September 24, 1896.]
At the Police Court, on the 18th September, Chinaman was charged with enticing into and attempting to take away from the colony two men for the purposes of emigration. On the 15th inst. the defen- dant arrived in Hongkong with the two men, who hail from Tamsui and state them. selves to be farm labourers. The defendant told them that if they would come to Hongkong with him and work as stone cutters he would give them $2 a month besides their keep. They blindly accepted the proposal and started on their journey with the defendant, not knowing where Hongkong was. When they arrived here the defendant said they had not yet reached their destination but that they would have to remain here one day. It was the defendant's intention to get the men to Singapore and the Hydaspes was sailing for that port the next day. He therefore lodged the men in a coolie house and told them that they must on no account leave it until they again started on their journey. The next day the men were safely got on board the Hydaspes. Whilst Sergt. Holt was making his usual inspection of the emigrants he noticed the defendant with the two men and as he is fairly well known to the police the sergeant thought he would question his two charges as to their destination. They replied that they did not know where they were going. In the meantime the defendant had disappeared and this fact strengthened the suspicions of Sergt. Holt. He searched the ship and found the man stowed away in a small compartment at the fore part of the ship. He was then arrested. Commander Hastings sentenced him to six months' hard labour.
What is the proper way to administer the declaration to a Chinese witness? We ask the question because lately a new departure has been made in the Summary Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in the method of administering the declaration. When a Chinese witness gets
into the box he is asked his name and then the
clerk says in English: I do solemnly and sincerely declare that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." The interpreter then tells the witness to repeat the Chinese declara- tion, using the usual phraseology. We confess our inability to understand why the clerk now reads the English declaration before the witness makes the declaration in Chi- nese. It is certain that not one witness in a hundred understands what the clerk says and, moreover, the interpreter does not interpret those words. The English trans- lation of the Chinese declaration is, we be lieve, "I purify my heart that I will tell all the true matter which I know of, that I will tell straightforwardly and according to truth and not the least falsehood." If the law does re- quire the clerk to read the declaration in Eng- lish-and if that is so it is curious that the fact has only just been discovered-then why is not the system in vogue in all the courts and why is not a correct translation given? In the Bankruptcy Court on the 17th September a Chinese witness was sworn in the old style, while the same custom is still observed in the Police Court. We do not know who is responsible for introducing the new sys- tem, but it strikes us as being a useless waste of time; the law's delay is not in need of prolon- gation. If reforms are made let them at least be reasonable and consistent.
MACAO.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
18th September. The Lisbon Government has granted per- mission to Mr. Joao Antonio Barretto, of Hongkong, who some time ago went to Portugal and is now in England, to start a Company to be named the Oversea Exploration and Finance Co Limited. The head office of the Company will be in England. The capital is to be 224,400, divided into 24,000 ordinary shares of £1 each and 8,000 founders' shares of 1s. each. The object is to explore the island of Timor for gold petroleum, etc., and to work the same. It is believed the following will be the directors:
Antonio Barretto, 354, Leadenhall House, adenhall Street, E.C., merchant; H. Road, N.; L. W. Lowther,
Ind
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
1, Jersey Terrace, Prospect Road, Woodford Green; Herbert S. Cook, 22, Allendale Road, Denmark Hill, S.E.; G. E. Whiting, 33, Sher- lock Road, N.; S. N. Melton, 392, Fulham Road, S.W.; W. G. Round, 78, Glemarne Road, Lower Clapton, N.E.; all of whom take one share each. I hope the Company will prosper and that the shareholders will get a fair return on their money, and not share the mis- fortune of the members of the Syndicate formed some time ago for the same object, but who as yet have neither seen the gold or the accounts nor got back any of the $15,000 they subscribed. The explorers on that occasion were the same gentlemen, Messrs. Joao Antonio Barretto and-Jozé Maria de Castro Basto, who are at present in Europe engaged by the new Company.
The last Timor mail beings further news of the way things are mismanaged in that country and of the despotism of the Governor. The Government servants there have not received their pay since last June. By every mail that goes from here Timor takes from the treasury of Macao some thousands of dollars. The mail that left on the 11th instant took another $7,500. All this money, as well as the revenue raised in Timor itself, disappears like water through a sieve. It is also stated in one of the papers here that fines imposed in Timor to the amount of several thousand dollars have not been brought into account. What has been done with the money? An inquiry into the affairs of the island should be made and perhaps some mischief would be discovered, as in the case of the Santa Casa da Misericordia, in which on inquiry it was found that more than a thousand dollars were missing. The Government already owes to the Chinese mer- chants in Timor more than half a lakh of rupees and almost an equal amount to the Municipal Chamber of that island. The Governor seems to do what he likes, there being no one to op- pose his action. And it is always Macao that has to pay for it. Would it not be better for the Government to dispose of the island before greater mischief is done ? If the island cannot be made to yield a sufficient revenue, if the natives cannot be brought under the influences of education and civilization and induced to work, it would be much better to sell it and so get rid of the, expense and trouble.
The transport Africa came out very quietly and is at present at Timor, but in a very short time she will no doubt be seen in Macao harbour. And what will she come for? She will bring nothing except some Lisbon sausages, a few casks of wine, and perhaps some tins of preserved fruits, for influential people who will either take them for their own consumption or do a small trade in them; and on her return the vessel will take a few packages from China to the friends who have sent the sausages, etc. We would bless the day if we heard that the transport was going home without coming here. If she does come our treasury will be impoverished, for she will take away at least $80,000 from this poor colony.
H. E. Senhor Horta e Costa left Marseilles on the 13th ultimo, not on the date previously announced. Subscriptions to provide funds for a grand reception of his Excellency have been opened and up to the present something over $1,300 have been subscribed.
Last Friday, at noon, at the Chinese theatre, a servant employed there out his throat and died a few hours afterwards. The cause of the suicide is unknown.
At the beginning of this year the Govern- ment appointed & Commission to take a census of Macao. The work of preparing the returns is now almost completed. The Chinese popula- tion has largely increased, but the Portuguese has decreased. Next week I hope to be able to send you details.
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CANTON NOTES.
243
FROM THE CHÚNG NGÔI SẢN PO A few days ago a woman abont thirty years of age, living in Mong Sheng Lane, Honam, gave birth to a son having two heads and two pairs of arms and hands, the additional pair being much smaller and projecting from the armpits. The parents, who thought that the child was unlucky, did not nourish it, and it died on the following day. A good many people went to see the child.
Several days ago about one hundred wooden huts in San-hu, Chan-tsun, were destoyed by fire. A good many poor people were rendered homeless.
7
A junk named Kwang Sun, which was plying between Shik-ki and Macao, struc on a rock near Malochow. The master of the junk managed to beach her. No life was lost, but all the cargo was damaged.
Two notorious robbers named Cheung Wan and Chung Sam have gathered about three hundred criminals to form a secret society in Chik-lai-heung, in Fa-un district. They have plundered many junks and on the 2nd instant more than thirty houses were robbed in Han- lun-kiang village. The people of the sur rounding villages are greatly frightened and are constantly on guard. The matter has been reported to the local officers, but they appear to be deaf and blind.
On the 14th instant thr e men who, came from Fatshan to collect debts went into an eating house in Lun-hing Street, in Canton, to take chow-chow. While they were taking their dinner several robbers who were taking their meal in the next room sprang forward and pointed their revolvers at the money collectors, who were compelled to give up all, the money which they had in their possession to the amount of three hundred dollars. The robbers then went away, no one daring to pursue - or stop them.
The tender for eight locomotives, handed in by Jameson & Co., representing Baldwin's firm of the United States, is the one chosen by the Tientsin Railway authorities as being the most suitable for their requirements. The ten- der in question, our readers will remember, was the lowest one presented on the 25th ultimo,| the price being £2,498 passenger and £2,530 freight, with £619 and £565, respectively, for spare parts. Feking and Tientsin Times.
Some days ago a man named Lam-man-shui petitioned the Government to be allowed. to continue the work of making the river bund which remains unfinished. His application was refused.
}
On the 29th Jane, during the typhoon, more than one thousand houses were washed away by the overflow of the rivers in the villages of San-oi and Moi-long, in Fa-nn district. Several tens of lives were lost by drowning and thousands of people were rendered homeless. The local San-sz have sent letters to the charitable insti- tutions in Canton asking them to raise sub- scriptions to relieve the sufferers.
Ki Sui-yang, brother of Ki-king-san, leader of the late rebellion in Ku-chow district, has been arrested, and he is now waiting trial. A reward of one thousand taels was offered for his arrest.
JAPANESE QOAL.
The following note on Japanese coal, by Mr. Frank Browne, Acting Government Analyst, appears in the Chemical News of the 14th August:-
The sample examined was that variety known as Yubari coal, from the island of Yezo. It was in large black lumps, which when broken up gave a dark chocolate-brown powder. It burned readily, giving at first a bright smoky flame, which disappeared after a short time, leaving a glowing mass. It is a non-caking coal. The results of the analysis show high- percentages of volatile combustible matter and s of ash.
It consisted of-
Moisture Volatile combustible matter Fixed carbon
Ash
C
36.62
42-70
16:85
100.00
62.842
6:37
108
11:01
718
Ultimate analysis of the dried coal gave
Carbon...
Hydrogen..
Nitrogen
Oxygen (calculated) Sulphur (combustible).
Ash (containing 0.49 per cent
sulphur)