468
steel orders filled; secondly, the time lost in transit.
Again it may be said that the builders here can- not build steamers by the hundred-yard length, and ent them off to order as they are said to do in Sunderland, although bailing as the writer does from that port, he denies the libel.
They certainly rattle up a tramp in good style, but it is all a matter of organisation, and if we could only come within a couple of months of their time in building a boat to commence with, I do not doubt it would soon be shortened.
On my last visit I could not help being struck with the rough and ready way the engines are now put together at home; hammer, shisel, and filé take a back seat, and the same pieces over which we were wont to spend days and days soraping and polishing go to the erecting shop off the machine, and the finished engine seems none the worse for it after it has hammered itself to a bearing on the trial trip.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
FREE PASSAGES FROM CANTON TO HONGKONG.
AN AMENDING ORDINANCE REQUIRED. Two men were charged at the Police Court on Friday with obtaining a surreptitious passage on the boat from Canton to Hongkong with intent to defraud the Steamboat Company The Magistrate, Mr. Wodehouse, discharged the de- fendants on the gound that he had no power to deal with them under the Ordinance. The charge was brought under Ordinance 22 of 1890, which is an Ordinance amending the Chinese Emigration Consolidation Ordinance of 1889. This latter Ordinance applies to ses going vessels only. Under Ordinance 26 of 1891, section 42, sub-section 2, offences declared by the Merchant Shipping Acts 1854 to 1800 to be misdemeanours may be tried in the same way as other misdemeanours are tried in the colony. But those Shipping Acts were repealed by the Competition has been the great factor in re- Merchant Shipping Act of 1894, which came ducing the time occupied in building, and the into operation on 1st January, 1895. Therefore author has tried to show that we can compete. the powers given under sub-section of the Shipowners here would certainly save the ex-1891 Ordinance have no effect. Moreover, the pense of intermediate agents if they could treat Merchant Shipping Act of 1894, section 237, direct on the spot and the time thus gained applies only to sea going ships, and section would go far to make up for the loss of time 287, sub-section (f) provides for any person cited above; in fact, if you take the time from travelling in a steamer with intent to avoid which negotiations are opened at this end for payment. But section 267 defines a steamer the building of a coasting boat until the time as being a ship carrying passengers to or of her delivery in this harbour, I am not sure from or between any places in the United but that the Hongkong-built vessel would be Kingdom. Consequently if the Legislature of the first at her buoy,
the colony had kept Ordinance 26 of 1891 up to Exception may be taken to this paper by say. the legislation as to merchant shipping at home ing that the author is unpatriotic, and that by there would have been no difficulty. As it is encouraging building here the home trade would mendicants may obtain a free passage from Can- suffer, but this would not be felt to any appre- ton to Hongkong, provided they can secret ciable extent, and as the steel and iron would themselves on the steamers, which of course are still have to come from home, increased con- river boats and not sea going vessels, without sumption in the East would still support that the fear of prosecution uuder Ordinance 22 of branch of the trade; whereas the extension of 1890. It is quite possible, however, for offenders the present building yards or the establishment to be punished for attempting to defraud the of new works here, to take in hand anything Company, but in order to avoid any difficulty an from a tramp to a Pacific Greyhound, would not amending Ordinance is required. Such an Or only make things hum in Hongkong, but pro-dinance should be passed as soon as possible vide employment for many more of your en- which would substitute in sub-section] 2 the gineers and shipbuilders, without whose guidance words Merchant Shipping Act 1894" for the Celestial workman would make a poor show "Merchant Shipping Acts 1854 to 1990" as it and in a very short epoch of time drift back to reads at present. his antedeluvian junks and sampans.
After the reading of the paper a smoking concert was held and it proved very enjoyable. Not only did members of the theatrical company take part in the concert, but Mr. Brady also assisted, and, as usual, he made those present simply roar with delight. The following was the programme :- Song
"There's a Flower that Bloometh" Mr. Jas. Kirkpatrick.
In Cellar Cool" Mr. Gilchrist.
"Old Joe" Mr. W. G. Carey.
"Why must we say Good-bye" Mr. W. Budge.
"Briary Villas '' Mr. Brady.
Mr. H. B. Bridger.
Mr. D. C. Smith.
Mr. J. B. Farrell.
Mr. L. Carey.
Mr. Crispin.
Mr. Gilchrist.
Mr. Brady.
Mr. W. Budge.
Mr. D. C. Smith.
Song
Recitation..
Song
Recitation
Song...
Comic Song
Song.
Song
Song
Song.
Song
Cornet Solo Comic Song
"The Gauntlet"
"Queen of the Earth"
"The Last Watch
"The Wolf" Off to Philadelphia" Accidentally Done"
"The Lost Chord "
H.F. Lah Ch'uan-lin, the Governor of Shensi and the newly-appointed Viceroy of Szechuan, is reported to have left Singan for his new post at Chêngtu on the 28th ultimo. The journey overland between the two cities will consume about three weeks and a half or four at most, and His Excellency, who is a much more able and liberal-minded person than the retiring Liu Ping chang, should be in Chengtu by the last week of the present month. The new Go- vernor of Sheusi is to be, the N. Q. Daily News believes, H.E. K'uei Chün, the present Gover- nor of Kiangsu, a Manchu by birth,
FRAUDS ON HONGKONG BANKS.
AN EXTRAORDINARY SWINDLE.
| June 2001805.
Mr. Master--How much did he ask for it ? Witness-$5,756.78.
Mr. Master-Did you offer to buy the draft from him ?
Witness-Yes.
Mr. Master-He offered to sell the draft for that amount. Then what did you say? WIL ness-I told him if he could get a good guarantor we would buy the draft.
Mr. Master-What did he do then ? WitnessHe put his chop on the bill. Mr. Master-Did you see him characters on the back?
Witness Yes.
writa. the
Mr. Master-What characters, were they? Witness-Sun Shing. He said that was his
name.
Mr. Master-You also saw him, endorse the policy in writing in the same mapuer*
Witness-Yes, I did.
Mr. Master-What did you do then f Witnes-I asked for a guarantor and he re- ferred to Cheung Wo.
Mr. Master-And you told a shroff to go with him?
Witness—Yes.
Witness added that this was the last he saw
of the defendant.
The shroff referred to by the last t being sent with the defendant then evidence and said on or about the 23rd May-he could not remember the exact date he was directed by the last witness to go with defendan t to the Cheung Wo shop. The last witness handed him a paper, which was not in Court.
Mr. Master What paper was it? Witness-A bill of the bank, --
Mr. Master-Where is that document P Witness-I don't know. 1 handed it back to the last witness.
Continuing, witness said he went with the de fendant, but on nearing the Central Market ha bolted and witness had not seen him since until that day.
In answer to his Worship witness said the paper referred to was a draft, chopped.
The previous witness, recalled, said, in answer to his Worship, that he handed defendant a "clean" bill for $5,756.78, which he afterwards gave back to him and witness then handed it to a olerk in the bank. The bill was stamped and they wanted to get back the stamp money. The bill was chopped by defendant.
His Worship-Where is it now P Mr. Master-It has been sent back to the Treasury to have the unused stamps out out,
His Worship-No money was paid on that bill?
Witness-No.
At the Police Court on Thursday, before Mr. H. E. Wodehouse, a tailor named Lan Tong was charged with feloniously forging, on the 23rd | January, a certain bill of exchange for payment of £418 118 4d, purporting to be chopped with
A Chinese clerk in the employ of Messrs. the shop of Sun Shing as drawers, and pur. Sassoon and Co. said he made out the bills of porting to be endorsed with the chop of Cheung lading and handed them to a Chinaman. He Wo as endorsers; also that he by means of false could not identify the defendant. The China- pretences, and with intent to defraud, did offer, man came for the bills of lading on the 22u4 utter, dispose of, and put off a certain bill of May; the steamer sailed on the 23rd May, Hồ exchange, at Hongkong, on the 23rd January, was not quite sure as to the exact date, but it for £18 11s id. purporting to be chopped with was a day or two before the steamer sailed, on the the chop of Say Shing as drawers, and pur-23rd. He did not make out all the bills of lading. porting to be endorsed with the chop of Chenug He could not say if there were any more hills of Wo as endorsers.
lading made out for Singapore, but the manifest Mr. Master, Acting Crown Solicitor, pro-book would show. seonted:
Mr. Arthur Howard Barlow said-I am an assistant in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. The bill of exchange of the 23rd January was for £418 11s. 44, purporting to be drawn by Sun Shing on Susman Bros.. Sydney. The Bank purchased it for $4,142.50. The voucher of payment of cash was endorsed by me. By re- ferring to the books 1 am able to say that the papers produced are ship bills of lading and a policy of insurance relating to three bales of merchandise.
Representatives from the Sun Shing and Cheung Wo shops said that the signatures on the documents were forgeries,
Replying to Mr. Master, his Worship said be thought the case must be adjourned in order that the draft might be obtained,
neat would strengthen the case for the prosecu
Mr. Master said the production of this doo#-
tion.
His Worship to witness-Did you see the i goods for which you gave the bills of lading?
Witness-No. There was no necessity. for me to.
His Worship-Where were these.... bills chopped ?
Mr. Master At the bank. Continuing. Mr. Master said he could trace these bills to Singa- Leang Tin Sang, exchange shroff at the bank, pore, if necessary, but he did not see the use, said he paid the bill of exchange over to defen-except that it would serve to show the system of dant, who chopped it in his presence. He said fraud. These bills of lading, the policy, and the he came from the Sun Shing shop. Witness invoices the defendant gave to the Chartered asked him to get a guarantor, and in half an bank and endeavoured to get a bill drawn against hour he returned with a man whom he introduced the goods, which, instead of being what they were as coming from the Chung Wo shop. Witness represented to be-silver goods and other valu-
able merchandise -turned out to be simply boxes, believed the chops to be genuine.
filled with bamboo sticks.
Tung Si Chau, shroff at the Chartered Bank, said defendant came to him on the 21st May aud wished to sell him a draft.
His Worship then adjourned the osse till Wednesday, the 19th inst,