166.
LI HUNG-CHANG AS A PEACE NEGOTIATOR,
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
There is an impression among foreigners in the Far East that because His Exceliency LIHUNG-CHANG, Viceroy of Chihli, has un- dertaken the conduct of negotiations with Japan the result will be an early conclusion of the war. It is urged that the veteran Viceroy is a skilful diplomatist, that he has had great experience in the conduct of ticklish negotiations, and that he has invariably brought them to a successful issue. After Sir THOMAS WADE had quitted Peking in 1876 the astute L
managed to arrest the British Minister's somewhat lingering footsteps at Chefoo and there. induce him to accept the terms It was embodied in the Chefoo Convention. LI HUNG-CHANG who, when hostilities be- tween France and China had gone far enough to justify the name of war, succeeded in 1884 in concluding a convention of peace with Captain FOURNIER, preliminary to the traty negotiate by M. PATENOTRE in the following summer by which that abortive and undignifed quarrel was officially ter- minated. The Viceroy of Chihli has also, doring his Jong tenure of power in the metropolitan province, negotiated many other Treaties, in most of which he has displayed much native craft. He is there fre peculiarly fitted to act as China's Re- presentative in the negotiations for peace with Japan. It does not follow, however, that, because he has been successful in his diplomacy, with The representatives of Western Powers, his efforts in the present emergency will be also crowned with success. He will have to meet another opponent, to "face a quite different situation.
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[March 6, 1895.
We have intimated our doubts as to business principles of Mr. ACKROYD was not the success of any attempt to negotiate liked by every one, it was soon discovered terms of peace in Japan. The insincerity that it was in every respect a vast im of China as shown in her failure to provement, and expressions of apprecia-
the place of properly accredit the Envoys CHANG and tion took
grumbling. SHAO cannot fail to prejudice her cause For a great part of 1883 Mr. ACKROYD was in Japan, and it would task all the Acting Puisne Judge; in 1886-8 and again in diplomatic powers of Li HUNG-CHANG to re- 1890 he was Acting Attorney-General; and in move the evil impression created by that 1891 he was again appointed Acting Puisne stroke of bad policy. Count Iro very tersely Judge, and in June, 1892, received the sub- summed up the situation in his speech to stantive appointment to that office. During the Chinese Envoys at Hiroshima when he the absences of the Chief Justice he has in declined to open negotiations with them. ordinary course acted for him, and both in After stating that he considered the defective the higher office and in his own has been powers given them was a sure indication recognised as a conscientious, able, and that the Government of China is not really hard-working Judge. Hard work has been solicitous for peace," he goes on to add indeed one of the conspicuous features of In addition that the instrument was" destitute of nearly His Honour's official character. "all those qualities which are regarded as to serving the colony in the appoint- 4 essential to such powers; it even fails to ments already mentioned he has always been "indicate the subject upon which your ready to lend his assistance outside the Excellencies are to negotiate; it does not duties of strict official routine when required "authorise your Excellencies to conclude or and has rendered valuable services in con- sign anything; it is silent on the subject nection with commissions or committees of of the subsequent Imperial ratification of inquiry. He was a member of the Law 'your Excellencies' acts. In short, it would Revision Committee; when the Alves frauds Seem that the authority which has been occurred in the Treasury he was selected as “conferred upon your Excellencies would be Chairman of the Committee of Inquiry, and completely fulfilled by your reporting to the report and minutes of the evidence show your Government what my colleague and with what care and ability that important "myself might have to say." No wonder inquiry was conducted; he was also Chair- the Japanese Government refused to be man of the Retrenchment Committee, and played with, and it cannot excite surprise if although the result in that case was perhaps they entertain equal mistrust of L HUNG-not quite so satisfactory there was equal CHANG himself." Our Shanghai morning evidence of care and of a desire to do what contemporary, who certainly cannot be was right. When an Arbitration Board had ae used of favouring Japan, is of opinion to be constituted in connection with the that no Chimman is so heartily despised and Taipingshan Resumption Ordinance Mr. hated by Japan as Li Huso-CHANG, and that ACKROYD'S appointment as Chairman com- if she consents to make a treaty with him it manded complete confidence and was received would be only from a conviction that she with universal satisfaction, and both the -It is possible that LI HUNG-CHANG may could obtain thereby terms favourable to confidence and satisfaction have, so far as it still retain the couficance of the Imperial herself, Our contemporary grounds this is possible to judge at the present stage, Council, though that is extremely doubtful. opinion obviously on what it terms the non- been fully justified. Ou his departure Mr. He was stripped of his honours for his hostile policy of the Viceroy towards Japau ACKROYD will carry with him the good wishes failure to conduct the war to a successful throughout the war. Inferentially if hot of every one, and the community will join issue, he has been denounced by some of the explicitly the N. C. Daily News accuses in the hope that he may for very many years Censors, and he is widely condemned by Li HUNG-CHANG of the foulest and basest to come enjoy bis well-earned pension. public opinion-such as it is--in the Central treachery for the sake of his own advantage. Kingdom. But either he is still neces For our part we have always regarded the sary to the Imperial Government or they Viceroy as the very fount of official éor- wish to divorce him from his seat of raption, which has been growing with his
ower at Tientsin and at the same time
gowth in power for the past thirty years, make him responsible for concluding a con-until its overflowing torrent threatens to vention that will secur unexpectedly favour- able terms for China or throw on him the nus of signing an agreement that will be terribly burdensome and humiliating to her. If indeed the great Viceroy's services are absolutely essential to the Chinese Govern ment, and they are compelled to give him a free haud in the belief that he is the man best qualified in China to secure terms con- Sonant with the honour and dignity of a great empire then is he beyond the reach of censorious attack. But if one main object to be achieved by his employinent as Envoy to Japan be to render him responsible for every degradation which has come upon his country then his acceptance of the post is rash and perilous to a degree. No better way of drawing his sting could be devised! than his despatch to Japan while another official is seated in his viceroyal yamên at Tientsin. It is a coincidence, which under such circumstances might appear sinister, that the recall of his brother LI HAN-CHANG from the viceroyalty of the Two Kwang is simultaneously announced. This step is rendered the more suspicious from the state ment that the Viceroy of the Two Kwang will probably not be summoned to Peking, but will be allowed to retire to his native province. With the disappearance of several of IT HUNG-CHANG's trusted satellites from the scene, this would leave a clear field for the speedy abolition of his influence both at Tientsin and Peking.
paralyse the empire. But we do not think the Japanese Government are, as our con- temporary believes, eager to conclude a treaty with a man ready to betray and sell his country for his own advantage. They simply express a readiness to receive hini, being in courtesy bound to do so, but they will be no more ready to consider the terms he offers than they would if any other high dignitary of the Chinese Government were to make them.
RETIREMENT OF MR. JUSTICE ACKROYD.
(5th March.)
By the French nail steamer to-morrow His Honour Mr. E. J. ACKROYD will take his de- parture from the colony and will probably not return. Mr. ACKROYD entered the ser- vice in Mauritius in 1853 and after a very successful career in that colony he was transferred to Hongkong in 1881 as Regis- trar of the Supreme Court, where he bad to evolve order out of chaos. Not long before his arrival the Huffam frauds had oc- curred and in the interval nothing effective had been done towards bringing the business of the Registry into a satisfactory condition. Very soon after Mr. ACKROYD took charge, however, a great change was effected, a sys- tem of order and regularity being established, and although at first the transition from the easy going ways of former days to the strict
Holding the opinion we do of Mr. ACKROYD it is with the more regret that
We
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feel commelled to take exception to one of his latest judicial deliverances, namely, that made in the case of LEE King & Co. v. CARLOWITZ & Co. in the Supreme Court yesterday. The circumstances are in brief as follows. Some time ago a suit was entered by Messrs. LEE KING & Co. to re- cover from Messrs. CARLOWITZ & Co. certain charter money. Messrs. CARLOWITZ & Co. set up a claim for counter damages for breach of charter. Judgment was entered by consent for Messrs. LEE KING & Co. for the amount of their claim and the question of the damages claimed by Messrs. ĈARLOWITZ & Co. was by consent of the parties referred to the Registrar. The Registrar assessed the damages and from his decision Messrs. CARLOWITZ & Co. appealed to the Court in its original jurisdiction, the case being. heard by Mr. Justice ACKROYD, who de livered judgment on the 13th December in favour of Messrs. CARLOWITZ & Co. In this colony there is an appeal as of right to the Full Court from the decision of a Judge sitting alone in Original Jurisdiction, and in case the Judges differ. the Chief Justice has Messrs. LEE KING & Co. a casting vote. exercised their right of appeal and the case was accordingly heard before the Full Court, consisting of His Honour Mr. Justice ACKROYD and His Honour Mr. Justice WISE, on the 28th January, judg ment being reserved. Yesterday morning this appeal was the subject of certain re- marks from the Acting Chief Justice, the full report of which appears in our legal column. The effect of the remarks was that His Honour had no time to attend to