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under a scheme of Imperial federation the colonies themselves might be induced to recognise the justice of sharing in the burden of imperial responsibilities. The problem propounded by Splendid Isolation is one of extreme difficulty and its solution calls for the highest qualities of statesmanship, but the correspondent's own solution does not assist us much, though he has done good service in bringing the subject forward in such a way as to command widespread attention and intelligent ventilation.
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66
THE SANITARY BOARD PAPERS.
i
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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of the inhabitants disapprove. A few years ago a policy of economy in the administra- tion was promised, but, as shown by the return laid on the table of the Legislative Council the other day, instead of a reduction having been effected the cost of salaries and pensions has risen to nearly a million dollars, and the colony is left without funds for the prosecution of urgently needed public works.
THE NEW BRITISH MINISTER
TO PEKING.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERING.
[April 9, 1896.
pone my reply till another occasion such as the transfer of His Excellency Sir Claude Mac Donald to a higher sphere. We are met here Donald, and that toast will be fully expatiated upon by the Chairman. I think I may publicly say that I personally congratulate him upon his elevation to the high post of Her Majesty's Minister at Peking, and I think also from the short acquaintance I have had with him that Hongkong may congratulate itself also upon his selection to the high post, which I am sure he will ably fill. (Loud applause).
this afternoon to do honour to Sir Cland Mac
--
It is a
Mr. FRANCI8-Mr. Chairman, Your Excel- lencies, and gentlemen-It has given me very great pleasure indeed to be called upon to pro- pose the toast of the Naval and Military Forces of the Crown. and to be permitted to associate with this toast the names of H. E. the Vice- Admiral, Commander-in-Chief of this station, and H. E-Major-General Black. toast-and the phrase has been used a hundred thousand times-which is always received with very great enthusiasm wherever Englishmen are collected together; but there are degrees and differences in the enthusiasm with which it is sometimes received. There are times and times; and it has happened in the history of England that different ideas have been entertained than those which, I am happy to say, are prevailing now. (Cheers). There was a time when the word "Empire" was almost tabooed, when our Colonies were forsaken, when the Navy and the Army were
starved and neglected, and when we were unable to turn out a fleet which could have equalled that of our nearest neighbour. Thank God, those times have changed, and those ideas have been altered. (Hear, hear, and cheers). The is now a word, if I may 20 word "Empire
The decision of the Government not to
Sir Clande MacDonald, the new British Min- supply all the papers asked for by the Hon.ister to Peking, arrived in Hongkong on Fri- T. II. WHITEHEAD in connection with the day afternoon by the P. and O. mail steamer proposed reconstruction of the Sanitary Pekin. The boat was gaily decorated with Board is as surprising as it is unjustifiable. flags, and as she steamed into the harbour At the lancheon given to Sir CLAUDE MAC Captain Sterling, the Governor's A.D.C., went DONALD on Saturday the Colonial Secretary, alongside and boarded her, and before the Kow- in proposing Success to Hongkong," said: loon pier was reached the new British Minister and Lady MacDonald and child came off in the Hongkong has not been established launch and landed at Murray Pier, a salute many years, but during those years it has being fired by H.M.S. Alacrity. The proved itself a colony which can succeed. distinguished party at once proceeded to "What that success may be owing to may Government House to call upon His Ex- "be doubtful, but there can be no doulit cellency the Governor, Sir William Robin- about this fact, that it is due not only to sou, whose guests they were until yesterday. On the Army and to the Navy but to the Saturday morning, at eleven o'clock, $ir Claude energetic and go-ahead community inha- MacDonald had a private conference with the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce. In "biting it. I feel certain that so long as this the afternoon he was entertained to luncheon community is composed of inhabitants at the Hongkong Hotel by the Hongkong "such as we see around us here to-day Hong- Branch of the China Association. About kong will continue to develop with strides seventy gentlemen sat down to the luncheon, "which will surprise us all." The go-ahead which was admirably served. Mr. Jackson say, to charm by. Every attention has been community referred to has a right to know presided, and he had on his immediate left His given to strengthening the army and increa what representations have been made to the Excellency Sir Claude MacDonald, and on his sing the fleet, to making the fleet what it Secretary of State to induce him to believe right His Excellency the Governor, Sir ought to be. (Applause). Quite recently in William Robinson. There were also present a book dedicated to the public, a states- that as a community it is unfit or unable to His Excellency Admiral Buller, His Ex-man has used these words. He dedicated his take any part in the management of its own cellency Major-General Black, Hop. W. M. book "to those who believe that the British affairs. There can be nothing that ought to Goodman (Acting Chief Justice), Hon. J. H. Empire is, under Providence, the greatest in- be considered confidential in the official cor- Stewart Lockhart (Colonial Secretary), Hon.
strument for good that the world has respondence that has passed; on the con T. H. Whitehead, Hon. F. A. Cooper, Hon. and who hold, with the writer, that its work trary, the commonest principles of fair-play C. P. Chater, Hon. E. R. Belilios, Hon. in the Far East is not yet accomplished." denind that the community should be J. Bell Irving, Hon. A. M. Thomson, (Loud cheers). In the papers by the last mail afforded an opportunity of knowing what Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings, Hon. which brought us Sir Clande MacDonald, I find Commander R. Murray Rumsey, Hon. C. Mc- an account of a banquet given to South Austra- has been said to its detriment and of Conachie, Commodore Boyes, Mr. Justice Wise, liaus in London at which His Eminence replying to it if it so desires. Mr. WHITE Lieut.-Colonel Faithfull, Captain Login, Captain Cardinal Vaughan spoke, and he repeated that HEAD has given notice of his intention to Chichester, Captain Lang, Captain Sterling, bring forward a resolution on the subject at Mr. E. D. H. Fraser (Vice.Consul. Canton), the next meeting of the Legislative Council, Mr. Werner (Vice-Consul, Macao). Mr. J. J. but, as the Government has already an-
Francis, Q.C., Mr. A. Coxon, Mr. F. Henderson nounced its decision not to produce the Hon. Secretary, Hongkong Branch of China Association), Mr. R. C. Wilcox (Secretary, Chan- papers asked for, the hon. meniber's resoluther of Commerce), Mr. E. W. Mitchell (Hon. tion will no doubt he negatived by the Secretary, Hongkong Branch of Navy League), official phalanx. The venue must then be Mr. G. B. Dodwell, Mr. R. Shewan, Mr. J. H. moved to the House of Commons. The Lewis, Mr. Herbert Smith, Mr. W. Poate, Mr. colony has friends in Parliament who will H. G. Dowler, Mr. R. M. Gray, Mr. R. L. be glad to give their assistance in the mat Richardson, Mr. E. Osborne, Mr. G. Stewart, Mr. Murray Stewart, Mr. V. A. Cæsar Haw- ter and when the papers are asked for in kins, Mr. J. C. Peter, Mr. A. B. Johnson the House no doubt they will be duly (Crown Solicitor). Mr. G. C. Cox, Mr. V. H. tabled, for there can be no high reasons
Deacon, Mr. M. D. Ezekiel, Mr. A. Ross, Mr. of state to the contrary and their pro- F. Dodwell, Mr. R. Cooke, Mr. Granville Sharp, duction could not in common fairness he Mr. W. G. Humphreys, Mr. F. W. Hall, Mr. denied. All that, however, will take time W. R. Loxley, Mr. J. F. Broadbent, Amoy, and in the meanwhile the Bill for the recon- Mr. J. W. Broadbent, Shanghai, Mr. J. R. M. Smith, Shanghai, Mr. A. K. Travers, and
struction of the Board may have been passed, unless the Government should wisely aban- don the measure, which is scarcely probable. Then will be the time for the public un- hesitatingly to declare itself. A suspending clause will no doubt be introduced, so that the Bill will not become law until it has received the sanction of Her Majesty, and this will afford the public an opportunity of petitioning against it. Mr. CHAMBERLAIN seems to have paid considerable attention to the grievances of the Uitlanders in the Trausvaal, and he will not turn a deaf ear to the grievances of the British residents of this British colony. Like the Uitlanders, we have no measure of local self-government and we are called upon to pay extravagantly for the cost of an administration of whose form the majority
others.
After a most excellent luncheon the CHAIR- MAN proposed Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen and the other members of the Royal Family" and the toast was loyally honoured.
The CHAIRMAN then said-Gentlemen, I have great pleasure in proposing the health of His Excellency the Governor. We are glad to have his genial presence here to-day to do honour to His Excellency Sir Claude Mac Donald. (Cheers). I ask you all to drink his
health.
ou
His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, rising to respond, was received with enthusiasm. He said-I am very much obliged to the Chairman for proposing my health and to you, gentlemen, for drinking to it so cordially. Unfortunately, the Chairman in proposing my health has not given me ณ peg to hang a speech upon, and therefore I can not say, as I intended to
will post-
say,
that
seen
under the British Crown there is now a popula- tion numbering a quarter of the population of the world, and there is placed within the reach of our English-speaking people a great power and a great influence for good and for civilisa tion, a power which ought to make for Chris- tianity. He said "We had committed to us an enormous mission. We know not what the next century might bring forth, but it seemed to him that we were at present simply in the cradle of our existence; that we were welding together the force and intelligence of this great Empire in order to carry out that mission to the rest of the world, or, at all events, to a large portion of the world." (Lond applause). Our Empire, such as it is, and such as we hope it will be in the future, has been won by the exertions of our statesmen, our warriors, and our merchant adventurers-(hear, hear, and applause)-and great as has been the energy and ability, the skill and perseverance of those
merchant adventurers whom we the members of the China Association represent here to-day, we could have done nothing without the support and the assistance of the navy and of the army (Cheers). The highways of the world have been kept clear for us by the navy; our possessions,
once obtained, have been re- tained for us by the military forces of the Crown(cheers) and we, especially here in China, here in Hongkong, owe everything to the naval and the military forces of the Crown. (Renewed cheers). It was by force that China was opened to trade; it will be, for many years to come, by force alone that China will be kept open to trade. (Hear, hear). And much as we hope and expect from the intelligence and diplo- matic ability of the honoured guest of this day
(cheers)—that gentleman will not regret to find and to have behind him, in all his inter- course with the Chinese Government, the force, the powerful force, represented here this day by