· THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The New Balmoral Gold Mining Co., Limited, proposes to write down its present capital by $100,000 and to issue preference shares to the amount of $75,000.
- We understand it has been decided to take the census in Hongkong on the 20th January. next on the same lines as the last census was taken. We trust the Government will not indulge in a large expenditure in taking this year's census. Although statistics of a varied nature may be valuable to the statistician the total population is what we principally want in this colony.
The Right Revd. L. M. Piazzoli begs to acknowledge with thanks the following dona- tions from the Home of the Aged and Infirm:-
$25 50
M. B. Polishwalla
Họ Tung
E. W. Mitchell
N. Mody & Co.
H. M. 8. Esmail
Fra Diavolo
Coxon
Concert, through Mr. A.
10
10
10
50
Two privates in the West Yorkshire Regi- ment got into trouble on Monday night. They quarrelled in Queen's Road Central and one of them, whose name is Wallace, rushed into Tak Cheong's shop and was followed by the other, whose name is Kelly. There was a scrimmage and Kelly picked up an inkpot and flung it at Wallace, but it missed and crashed through a show case. Both men were shortly afterwards arrested. Kelly was fined $5 and ordered to pay $10 compensation, and Wallace was fined $2.50.
HE. the Governor in his speech at the annual prize distribution at Queen's College last February offered two prizes of $50 and $25 respectively to the two Chinese boys of that institution who should write the best and second best essays on the "Progress of the British Empire during the last fifty years." Seven boys competed, the judges being the Governing Body. His Excellency, at a private interview at Government House, presented Li Ut and Lin Cheung, the successful candi dates, with the cheques for the amounts on Saturday morning.
There were 2,607 visitors to the City Hall | Museum last week, of whom 183 were Europeans
We hear that there was a dispute on the 24th November between the Hongkong police and the captain of the French mail steamer Melbourne The police and a number of excise officers wished to search the vessel for some opium which was supposed to be smuggled there, and the old question arose as to the man-of-war status of the mail steamer. Eventually, how ever, the search was allowed, but no opium was found on board, ·
The Hongkong Volunteer Corps is steadily increasing in popularity. On Friday night the first route march of the drill season took place and upwards of ninety members mustered at headquarters, this being one the largest musters since the Corps was established. The start was made at 8.30 and the men took the guns by way of Queen's Road and the Praya to North Point, the fife and drum band of the West Yorkshire Regiment playing lively airs during nearly the whole of the march. On arriving at their des- tination the men were served with refreshments, which Major Carrington kindly provided, and after a halt of a few minutes the men returned, headquarters being reached at 11.30. The officers on parade were Major Carrington (Com- mandant), Captain Gordon, R.A. (Adjutant), Lieutenants Chapman, Macdonald, and Mait land.
No one likes to lose or be robbed of presenta tions, and many people will regret to hear that Mr. W. Winterburn, the manager of Messrs. George Fenwick and Co., has had a valuable presentation gold medal stolen from him by one of his servants. The medal was presented to Mr. Winterbarn about two years ago by Mr. D. Gillies at the Institute of Engineers and Shipbuilders of Hongkong for a treatise he wrote on screw propellers, and it was stolen from a drawer where he kept his jewellery. Not only was he robbed of his medal, but the thief took away articles of jewellery and about $18 in money, the whole of the property being worth altogether over $300. The houseboy has been arrested, the allegation being that he took the keys of the safe and jewellery drawer from his master's trousers pocket. He was brought up at the Police Court on Saturday and remanded until Friday, bail being allowed.
Her Majesty's Government having signified to the Government of France that they will have great pleasure in officially participating in
Considerable speculation is just now being the 1890 Exhibition," which they believe will indulged in as to who will fill the various official tend to draw still closer the relations of friend-positions vacant in Hongkong. It is said that ship which exist between Great Britain and France," Mr. Chamberlain has addressed a circular despatch to the Governors of Colonies, including Hongkong, in which he says:-Should you think it probable that the colony under your Government will desire to be repre- sented at the Exhibition, I shall be obliged if you will give me any information in your power at an early date by telegraph, as to the probable requirements of the colony in regard to space in order that such information may be `communicated to Mr. Lee.
We would like to call the attention of the Police to the recent resurrection of what we believe is a very old method of swindling. A Hongkong lady went to the Post Office two days ago and presented a Chinese twenty-cent piece for two stamps. The clerk of course refused to take the coin and the lady was about to turn into the street when a well dressed and well spoken Chinaman went up to her and very kindly offered a Hongkong twenty-cent piece for the rejected coin, and the offer was accepted with many thanks. The required stamps were duly purchased and the lady was again about to step into the street when another respectable looking Chinaman went up to her and told her that the twenty-cent piece which she had just passed at the stamp office was made of brass. The man produced a coin and demanded a good one in exchange Happily the lady had the good sense to indignantly refuse to recognise the claim and said that the coin produced was not the same she had passed at the stamp win dow. The man then alunk away. Of course the public will readily see through this impu- dent attempt to swindle, and it is a pity that both men were not caught. We hope the police will take measures to prevent this kind of thing happening in the future. Doubtless many residents have been victimised by those two rogues, and no effort should be spared to de- prive them of their liberty.
|
Mr. Mitchell Innes; the Colonial Treasurer, has accepted the appointment as Governor of a goal at home and that the Hon. A. M. Thomson will fill his place as Colonial Treasurer. No official information has, however, been received on this point. We may state that the order of seniority amongst the cadets is Mr. T. Sercombe Smith, Mr. A. M. Thomson, Mr. J. T. Buckle, and Mr. F. J. Badeley, while Commander Hastings, although not a cadet, has put in service which certainly deserves recognition. Mr. T. Sercombe Smith will pro- bably be appointed Postmaster-General, there being no legal appointment open for him, and Mr. Brewin Assistant Colonial Secretary. We believe that Commander Hastings has applied for the post of Postmaster-General, but of course it is impossible to say at present how the vacancies will be filled.
On the 30th November Chan Tai Yan, the Causeway Bay murderer, was hanged at Victoria Gaol. While in gaol the convict conducted himself well and gave absolutely no trouble to the gaol officials. He expressed himself as anxious to meet his doom and as he walked on to the scaffold he showed no signs of fear and really did not require the assistance of the warders who held him under the arms. The permanent scaffold, which has lately been erected, was used and the trap instantly acted to the drawing of the lever. There were pre sent at the execution Mr. Lethbridge, the Superintendent of the Gaol, Dr. Bell, Medical Officer, Chief Warder Craig, Inspector Quincey, who attended to interpret anything the man had to say, and three reporters. The convict made no statement. In the afternoon the in- quest was held, the jurymen being Messrs. R. B. Joyce, F. W. Hall and O. Wegener, Dr. Bell said the cause of death, which was in stantaneous, was dislocation of the neck, and verdict in accordance with this evidence was returned.
We hear it is likely
will
The
Gazette “H.D. the
Decembe
ciat
to appoint, provisional Majesty's pleasure, Henry be] Crown Solicitor wit December, 1896, in succession to Alfred Bul Johnson, resigned.
On Thursday ht the Royal Eng Variety Club held a Wellington Barracks, for the purp farewell to the members of the ing the station
ation and also for pr with souvenirs of their Club: The toasts of " the of our Corps,” and “Our were proposed and drunk ent the course of the supper, after which the man (U.S. M Hanson, manager of the Club) said that in saying good bye to all their comrad leaving for England and elsewhere very pleasing duty to perform, namely to each member who had taken an active the Club during its existence a slight token esteem in which their efforts had been held by the other members. He therefore had
members cally during
sent
the
pleasure in presenting to Mr. Farr (late R.E.) a. silver mounted malacoa cane, and, to Messrs. Stainton, Galton, Coventry, Under- wood, Shorey, Tooze, Mills, Pritchard, Macken, Thomson, Hewison, Davis and Kimber each a silver mounted stick of rhinocerons horn engraved with their names and the name of the Club, and he hoped that every time they looked at these they would remember the happy times spent together in Hong Mr. Farr in replying to the presentation that he could not express his feelings at the good wishes of the Club, but hoped that as name was one of the first to be on the list of members it would also be one of the last to be taken off. Songs were then indulged in, Messrs. Stainton, Rogers, Underwood, Toose and Blackler contributing to the harmony the last named being presented with a honquet by an enthusiastic member of the audience; st the conclusion of his song. The toast of the Committee of the Club having been drunk and responded to; the members concluded a very enjoyable evening with "Auld Lang Syne;"'~
The Right Rev. Bishop Burdon and Mrs. Burdon left by the P. and O. steamer Japan on Saturday for Marseilles, and will, we unde stand, spend the winter in the South of Europe, proceeding in the spring to England. Bishop Burdon has resigned charge of the diocese, but it is probable that after spending some time at home he may return to Hongkong to continue his literary work. His Lordship will carry with him the best wishes of the whole commu- nity and their hope that he may be spared for many years yet to enjoy a retirement well earned by over forty years. of laborious work in China. He has never spared himself whe call was made upon him, and as an instance of the generosity with which he sacrificed his time and energy we may mention that, during the period the Rev. R. F. Cobhold was absent on leave he conducted the services at St. John's Cathedral and visited the Gaol and his work in that conection being entirely voluntary and saving the congregation the expense of providing a salaried locum tenens Crockford's rical for Mr. Cobbold:
ccount
Directory gives the following of the Bishop's career "Victoria, Right Rev. John Shaw Burdon, Lord Bishop of Victoria, Hongkong. Church Missi College, Islington, 1850. Deacon London for Colonies; priest 1854 Doctor of Divinity by Archbishop of
Consecrated 15th bury,, 1874.
by Bishop (Jackson) of Archbishop of Canter (Browne) of Winchester Rochester Jurisdiction England Missions and tions in Hongkong of See £1,000 Formerly Missionary Society) at Sh Ningpo 1861, Shaouhying 78 on furlough 18737 the New Test into Mande
with Bishop Book of Common P
er into Mandarin Chinese
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