to secure the safety of the China Merchants fleet， thesteamers were temporarily sold for a nominal sum to Russell andcompany and were put under the American flag.
The Chinese authorities threatened to close up the channel atWoosung by sinking junks laden with stones across the bar. If this hadtaken place， it would have resulted in a serious injury to trade， butfortunately， although preparations were made， the project was neveractually carried out.
In August， 1884 ， the day the French fleet bombarded Foochow，the French Consul-General issued a proclamation declaring theneutrality of the French Concession， and later the French Envoy， M.
Patenotre， gave assurances that as long as Shanghai and Woosungmaintained the status quo， they would not be attacked.
The dangerous position of the Settlements， in case of a warbetween China and a foreign Power， became apparent， and led toendeavours on the part of the Diplomatic Body to have the Settlementsregarded as a neutral zone during war periods.
Statue to Sir Harry ParkesShanghai has not been very generous in the way of erectingstatues in memory of those who have played an important part in itsdevelopment. There is， however， one outstanding exception. Sir HarryParkes， G. C. M. G.， who as a diplomat did so much for opening upof commercial relations between Great Britain and China， has beenremembered， and a monument has been erected to his memory onThe Bund， at the entrance to Nanking Road. It bears the inscription“erected in 1890 by the foreign merchants in China in memory of hisgreat services.“ It was unveiled by H. R. H. the Duke of Connaughtwho paid a visit to Shanghai in that year.