August 15, 1895. ]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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apathy and indifference of our own Government the largest meeting which in my experience has applause)and its failure to recoguise the been held in Hongkong, and as it was necessary gravity of the situation, and to take adequate that it had to be held in business hours it measures for the protection of its subjects, and is exceedingly satisfactory it has attained its for the punishment of their murderers." (Loud present dimensions. Well now, just one and prolonged applause).
word more as to the question asked by Hon. A. MCCONACHIE said, Mr. Chairman, gentleman a moment ago. I am quite in ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Fraucis has so ably and the hands of the meeting as to what shonld fully expressed our great horror and indignation be done, but I think the best way and the at the brutal, cold-blooded murder of our inoffen- simplest way, it seems to me, would be for me to sive countrymen and country women, that little convey the sympathy for the sufferers in a remains for any one coming after him to way. I am formal way as I have done already informally to sure the indignation of all present here to-day, his Lordship the Bishop. The second resolu when first they heard of this terrible massacre, tion should be formally drawn up, and. I should rose to boiling point. I know mine did. I do not of be happy to undertake it myself, and to forward course know what steps our Government may take it to the Governor for transmission to the in this dreadful matter, but I hope they will be Secretary of State. such as shall prove a lesson to the Chinese in future and make it quite clear to them that the lives of British subjects cannot be atoned for by money. With these few remarks I beg to second the resolution proposed by Mr Francis. |(Applause)
Voices-By telegram.
Mr. WOOLLEY-Why not telegraph direct to Lord Salisbury? (Hear, bear, and applause).
meeting I shall be most happy to convey the The CHAIRMAN-That being the sense of the
wish thus expressed.
A. Voice-Send it to the Times,
The CHAIRMAN-You will all understand, ladies and gentlemen, that it would have, as far
as I am concerned, to be transmitted to his Excellency the Governor for transmission to the Secretary of State, and I assume that is what It will be intimated to his you would wish.
is that one of our Consuls should be sent to conduct au enquiry on the site of the massacre, and that he should be escorted to the place by Chinese armed troops! (Hisses) And as you have heard from the telegram just read the Chinese armed troops which were sent to protect the missionaries on their arrival im- mediately distinguished themselves by further plunder and destruction of the missionary pre- mises! ( ́sses. Now there is but one remedy. The Chinese Government are absolutely unable to give us or the English Government adequate satisfaction. Therefore as between nation and nation there is but one remedy; satisfaction must be taken. (Applause). Investigation by Chinese officials is a farce. The investigation must be conducted at the place by a competent European commission and properly supported by an armed force. (Applause). To rely upon the Chineso authorities for the protection of that commission or upon any armed force that the Chinese pos- mess is to rely upon a broken reed-(applause), as every official implicated by active aid in this massacre or by connivauce-every official, no mat-
Mr. MASTER-May I be permitted to suggest ter how high, to whom can be brought home the an amendment in the nature of an addition to the knowledge of what was going on, must be last resolution? There has been a good deal degraded, and our Government must see that said about the outrages and as to the insufficiency the degradation attaches to him for the remainder of the compensation. I believe that the com of his life-(applause), that that man must not pensation hitherto has been considered to be again be promoted or rewarded in the service of sufficient if dealt out in money. Now, I think the Chinese Government, and that some guar. that it should be added to this resolution antee must be taken for the proper and effective that this meeting is of opinion that money carrying out of the punishment of the guilty compensation is wholly inadequate. I beg to officials and the criminals. What that guarantee propose an amendment by way of addition to shall be must rest with the Government, this resolution in the following words:" And bat we, with our knowledge and our experience that in the opinion of this meeting money com- and as members of the great English compensation is wholly inadequate redress for out- manity throughout the world, bound together rages of such a nature and that the position by a single tie-we are entitled to express our demands swift and stern measures by the British opinious as to the complete failure of the mea- Government." (Loud and prolonged applause). sures hitherto adopted by the Brisith Govern- The CHAIRMAN-I understand that Mr ment to obtain justice from China and as to the Francis is willing to accept this proposed amend- measures that ought to be adopted by that Go- ment as part of his resolution, and, therefore, in- vernment in the future-(applause); and we stead of moving the resolution and then the are entitled to join our voices with the voices amendment, the more convenient course will be
The speakers were unanimous in their view now calling out loudly in England for punish that the addition be proposed by Mr. Franois as that the measures hitherto adopted and accepted ment and for retribution on the murderers and part of his own resolution. (Applause). I have in such cases had been quite inadequate and on their Government. (Applause). And now, now formally to read to you the resolution futile, and that no honest and hearty co-opera ladies and gentlemen, I beg to move the moved by Mr. Francis and seconded by Mr. Motion was to be looked for from the Chinese resolution which runs as - follows That Conachie, which although it is, as I ventured to officials, whose secret sympathies were probably this meeting desires to express its anger suggest, new to me in point of form is not in with the offenders. It was urged that Foreign and indignation at the criminal connivance point of substance. (Applause).
Representatives should not leave the detection of the Chinese Government and its officers The CHAIRMAN then read the resolution and and punishment of the authors and perpetraters in not affording adequate protection and added--I propose to take the same step with re- of this monstrous crime in the hands of the not taking proper precautions for the gard to this resolution as I did with regard to Chinese, but that foreigners of influence should defence of the unfortunate sufferers at Ku the last, and assume, in the absence of any fur-ee to it, and that material guarantees should cheng; and this meeting desires-'
ther address to the meeting, that this resolution be obtained for the future. Those views met is unanimously and enthusiastically adopted. with general acceptance. The utmost horror: (Loud applause).
at the fiendish butchery of women and children was expressed and the keenest sympathy with the relatives and friends of the victims.
to
Mr. Francis was here interrupted by the Chairman. After a few moments' conversation between them,
Dr. HARTIGAN-Before we break up from Mr. FRANCIS said-Ladies and gentlemen, what I think we may call a very successful meet it will be for you to decide. The Chairmaning, I have to ask your thanks for our learned appeals to me to ask you simply to content Chairman, who came here readily, as he has yourselves with expressing your indignation always done other meetings wherever witbont definitely directing that indignation sympathy or benevolence is required. I thank against any one. (Cries of No, No,” Your him not only on account of his high position, bat own_resolution," and loud applause.) That, far more for the kind aand sympathatic way in which he has spoken of this outrage, this series of outrages. Personally I have strong feeling in the matter, as one of the ladies who was mur- dered is the friend of one of my friends in Dublin-a doctor there. I ask you to give hearty vote of thanks the Chairman. Applause).
gentlemen—”
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The CHAIRMAN-I was drawing Mr. Francis's attention to the fact that the terms of his mo- tion that he is making before the house-before this meeting-had not been previously shown to me or submitted to me. The motion, as shown to me, appeared to be different. I was not saying that I objected to the terms of the motion; it came upon me as rather a surprise.
Mr. MASTER-I beg to propose that Mr. Francis's motion, whatever it may be, be read. (Applause.) We are here to decide whether or not we will adopt it.
10
Mr. WOOLLEY-May I ask bow or by whom these resolutions are to be forwarded P
Excellency that the meeting expresses a strong feeling that the resolution should be transmitted With these few remarks I have to by wire. declare the meeting at an end.
INDIGNATION MEETING at
SWATOW.
A meeting of the Swatow community, very largely attended, was held at the Kealat Club on Friday, the 9th instant, at 3 p.m., to give expression to their views on the subject of the massacre of missionaries at Kution, near Foo chow.
Mr. R. H. Hill was called to the chair and proposed the following resolution, which was seconded by Rav. P. Maclagan :-"That themem- bers of the Swatow community now assembled desire to express publicly their horror and indig nation at the recent massacre of missionaries, all of whom without exception were women and children, at Kutien, near Foochow, and their sympathy with the relatives and friends of the victims. Regarding it as evidence of the laxity and indifference of the Chinese Government where foreign life is concerned, they call for the Ruential foreign seratiny, with a view to the due most prompt and searching enquiry under in-
punishment of all concerned, and the exaotion The CHAIRMAN-I will explain that shortly; of material guarantees from the, Government Let me first assure you that I thank you very for the future safety and protection of foreiga sincerely for your kind reception of me as Chair- lives, arging at the same time that on no account man, and that, if I can use the word pleasure should any blood money be accepted as compen- upon an occasion of this sort, it has certainly |sation for the lives taken." been a pleasure to me to act in the humble
The proposer and seconder spoke to the re- way I have done at this meeting. My solutions fully and with feeling and were duties in connection with it have been more or less of a formal nature and even with regard to Revs. J. Steel and Mardo Mackenzie, and by the strongly supported by Mr. D. R. Laws, the the form of the resolution I regret to say that I Revs. W. Ashmore, Dr. Caslin, W. McKeb- perhaps did not inform myself as fully as ben, of the American Mission, and others. should have done. I am quite sure you will understand it was not from the slightest On the motion of Mr. D. Machaffle, s:conded Mr. FRANCIS-I have only to apologise feeling of discourtesy to Mr. Francis and must by Dr. H. Layng, it was resolved to tele. to the Chief Justice for having misunder-be attributed to carelessness of my own. I graph to Lord Salisbury, the British Minister stood what he was saying to me. (Laughter). thought the resolution was very short in its at Peking. the President of the United States, I beg to propose this resolution That this form,fand when I heard a longer resolution than and the American Minister, the sense of the meeting desires to express its horror and in- the ore I saw in the paper I naturally interposed meeting, and further to telegraph to the Times dignation at the crime committed at Kucheng; to see what it was, I think you will see I was newspaper asking its influence in giving publi- its anger and indignation at the criminal conniv- only acting as was right and proper in my posi- city to the views expressed. ance of the Chinese Government and its officers tion as Chairman of this meeting. Let us express Messrs. Hill, Law, Machaffle, and the Rev. in this and other recent attacks on missionaries our satisfaction that this meeting can be fairly W. Ashmore were appointed a committee to give and missionary property; and our disgust at the described as thoroughly representative. It is effect to the wishes of the meeting, and after.
The CHAIRMAN-May I add one word in order to prevent any further stopping of these proceedings. I merely spoke to Mr. Francis because it was a matter of surprise to me, as I had not seen the terms of the motion. I had not the slightest intention of suggesting that Mr. Francis's motion in the terms in which he has drafted it should not be subm tted to the meeting.