THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[October 16, 189
effected with proper safeguards, and not bý H.M.8. Pique left suddenly last night for the arranged that all criminals should be executed the means at the disposal of private in- Pescadores with Consul Hurst, who, it is under- according to law, and that the Viceroy dividuals. Hence the importance of the stood, carries a despatch to the Japanese, offer had been instructed to this Sanitary Board's having its own medical ing terms of surrender.
officer.
case
There is general satisfaction at the prospect of peaceful negotiations, but remains to be seen what steps the Japanese will take, to enforce the restoration of order in the island, before finally settling accounts with the retir-
General.
Little or no danger threatens the foreign community and it is hoped that the long dreaded complications may not arise.
effect; yet up to the 30th ult. he had refused to act on these instructions. Tonching on point before the Court rose Mr. Mansfield and Colonel Hixson in an argument with the Prefect made the situation very ¦¦nn- pleasant for the Chinese officials. Whether at this sitting or at some other time, it transpired that the Viceroy had taken up the line that this dreadful massacre should be treated as an ordi- nary street brawl. Is it possible that he can ⠀ have been left in ignorance of the thorough or- ganization of the gang which went to
THE KUCHENG COMMISSION. When to do the deed P. Scarcely. He
THE CONSUL TO INTERVIEW
THE VICEROY. ✔
THE ADMIRAL EXPECTED.
SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRESS."]
FoосHow, 11th October, 9.45 p.m. Consul Mansfield arrives here to-morrow from Kucheng to interview the Viceroy.
The Admiral is expected to arrive here
THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION.
Incidentally the question arises of the responsibility of Europeans in the of sickness breaking out amongst their servants. As a matter of fact, servantsing when they fall sick are as a rule anxious to leave their employer's residence and employers, on the other hand, are equally anxious that they should do so. With the gulf fixed between the two nationalities, the employer can do little for the comfort or welfare of the servant, nor is the latter willing to accept his attentions. Consequently the number of cases in which the medical staff might be called-upon to visit suspicious cases amongst the Chinese servants of Europeans would under any cir- cumstances necessarily be very small. It should be the policy of the Government and Sanitary Board, however, to encourage reports in cases of the kind instead of dis-presently. couraging them. On this point we find some difficulty in following the line of Dr. ATKINSON'S argument. He says he would have the Contagious Diseases Notification Act introduced here, under which "the only "reasonable ground for belief that disease of 'an infectious or contagious character has "broken out" would be the production of a medical certificate to that effect. As it is not, customary on the part of the Chinese to engage doctors capable of giving a medical certificate we might, if this principle were adopted, have plague and small- pox and a dozen other contagious diseases raging amongst us and yet officially there would be no reasonable ground for suppos- ing they existed because there would be no medical certificate to that effect, certainly not if the sufferers or the friends could help it. The idea is quite Gilbertiau in its humour, but it would not answer in practice. If the colony is to be kept free of epidemic disease it will have to be by the exercise of vigilance on the part of the Sanitary staff, not by sitting down with folded hands and waiting for medical certificates which would never be given because they would never be asked for.
45
Foochow, 5th October. The examination of prisoners recommenced on the 23rd ult. and continued over the 24th. Six were examined during the two days and three others were brought into Court for re- examination. The six were all found to be more or less implicated in the massacre, and with them the list of those among the prisoners actually known to have been present at Whasang comes to an end, though many of those stilled untried stand accused of having been concerned in one way or another with the crime. Before the rising of the Court on the latter day two men, were brought in, accused of having spread false reports to the effect that the Prefect had been heard to say that the Christians were a troublesome lot and that the authorities would have to begin to deal with them as soon as they had finished with the Vegetarians. When questioned they denied flatly having done anything of the kind, and this in the face of their having been to see Mr. Banister, begging him to intercede for them with the Prefect Finally, however, following the exercise of some little patience and some gentle pressure, they confessed; and after asking the pardon of the Prefect and the Court they were warned and released. Notwithstanding all this show of indignation on the part of the Prefect it is more than likely that the words THE JAPANESE IN FORMOSA. attributed to him and spread abroad by these
CAPTURE OF KAGEE. ¡
PROBABLE SURRENDER OF LIU.
[SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE "DAILY PRESS."]
AMOY, 11th October, 9.54 a.m. Kagee has been captured by the Japanese, who are advancing rapidly on Tainanfu.
Consul Hurst left Anping suddenly for the
· Pescadores by H.M.S. Pique, presumably with -terms of surrender on behalf of Liu.
1
LIU REFUSES TO SURRENDER.
BOMBARDMENT EXPECTED.
[SPECIAL TELEGEÂM TO THE "DAILY FRESS."]
AMOY, 15th October, 9.44 a.m. The Japanese demand unconditional sur- render.. Lin refuses.
Bombardment is hourly expected. The Japanese land forces are close to Tai- nanfoo
The foreigners are on board H.M.S. Pique.
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
ANPING, 10th October. H.M.S. Pique arrived on Monday, the 7th, reporting thirty-three Japanese transports at anchor in the Pescadores.
News was received last night announcing the capture of Kagee and the rapid advance of the Japanese forces on Tainanfoo.
men were true. And then the opportunity was taken to touch on the proclamation trouble. It was scandalous to find after the Taotai had pro- mised that a new proclamation should be posted about the city and suburbs that one similar to the previous objectionable issue should have been placarded, and the Consuls expressed their indignation at this in no measured words. The excuse of the city magistrate was that his writer had made a mistake and that he should be punished for it. This excuse was too thin and easily to be seen through. Because the members of the Commission did not parade the streets of the city and suburbs, it was thought that the wording of the new proclamation would not be known to them, but here the use of the native Christians came in. They copied it and gave the copy to Mr. Banister. There seems to have been no limit to the attempts at humbugging, of which this one instance; and no wonder. The Consuls had had nothing beyond their own wits to back them, and all praise is due to these able men who have stood their ground single handed, so to speak, up to the present time, in spite of all provoca tions, against the wiles of the Chinese, who were supposed to be associated with them and to help them in the work of this investigation The Taotai H'su, who was reported to have full powers to act, appears to have no more power than his predecessor. Every point of disagreement is referred to the Viceroy He is the chief obstruo tionist. Mr. Mansfield received telegrams from Peking informing him that it was
can only have adopted this line of thought as a reason to obstruct or delay the ends of justice. Under date 30th ult. we learn that the Chinese, seeing that the chief criminals had been tried, think they have had enough of it. Two Generals have returned to Foochow and
some of the soldiers; and this, although there are yet so many prisoners to be tried and a hundred or more suspects still at large.
At the last moment we get news from Kucheng dated yesterday morning. Matters were still at a deadlock. The Viceroy is said to have given in on the question of the condemnation of those who were at Whasang, but it will probably be long before further executions take place. The list of the condemned had not yet been sent to him and after he geta it he will take his time to issue his orders under some paltry pretext or other. The Prefect has returned to Foochow with his retinue dis-* gusted. It is useless to say there is a general feeling of dissatisfaction in the minds of both Europeans' and Chinese in the present state of affairs.-Echo.
In reference to Hsü Taolai, the special Commissioner appointed from Peking to settle the Kucheng case, it is perhaps not generally known that he was last year, and a part of the year before last, Amoy Taotai and that it was through him that the sum of Tis. 250,000 was collected from the native trading classes and the local gentry for the purchase of twenty- eight big guns from Germany for the arming of the forts guarding the entrance to the port of Amoy. He is decorated with the peacock's feather and the brevet button (red) of the second civil rank, and is also recorded in the Grand Council books as eligible for the most important posts. He has been for several years a member of the Provincial Board of Reorganisation of
Fukien and the Likin Bureau, and has lately been appointed a director of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs in Foochow, of which the Pro- vincial Treasurer is President. He was a special protégé of the late Viceroy Pien Pao-ti, the predecessor of T'an Chung-lin, whom the pre- sent Viceroy Pien Pao-ch'uan succeeded last May as Governor-General of Min-che.-N. O. Daily News.
THE ANTI-CHRISTIAN RIOTING AT HOK-CHIONG.
Foochow, 5th October. In consequence of the disquieting news reaching Foochow early last week from Hok- ohiong a reliable messenger was sent up to enquire into it. He has now returned and reports that threatening rumours of a general rising against the Christians are rife there. The new magistrate 'who has just been appointed by the Viceroy is by his conduct encouraging this hostility against the Christians. One of these Christians was severely beaten by the per- secutors last Sunday week. His father had him conveyed to the magistrate's yamen, according to Chinese law, to have his wounds examined. This magistrate at once took occasion to abuse both father and son, told them because they were Christians they were foreigners, and as such had no right to have their cases brought before a Chinese court of justice! He then beat the father ten blows; and thus insulted him. This was all said and done in open court before å crowd of people,
who of course looked upon it as an encourage- ment to them to persecute and even kill the when the Christians. What can be expected y Chinese authorities themselves so openly dis- regard treaty rights and set themselves boldly