February 19, 1896.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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44
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other.
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accused refunding less than half the sum. If the case had gone to trial it is very doubt-
"the profession of arms. We may make our ful whether a conviction could have been
fortifications, or do anything, and it is all as clear to any one as the noonday, and obtained, for Mr. CHEN YA-TING had only followed the recognised custom among com-
you may depend upon it that the 'army which wins in future will be the pradors, and, after ascertaining the mini- army which does everything the most imum price the firm was willing to accept thoroughly.' for certain imported goods had sold them at
We are somewhat inclined a higher price and pocketed the difference, penalty for sketching were penal servitude to agree with His Excellency If the besides receiving his legitimate commission for life no doubt foreign Governments The case having been settled the full details would be able to of the affair have not transpired, but suf-
secure spies willing to incur the risk. ficient was published by our Yokohama somewhat absurd, too, in making a distinc- The Ordinance is contemporaries to throw into striking relief tion between the offence of sketching and the defects of a system which remiers such that of being found in the immediate vicinity frauds possible. All the other compradors at of military works with the intention of Yokohama were said to be greatly excited, | sketching-three months being the maximum because what Messrs. FINDLAY, RICHARDSON | penalty in one case and one month in the & Co.'s man had done they all do, though there must have been circumstances which rendered | the criminality of the act whether the It cannot make any difference to the fraud more casily traceable in his case offender is detected before he has commenced than others. In China the foreign merchant to sketch or afterwards, provided]the inten- is not threatened with the competition of tion is clearly proved. However, the law direct trade in the same way as his congener must be taken as it stands, and it certainly in Japan and may continue to indulge in allows a large discretion to the Magistrate, the luxury of a comprador without fear of who may inflict a merely nominal penalty seeing the trade thereby transferred wholly if that appears to him to meet the justice of to native hands, but he has to pay heavily the case, or may send the offender to gaol for it. The competition in China is not so without the option of a fine. much between natives and foreigners, as evident, as a matter of common sense, that But it is between the different nationalities of for only drastic penalties will have any effect eignets. Those who succeed most completely in carrying out the intention of the legis in shaking themselves free of the compra-lature. It may be doubted whether, even dor, or minimising the strength of his drastic penalties would be effective, but a octapus grip, will be able to trade on the fifty dollars fine imposed upon gentlemen in best terus, and to his failure in this direc- the position of Baron GRAEVESITZ, Lieut. tion something of the decadence of the EPANCHINE, and Lieut. STRANNOÈNINBSKY British merchant in China may possibly be is no penalty at all. attributed.
SKETCHING THE FORTS. (18th February.)
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A RUSSIAN PROTECTORATE FOR KOREA:
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147
would be able to cope with the Russian squadron, which would only have Vladivos- tock to fall back upon. What was not fore- seen, however, was the support Russia has received from Germany and France, which compelled Japan to relinquish the Linotung Peninsula and which will equally compel alliance continues. But it will be a very her to hold her hand in Korea if the triple bitter experience for Japan to see Korea absorbed by Russia, if such is to be the case, may run so high as to endanger the pre and popular excitement, it is to be feared, servation of peace.
MR. JACKSON AND THE HONG- KONG AND SHANGHAI BANK.
of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank on The announcement made at the meeting Saturday that the services of Mr. T. JACK- SON as Chief Manager had been secured for a further term of three years was received with much satisfaction by the shareholders, and the satisfaction: will be shared by the Bank's customers and the public in general. Under Mr. JACKSON's able and liberal exceedingly and the facilities offered to the minded management the Bank has prospered business public have been such as to satisfy all requirements. At the moment the outlook is bright and the prospects of the petition is mentioned, but “ Bank were never more encouraging. Com "the life of trade," and, as was remarked by competition is Mr. C. S. SHARP at the meeting on Satur- day, it is to be expected that with cheaper money and for other reasons trade connected with the Far East may in the near future show considerable expansion. Should this expectation unfortunately not be realised and bad times instead of good ones be in store the Bank could have no better than Mr. JACKSON.
to bring it safely through thêm
man
SUPREME COURT.
13th February
IN ORIGINAL JURISDICTION.
BEFORE HON. W. M. GooDMAN (ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE.)
Ellis, of Mr. V. H. Deacon's office), appeared for Mr.' J. J. Francis, Q.C. (instructed by Mr. the Company, and said he presumed his Lord- ship had examined the affidavits and papers.
The news we published on Saturday as to The penalty imposed by the _ Police | renewed disturbances in Korea is, of serious Magistrate yesterday on the three Russian import. The King has taken refuge at the officers accused of sketching the_forts will | Russian Legation, a Russian forcefhas been excite some surprise. If the offence com- landed for the protection of the Legation, mitted was merely technical and uninten- {and a similar step is being taken by other tional it would have been sufficient to inform foreign Powers for the protection of their } the defendants of the law and impose no respective Consulates. The situation is
penalty; if on the other hand they were evidently regarded as grave and we really acting as spies they should have been be prepared for exciting news, sent to gaol for the full term allowed by going to the Russian Legation has the ap The King's the Ordinance, namely, three months or one pearance of a first step towards the estab month according to the section under lishment of a Russian protectorate and which they were convicted. The lay was the overthrow of the Japanese ascend- passed with the intention of preventing eney in the country. Hitherto Japan has IN THE MATTER OF THE HONGKONG, CANTON, sketches of the forts being taken for the assumed the duty of protecting the person
AND MACAO STEAMBOAT CO., LIMITED AND use of foreign Governments, but it is not of the King when disturbance threatened,
REDUCED, AND IN THE MATTER OF THE likely to have any practical effect if the and in October last the late Japanese re-
COMPANIES ORDINANCES 1877 TO 1886. only penalty for its contravention is a fine presentative, Viscount MIURA,' under pre-boat Company, Limited and Reduced, petitioned The Hongkong, Canton, and Macao Steam- of $50. Ignorance could not be prended text of discharging that function, arranged for sanction to reduce its capital. in the case, for there is no military or naval the murder of the Queen. That shameful officer in the service of any civilised, power crime is now apparently bearing fuit and who is not well aware of the illegality of has no doubt helped to bring events to the the sketching of defences or trespassing in crisis towards which they have been tending fortification works. It was remarked in the since the conclusion of the war between course of the trial yesterday that such China and Japan. It has been made only conduct as that of Barou GRAEVENT Z and too clear that Korea is incompetent to his brother lieutenants would not be allowed | manage her own affairs, but must be placed, at Vladivostock, to which the defendants' either temporarily or permanently, under solicitor replied that here we are enlightene1, the control of some Power strong cilough to whichi was rather a backhanded compliment suppress the anarchy which prevails and to his clients' Government, the implication | bring the administration into a state pforder. being that Russia is not enlightened. The Russia objects to Japan undertaking that utility of the Defences Sketching Prevention duty, and though Japan objects as strongly Ordinance may, however, be called in questo Russia undertaking it she will probably tion. Trespassing can be prevented by the in the long run be compelled to subuit. posting of sentries, but it is hardly likely It is an open secret that at the time Japan that any legal penalties will prevent entered on the war with China she had in foreigu Governments collecting all the in-contemplation the probability that that formation obtainable outside the lines, struggle would be succeeded by one with General CAMERON, speaking in public in Russia and she looked forward to it with Hongkong on one occasion, before anything a light heart. She calculated that with had been heard of the Sketching Ordnance, her numerous ports and facilities for pro- "There is now nothing secret about visioning and repairing her ships her fleet
ཎྜ
said:-
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ther rules 90 and 91 have been complied with.
His Lordship-Yes, I have. The chief mat- ter to be attended to is, I suppose, to see whe-
Mr. Francis---Yes, my lord. Rule 90 says- Court may, if it shall so think fit, give such When the petition comes on to be heard, the directions as may seem proper with reference to securing in manner mentioned in section 13 of the Companies Ordinance 1877 the payment of the debts or claims of any creditors who do not hearing of the petition may, if the Court shall consent to the proposed reduction; and the further think fit, be adjourned for the purpose of allow- ing any steps to be taken wi h reference to the securing in manner aforesaid the payment of such debts or claims." Your Lordship will see from the affidavit which has been filed by Mr. Arnold that there are only three claims certi- fied by the Registrar as unpaid.
One is & claim by Chi Sni Ling for $601, but this has a matter of fact, although there is no direct been paid since the alarit was sworn to, 80.as evidence upon the point, there are only two