·May 23, 1895.Į
were put on the pumping at once fell off to 1,500,000 gallons and everybody had sufficient. If a saving of anything like this proportion could be effected in Hongkong the present storage capacity would prove ample for very | many years to come. And to show how much may be lost by waste it will be suffi- cient to refer to a passage in Mr. CHAD- WICK's report in which he says that a single tap, not a large one, flowing continuously, will discharge about 7,500 gallons in twenty- four hours, or about 1 per cent. of the total Pokfulam supply.
STEAM-LAUNCHES AND "MAN- POWER” BOATS ON THE CANTON RIVER.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
may be less hampered by official obstruction in the future than it has been during the last few years.
THE TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN.
MADE AT SHIMONOSEKI, JAPAN, APRIL 17TH, 1895.-RATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT
CHEFOO, CHINA, MAY 8TH, 1895! The Peking and Tientsin Times publishes the full text of the treaty between China and Japan as follows:-
His Majesty the Emperor of China and His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, desiring to restore the blessing of peace to their countries and subjects and to remove all cause for future complications, have named as their Plenipoten- tiaries for the purpose of concluding a Treaty of Peace, that is to say:
His Majesty the Emperor of China, Li Hung- chang, Senior Tutor to the Heir Apparent, Senior Grand Secretary of State, Minister Superintendent of Trade for the Northern Ports Earl of the First Rank; and Li Ching-fong, of China, Viceroy of the Province of Chibli and Ex-Minister of the Diplomatic Service, of the Second Official Rank;
And His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, Count Ito Hirobumi, Junii, Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Paulownia, Minister Presi- dent of State, and Viscount Matsu Munemitsu, Junii, First Class of the Imperial Order of the Affairs; Sacred Treasure, Minister of State for Foreign
Who, after having exchanged their Full Powers, which were found to be in good and proper form, have agreed to the following Articles:
Article II.-China cedes to Japan in per. petuity and full sovereignty the following territories, together with all fortifications, arsenals, and public property thereon:
Fêng-Tien within the following boundaries:
(a),-The southern portion of the Province of
381
Article IV-China agrees to pay to Japan as a war indemnity the sum of 200,000.000 Kuping Taels. The said som to be paid in eight instalments. The first instalment of 50,000,000 instalment of 50,000,000 Taels to be paid within Taels to be paid within six months, and the second
twelve months after the exchange of the rati- fications of this Actr The remaining sum to be paid in six equal annual instalments as fol- lows:-The first of such equal annual instalments to be paid within two years; the second within three years; the third within four years; the fourth within five years; the fifth within six years, and the sixth within seven years after the exchange of the ratifications of this Act. In terest at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum shall begin to run on all unpaid portions of the said indemnity from the date the first instalment falls due.
China shall, however, have the right to pay by anticipation at any time any or all of said instalments. In case the whole amount of the said indemnity is paid within three years after the exchange of the ratifications of the present Act all interest shall be waived, and the interest, if then already paid shall be included as a part for two years and a half or for any less period of the principal amount of the indemnity.
Article VI.All treaties between China and Japan having come to an end in consequence of war, China engages immédiately upon the ex- change of the ratifications of this Act to appoint Plenipotentiaries to conclude, with the Japanese Plenipotentiaries, a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation and a Convention to regulate Frontier The line of demarcation begins at the mouth Intercourse and Trade. The Treaties. Conventions, of the river Yalu and ascends that stream to and Regulations now subsisting between China the mouth of the river Anping; from thence and European Powers shall serve as a basis for the line runs to Fêng Huang; from thence to the said Treaty and Convention between China Haicheng; from thence to Yingkow, forming and Japan. From the date of the exchange of line which describes the southern portion of the ratifications of this Act until the said Treaty the territory. The places above named are in- and Convention are brought into actual operation, cluded in the ceded territory. When the line the Japanese Government, its officials, reaches the river Liao at Yingkow, it follows merce, ravigation, frontier intercourse and the course of that stream to its mouth where trade, industries, ships, and subjects shall, in it terminates. The mid-channel of the river every respect, bo accorded by China most favoured Liao shall be taken as the line of demarcation. nation treatment.
This cession also includes all islands appertain-
China makes in addition the following conces-
a
The introduction of stern-wheel man- power boats on the Canton River has nearly effected the extirpation of piracy in the delta, Before the introduc- tion of this class of boat, twelve or fifteen years ago, every craft plying on the
Article V-The inhabitants of the territory river mounted heavy broadsides of guns for
ceded to Japan who wish to take up their re self-defence, and they depended for their
sidence outside the ceded districts shall be at propulsion on sail, yulob, and tracking rope
liberty to sell their real property and retire. Piracy was then of constant occurrence and
For this purpose a period of two years from the on the passage boats the custom prevailed of
date of the exchange of the ratifications of the looking the passengers in, for fear of some
At the expira, present Act shall be granted. tion of that period those of the inhabitants of them being pirates in disguise waiting
who shall not have left such territories shall, at for a favourable opportunity to rise and
the option of Japan, be deemed to be Japanese rob all on board. As these passage boats
subjects. frequently capsize the loss of life from
Each of the two Governments shall imme- this cause was considerable. The tow Article I.-China recognizes definitively the diately upon the exchange of the ratifications of
the present Act send one or full and complete independence and autonomy of
more Commis-> boats--the steam launches towing pas- Korea, and, in consequence, the payment of tribute | sioners to Formosa to effect a final transfer of sage and other boats-have also contri-and the performance of ceremonies and for-
that Province, and within the space of two months buted much to the suppression of piracy malities by Korea to China in derogation of such after the exchange of the ratifications of this and have rendered travel comparatively safe, independence and autonomy shall wholly cease
Act such transfer shall be completed. not only as regards attacks by pirates, but for the future. As regards the danger of being drowned while locked in the cabin of a passage boat which might capsize, for the passengers are now only rarely locked in after the old style. Neither the launches nor the stern- wheel boats carry guns, the pacific in- fluence they exercise being the result solely of their speed and regularity of communication. The up-country boats still carry guns and depend on yuloh, sail, and track rope for their propulsion, but with the opening of the West River the same change will be effected on the upper waters that has already taken place in the more immediate vicinity of Canton. That the opposition to improve ment in China comes almost entirely from the official class has been strikingly illustrated in connection with the introduction of steaming or belonging to the Province of Feng-Tiensions, to take effect six months after the date of launches on the Canton River. It was a long time before they were allowed at all and when at last permission was given it was coupled with harassing and oppressive re- strictions. Passage boats would use steam launches for towing purposes much more freely than they actually do were it not for the heavy squeeze they have to pay for the privilege. Quite lately the towing of rice junks and general cargo junks between Canton and Whampoa and even as far as the Bogue has become a feature of the river, but it is to be feared this promising traffic will be nipped in the bud when the officials become more fully alive to its existence. The towing of these boats effects a great saving of time and also of wear and tear to gear, and, further, diminishes the risk of piracy. Advan- tages of that kind, however, count as nothing with the generality of Chinese officials when weighed against opportunities of squeezing : but some officialsare less rapacious than others.:* Under the Administration of Ir HAN-CHANG, the retiring Viceroy, official corruption flourished in its fullest exuber- anco. There is a possibility that the new Viceroy may enforce a juster and more
iberal rule and that tradal development'
;
situated in the eastern portion of the bay of Liaotung and in the northern part of the
Yellow Sea.
(b).-The island of Formosa, together with all the islands appertaining or belonging to said island of Formosa.
(c). The Pescadores group, that is to say, all islands lying between the 119th and 120th degrees of longitude east of Greenwich and the 23rd and 24th degrees of north latitude.
|
the present Act:
com-
1st. The following cities, towns, and ports, in addition to those already opened, shall be opened to the trade, residence, industries, and manu- factures of Japanese subjects, under the same conditions and with the same privileges and facilities as exist at the present open cities, towns and ports of China.
1-Shashih in the Province of Hupeh. 2-Chungking in the Province of Szechuan, 3.-Suchow in the Province of Kiang-Su. 4-Hangchow in the Province of Chekiang. The Japanese Government shall have the right to station Consuls at any or all of the above named places.
described in the preceding Article and showu on Article III.—The alignments of the frontiers the annexed map shall be subject to the veri- fication and demarcation on the spot, by a Joint Commission of Delimitation consisting of two or more Chinese and two or more Japanese Dele. 2nd. Steam navigation for vessels under the gates to be appointed immediately after the ex-Japanese flag for the conveyance of passengers change of the ratifications of this Act,
and cargo shall be extended to the following the boundaries laid down in this Act are found topography or in consideration of good ad. to be defective at any point, either on account of ministration, it shall also be the duty of the De- limitation Commission to rectify the same.
In caso
The Delimitation Commission will enter upon its duties as soon as possible and will bring its labours to a conclusion within the period of one year after appointment.
however, be maintained until the rectifications The alignments laid down in this Act shall,
of the Delimitation Commission, if any are made, shall have received the approval of the Govern- ments of China and Japan.
places:
Ichang to Chungking..
1-On the Upper Yangtze River, from
2.-On the Woosung River and the Canal, from Shanghai to Suchow and Hangobow. The rules and regulations which now govern the navigation of the inland waters of China by foreign vessels shall, so tar as applicable, be en- forced in respect of the above-named routes,
agreed to. until new cales and regulations are conjointly
3rd.-Japanese subjects purchasing goods or produce in the interior of China or transporting imported merchandise into the interior of China