August 13, 1896.]
public property than to try to give a wider reading to existing leases than they will fairly bear.
PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF THE CHINESE JUNK TRADE IN FORMOSA.
In another column we publish a letter from a Formosa correspondent showing how it is that junks enjoy a preferential treatment as compared with foreign steamers in the carrying of opium to Formosa. This pre- ference is not formally accorded, but as a matter of fact it exists, because the foreign steamers are not engaged in the smuggling trade, and if they were it would be easy to detect the offence, whereas Chinese junks are more difficult to deal with and are allowed to do pretty much as they like. A few weeks ago we publisheda Japanese official statement on the subject, which showed that it was intended to exercise a strict control over Chinese junks to prevent smuggling, and that there had been a few cases of confisca tion. Everyone will give the Japanese credit for the best intentions in the matter, but it would seem that their organisation is quite inadequate to the task that has to be performed and that the officials are ignorant of the matter they have to deal with. It is important that these defects should be amended with as little loss of time as possible, and it would be well if the Japanese would secure the services of foreigners acquainted with trade conditions in Formosa to assist them in organising an effective preventive service; but that is a remedy that will pro- bably not commend itself to them. If they elect, as they probably will, to rely on their own resources, then it is clear they must largely increase their staff. On this point it is possible the letter of our correspondent may give rise to some misapprehension. He speaks of five foreigners and five Chinese writers having discharged the duties of the Customs house at Anping before the Japanese occupation, whereas now there is a staff of forty and the work is not done so smoothly or expeditiously. The five Europeans and five Chinese writers, however, were concerned only with foreign shipping, whereas the forty Japanese are, we presume, concerned both with foreign and native craft, and for those duties the staff is clearly insufficient. In the official communication above re- ferred to it was stated that the ex- isting Custom houses and stations having
been considered insufficient the assistance of the Police and Military Police had been invoked. The police, however, have their own duties to perform and it seems evident that their assistance in Customs duties has not been of much practical value. Au entire reorganisation and large extension of the Customs service is called for.
A CHINESE NAVY.
Mr. DEMETRIUS C. BOULGER, in an article on LI HUNG-CHANG in the Contemporary Review, deprecates the creation of a Chinese navy. China, he anys, "has not given up "her dream of maritime power. She has bought one or two fresh ironclads since "the war, and is expected to give large "orders in English and German shipyards. "It may seem presumptuous, but the advice "is certainly based on good feeling and "close study of her position, to urge her to do nothing of the kind. She is only wasting her resources and providing spoil "for her enemies, as no fleet which she can "create within the next ten years, the 露露 extreme limit within which it will be
"
possible to maintain peace in the Far
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
24
"East, would have any chance of success against even the weakest of her possible opponents. Moreover, the dangers she "has to cope with are on land, and not at sen. Expenditure on torpedoes and other means of coast defence is both prudent "and necessary, but to spend millions on battleships and cruisers is only to "invite a repetition of the Yalu and Wei- "hai-wei:" On this point Mr. BOULGER, while he may be a sympathetic adviser, cannot be considered a sound one. No country with a great coast line can be con- sidered as adequately defended unless it is able to operate by sen as well as on land. China requires an army, no doubt, but she requires also a navy, and the one seems as necessary as the other if she is to preserve her place in the Far East. Mr. BoULGER's argu ment is that China's great danger is from Rusia, which, when the Siberian railway is completed, will without difficulty be able to march an army into the dominions of the Son of Heaven, and that that is what has to be guarded against. The danger is a real one, no doubt, but it is not the only one, and even as against Russia sea power might not prove altogether useless, for Russia might strike by sea as well as by land; and if she had France for an ally the latter would operate chiefly through her navy, as she did in the case of the Tonkin reprisals. But whatever may be said of the danger of attack by Russin or any other European power, China herself considers Japan the power to be most closely watched and the one with whom she would chiefly wish to place herself in a position to cope. If she remains without a
navy, however, and leaves the sea open to her enemies, China would be in a position of marked inferiority, even though she had an efficient army. It is quite possible that to spend millions on battleships and cruisers would he to invite a repetition of the Yalu and Wei-hai-wei, but so also might the creation of an army be an invitation to a repetition of the disasters she sustained on land in the recent war. China's ability to resist ag- gression either ashore or afloat is at present small and is likely to remain so, though she purchase many battleships or organise large battalions, her chief weakness lying in the dishonesty that characterises every depart ment of her administration; but if she makes any serious attempt to render herself capable of defence it seems to us that a navy is as important to her as an army.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on the 5th August in the Council Chamber. Present:-
“PAPERS.
.117.
The COLONIAL SECRETÀRY-I beg to lay upon the table the report of the Committee appointed by his Excellency the Governor to inquire into and report on the best organisation for a College of Medicine for. Hongkong. In addition to this correspondence there are two letters, one from his Excellency the Governor to Mr. Belilios, and Mr. Belilios's reply. These letters have not yet been printed, but I now lay them upon the table and when they have been printed they will be circulated amongst hon. members. I also beg to lay upon the table papers on the question of providing new the assessment for 1896 and 1897. Government offices, and the Assessor's report on
FINANCIAL MINUTES.
referred to the Finance Committee.
Financial Minutes Nos. 7, 8, 9, and 10 were
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
the table the reports of the proceedings of the The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS laid on Public Works Committee at a meeting held on the 22nd July, and moved its adoption.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Carried.
FINANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The COLONIAL SECRETARY brought up the report of the Finance Committee (No. 3) and moved its adoption.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded. Carried.
ARMS AND AMMUNITION EXPORT.. Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD gave notice of the
→
following question:-Will the Government inform the Council whether the Police Depart ment continues to furnish the Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs with information concern ing permits issued for the export from the colony of arms and ammunition THE SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION BILL.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER moved and the COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded that the Council go into Committee on the Bill en- tion of a supplementary sum of $1,002,275.7 to titled an Ordinance to authorise the appropria- defray the charges of the year 1895.
On the item, Pensions $18,776.97, being read,
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD said—I do not know whether I am in order in now asking if the Government would inform the Council of the ated and that realised, and state separately, the loss in exchange, if any, between the rate estim- amount of the new pensions.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I do not quite understand the hon. member. Does the hon. member wish particulars to be given in regard to each pension ?
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-No. But state separately the loss in exchange and the amount of new pensions.
The COLONIAL SECRITARY-The informa- tion asked for will be furnished.
The other items were gone through without discussion and Council resumed.
The Bill was read a third time and passed. THE SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ORDINANCE, The ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL-I beg, Sir, to move the second reading of the Bill en- titled an Ordinance to make better provision for the sale of food and drugs in a pure state. The object of this Bill is to introduce into this colony such of the provisions of the English Acts for the sale of food and drugs, passed at home in the years 1875 and 1879, as are applicable to the local circumstances of this colony. A recent Hon. H. E. POLLOCK, Acting Attorney-prosecution brought to my notice the fact
His EXCELLENCY the Governor, Sir WIL LIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.
Hon. J. H. Stewart LockhART. Colonial Secretary.
General.
Hon. A. M. THOMPSON, Acting Colonial Treasurer.
Hon. F. A. COOPEE, Director of Public Works.
Hon. R. MURRAY RUMSEY, Harbour Master. Hon. COMMANDER W. C. H. HASTINGS, Acting Police Magistrate.
Hon. C. P. CHATER. Hon. Ho KAL
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD, Hon. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G. Hon. J. J. BELL-IRVING.
Mr. F. J. BADELEY, Acting Clerk of Councils.
MINUTES.
$
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
that the law in this colony with regard to adulteration was in an unsatisfactory state, and that is the reason why I thought it necessary that the provisions of the English Acts should be introduced into this colony. Hon. members will see from the fresh print of the Ordinance, which is dated 24th July, 1896, that there are varions respects in which I propose to move amendments to the Ordinance as read the first time. These amendments åre.scheduled in the memorandum attached to the new Bill, and I think it will be convenient if I explain these amendments when the Bill is in Committee. ** beg to move the second reading of the Bill. The COLONIAL SECRETARY Seconded. Bill read the second time. Council went into Committee.
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