November 27, 1895.]
said, originated in Hochow, and after an engagement with the Chentai or Brigadier- General, which lasted three days, and in which he is said to have lost three battalions, the rebel force marched to the city of Tytau, or Singtan, and joined by the Mahommedans of the district besieged that city for fifteen days, committing much havoc round, but failing to capture the place. Joined by another body of co-religionists they fell back upon Tytau, and were there de feated by General MA NGAN-HANG, who made a rapid march during the recent war with Japan from Hochow to Peking, cover- ing the distance in fifteen days, whereas it ordinarily takes forty-five days. This General has, it would appear, succeeded in confining the rebellion to the Hochow dis- trict. The insurgents crossed the river, but they were driven back by the Imperialists. They have invaded and laid waste the Haining district, and have advanced to within seventy li of Lanchow, the capital of Kansuh, but up to the latest advices they had not reached that city.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPÓRT.
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SHANGHAI AND ITS FUTURE
GOVERNMENT.
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399
spectators of the development of the Settle- ment it seems to us that complete autonomy and the elimination of all actual control exercised by the Chinese Government is what ought to be aimed at. This might possibly be accomplished by a guarantee of the treaty powers and an annual payment to the Chinese Government of such a lump sum as might be deemed a fair equivalent of the revenue it at present derives from the Settlement and its trade. The boundaries of the Settlement should be extended so as to provide for all probable future developments and full control of the navigation of the river and of all con- servancy works should be claimed. The Settlement would then be in a position to regulate its! Own destinies and would be independent of political com- plications in which it has no voice. In the recent war the neutrality of Shanghai was secured through the friendly offices of England, but there is no certainty that the same would be the case in any future war, and it may be remembered that in the Franco-Chinese war genuine alarm was felt lest the Chinese should close the port. But quite apart from such a contingency as that, which may be considered a very remote one, it is undesirable that an effete, corrupt, and obstructive body like the Chinese Government should have any voice what- ever in the control of a great manufacturing and trading centre like Shanghai, whose development is dependent upon foreign in- fluences. The present system or want of system, with the individual freedom it has allowed, has hitherto answered so well that there may be a good deal of natural reluctance to introduce a more highly organised system of government, with greater restrictions and greater responsi- bilities, but though it may be possible to defer the day of change it is in the nature of things impossible that the present condi- tions can be continued indefinitely.
In the interview which Sir NICHOLAS O'CONOR accorded to a deputation of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce the retiring Minister was asked if there was any pro- spect of the revised Land Regulations of the Settlement being approved. To this question His Excellency gave no reply, the omission, it is understood, being accidental. He had a long string of questions to answer, and this particular one appears to have escaped his memory. The matter is perhaps not of much vital consequence; had it been, some of the deputation would no doubt have drawn His Excellency's attention to the fact that he had omitted to answer the question. The regulations were sent up to Peking for approval fifteen years ago, and there they have lain pigeon-holed ever since, and now it is admitted that they would stand in need of another revision before being brought into force, owing to the alterations that have taken place in the conditions during the inter- val. And those conditions are now undergoing a more rapid transformation than ever before. As to the extension of the Settlement, Sir NICHOLAS O'CONor “ entirely agreed that "the Settlement was at present a great deal too limited, and it would become much more so when the manufactures and "industries were in full swing. If the "Settlement grew at anything like the rate at which it had been increasing, the popu- "lation in ten or fifteen years would be enormous and Shanghai would soon be the "Calcutta of the Far East." This being so, and there is every reason to believe the retiring Minister's predictions will be ful filled, the question naturally suggests itself whether the constitution of the Settle- ment will not require a much more radical alteration than a mere revision of the Land Regulations. With the growth of manufac tures and the increase of population the difficulty of satisfactorily governing the Settlement will necessarily become greater and the present system of dual control seems LORD SALISBURY ON THE SITUA bound to break down sooner or later. At present when anything but of the ordinary routine requires to be done the Municipal The brief summary given by Reuter of Council has to address the Senior Consul, Lord SALISBURY's speech at Brighton reads who in turn addresses the local Chinese somewhat oracularly. His Lordship, is re- officials, and in cases in which the latter ported to have said that he did not expect have not sufficient powers to take action on a speedy dissolution of the Turkish Empire, their own responsibility, or in which they but thought that territorial and political do not wish to do so, the matter has to be changes were possible there and elsewhere referred to Peking. A case in point is that which would oblige Great Britain to stand of the Woosung Bar, which annually causes prepared. What is the word "elsewhere" great loss to shipping. The difficulty, it is intended to cover? Was Lord SALISBURY believed, might readily be got rid of at a thinking of Africa or Asia?
With regard very moderate expense, but under the pre- to China His Lordship has already told us sent conditions it is not easy to move even that Great Britain is prepared for any com- so far as to get a preliminary survey bination whether in regard to war or com- made. It has been suggested that a merce, an announcement which all British River Conservancy Board should be subjects out here were very pleased to re- formed which should have full control overceive. The latest speech, however, is not the navigation of the river with power to execute all such works as might be found necessary. The suggestion is a good one, so far as it goes, but it forms only one item in the general scheme of reorganisation that is required. The difficulties of the present arrangement as regards the internal govern- ment of the Settlement are so great that there appears to be some doubt as to whether it will be possible in future to find gentlemen willing to act gratuitously as Chairman of the Municipal Council, owing to the great amount of work now attaching to the office, and the power of the Council to remunerate the Chairman for his services is uncertain. We are not prepared to suggest to our Shanghai friends a cut and dried scheme for their future government, but as interested
The truth is that the rebellion, up to its present stage, is purely local. It arose out of the oppression and severity of the officials, and the general distrust existing between the people and the ruling class. It is reported that before there were any overt symptoms of rebellion the Chentai at Hochow placed guns on the city wall and had proclama- tions posted up at various points in the city saying that all the Mahommedans would be killed. From this it is evident that there have been incitements to religious fanaticism in the minds of the Buddhist and Confucian sects in the province, and the incipient spark of revolt against the Emperor KWANG SU has been fanued into fame by His Imperial Majesty's own officials. Whe- ther the rising assumes really formidable dimensions or not depends very much upon the manner in which the operations against the rebels is conducted, and also to no small extent upon the treatment accorded to those who were so misguided as to be led into rebellion for no adequate reason. If they are treated with great harshness the move ment may be quashed for the time, but the disaffection will remain and germinate afresh, ready to break out again on the smallest provocation. Even as it is the Mahommedans in China are chronically discontented and ready to take advantage of any opportunity to rise against the Ta-tsing dynasty. The Mongols are scarcely less dissatisfied with Manchu rule, and only need very brief invitation to be come the subjects of the Great White Czar, who treats such of them as reside in his dominions with far greater liberality than is shown them by the Chinese mandarinate. The Mahommedans would no doubt welcome the advent of the Russians into Northern | China, and might even, in a war, go over to them en masse. Muscovite influence will undoubtedly in the future extend both through Mongolia and Manchuria, even if it does not penetrate into the eighteen provinces, and the Peking Government will act wisely by promptly setting their house in order before the day comes when they will have less power to do so.
The Mahom- medans in China are of the same race and have therefore no natural antipathies to their rulers; if the officials only treat them justly and liberally they will become as loyal as any other section of the native population.
It is notified in the Gazette that Mr. A. McConachie has been appointed an unofficial member of the Legislative Council during the absence of the Hon. J. J. Bell-Irving.
T.
TION.
quite so reassuring, for it is impossible to avoid a suspicion that when His Lordship spoke of the possibility of territorial changes in other places besides Turkey he was thinking more especially of the Far East. Although the alarm entertained a fortnight ago has in a large measure sub- sided and no immediate convulsion is feared, the elements of disturbance remain much as they were. As to the necessity of standing prepared, therefore, there can be no question, and it is to be hoped the expectations enter tained of Lord SALISBURY'S Government in this respect may be justified. It is not only the North that has to be looked to, but also the South The reported Russian designs in Manchuria may perhaps be regarded with a certain amount of equanimity, but those