December 31 1896.
they could find something else do. However, they will defeat their own aims and only succeed in increasing the esteem in which the Governor is held. In face of the great publio demonstration made in His Excellency's honour on his return to the colony they ought to recognise that their cam- paign against him is quite hopeless. The party had its origin in the action taken by Senhor Horta e Costa in connection with the admini- stration of the funds of the Santa Casa de Misericordia Grave irregularities having been discovered His Excellency dismissed the old committee and appointed a new one. This offended the members of the old committee, but His Excellency would have failed in his duty had he allowed the matter to pass.
HONGKONG,
Fine weather favoured the Christmas holidays, which were quietly enjoyed. On the 22nd inst. the Chief Justice distributed the prizes at St. Joseph's College and made an excellent speech on the Education question. On the 23rd inst. His Excellency the Governor proclaimed the Foreign Enlistment Act in force in reference to the rebellion in the Philippines. Two tor pedo destroyers, the Hart and Handy, have arrived in port after rather a stormy passage.
The Smoking Concert Club held its first concert of the season at the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening. The Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G., was in the chair.
The meeting of the Legislative Council which was to have been held on Monday next is further postponed until Monday, 4th January.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
There were 2,232 visitors to the City Hall Museum last week of whom 121 were Euro- peans.
The property known as Myrtle Bank, at the Peak, was offered for sale by auction by Mr. J. M. Armstrong on the 23rd December, but was bought in at $15,500.
A most successful dance was given on Monday night at the German Club of Marine Officers and Engineers. There was a large attendance of members and many guests were also present and until the early hours of the morning the enjoyment was unceasing. The music was supplied by the band of the German cruiser Kaiser and was highly appreciated. Mr. A. Hahn, the Club Secretary, was responsible for
612
The Joint Telegraph Companies that they will make in some case reduction on their rates to Th Australia, and other Eastern ing into consideration the red local and district rates that were ma 1st July last, the further reducti come into force on the 1st January extension of the system of reduced pres it will be recognized that the interests telegraphing public have been, as Eastern hemisphore, met by the Compa fairly liberal spirit. The Companies allege that the loss of revenue that will be incurred by the reduced rates is considerably greater than the increase of revenue Gent upon the
Sthe the
the general arrangements and to his energetic | readjustment of rat conseqngust last.
management the success of the dance was in a large measure due.
The installation meeting of Victoria Lodge was held on the 22nd December, when Bro. G. P. Lammert was installed as Worshipful Master for the ensuing year, the installa- tion ceremony being conducted by Right Wor. Bro. the Hon. C. P. Chater, Dis. trict Grand Master, who Was attended by Wor. Bro. E. C. Ray, D.D.G.M., and the Grand Lodge officers. Wor. Bro. Lam- mert invested his officers as follows:- S.W., Bro. K. W. Mounsey; J.W., Bro. W. M. Thompson; Treasurer, Bro. Wm. Whiley; Secretary. Wor. Bro. A. O'D. Gourdin; SD., Bro. E. W. Spriggs; J.D., Bro. F. D. Goddard; D.C., Bro. J. H Underwood; Organist, Bro. G. Grimble; Steward, Bro. G. F. H. Potts; I.G., Bro. N. Mumford; Tyler, Bro. J. R. Grimble.
It is notified in the Gazette that H.E. the Governor has given his assent in the name and on behalf of the Queen to the Military Contribu- Lion Ordinance and the Appropriation Ordin-manding the German squadron on this station. ance, 1897,
The Hon. Treasurer of the Alice Memorial and Nethersole Hospitals begs to acknowledge with thanks the following donations to the funds of the Hospitals:
We may take the liberty of doubting that statement; bearing in mind that the large bulk of the traffic is with Europe and America but even if so it may safely be predicted tha will be only temporary, an increase being bound to follow. It is only fair that for what we are about to receive we should be duly thankful.
The annual meeting of the District Grand Lodge of Hongkong and South China was held on Tuesday, when the District Grand Master, Right Worshipful Brother the Hon. C. P. Chater, appointed his officers as follows D.G.S.W., Wor. Bro. G. C. Cox D.G.J.W., Wor. Bro. G. L. Tomlin; D.G. Chaplain, Wor Bro. G. C. Anderson; D.G. Treasurer, Wor. Bro. G. Caldwell; D.G. Registrar, Wor. Bro. S. J. Hanisch; D.G. President of the Board of General Purposes, Wor. Bro. J. Bryant; D.G. Secretary, Wor. Bro. A. O'D. Gourdin; D.G.8.D., Wor. Bro. F. Cass; D.GJ.D., Wor. Bro. H. J. Watson; D.G. Superin- tendent of Works. Wor. Bro. R Mit-
chell; D.G.D.C., Wor. Bro. T. Spafford; D.G.A.D.C., Wor. Bro. A. Jensen; D.G. Sword Bearer. Wor. Bro. F. W. Edwards; D.G. Standard Bearers, Wor. Bro. W. Graham
On the 21st December the German Consul Club in honour of Admiral Tirpitz, com- gave a concert and a ball at the German
About 150 guests were present and they incinded H.E. the Governor, Sir William Robin son, H.E. Major-General Black, many German naval officers, and the various Consuls in the colony. The concert was a rich musical feast The Secretary of the Punjom Mining Co. and each of the eight items on the programme Wor. Bro. J. Farrow; D. G. Stewards, Bros.
was of a high class and exceptionally well given. Limited, informs us that he has received tele. The dancing was most enjoyable and during a graphic advice from the mine to the effect that break in the proceedings supper was served and Lafrentz, J. Hutchison, and C. Gray; D. G. toasts were proposed by the German Consul, the health of Admiral Tirpitz being drank with musical honours and rounded off with the "tiger."
Pawnbrokers' Guild
$ 100
milling was resumed on the 20th inst. and that the water wheel had been started and found to work perfectly.
It is notified in the Gazette that Captain John McCallum, Hongkong Volunteer Corps, has been placed on the supernumerary list and that Lieut. Arthur Chapman has been appointed 8 Captain in the Corps, with effect from the 1st January, 1897.
!
4
The dead body of a well dressed Chinaman was found on Bowen Road, near the filter beds, on the 22nd December. The body, which was in
■ silting posture, was removed to No. 2 Police Station, where it awaits identification. The cause of death is not yet known.
The Norwegian steamer Nord, from Chris- tiania to Hongkong, went ashore on the after- noon of the 20th December, we learn from the Straits Times, on Pulo Hantu after leaving New Harbour Wharf. She was got off with out damage the same night at eight o'clock.
The sudden fall in the temperature on the 22nd and 23rd December made people acutely feel the pinch of the cold weather, which is certainly very appropriate for Christmas time: The atmosphere was very chilling in the lower levels, and at the Peak many residents woke up yesterday morning to find ice outside their
houses.
The Singapore Free Press of the 15th Decem- ber saysHE. Vice Admiral Buller has trans- ferred his flag to H.M.S. Alacrity, in which, with Lady Buller, he will proceed to-morrow afternoon for Klang. The Alacrity will return to Singapore and meet the next outward mail, and will then proceed to Labuan and Sarawak, thence to Hongkong.
Christmas Day was duly honoured by the Lice at the Central Station by an exceptionally pleasant party which was given on Friday might There were fully two hundred people ent and the best of hearty enjoyment was din dancing and music, the merriment ning until the very early hours of Boxing The police treated their friends in a most ble style and made everyone wish that rings like this were more frequent.
|
and Bro. G. J. B. Sayer; D.G. Organist, Bro. H. E. A. Hoile; D. G. Assistant Pursuivant; -C. F. G. Grimble ; D.G. Pursuivant, Wor. Bro.
K. W. Moungey, J. Lochead, D. Hall, C. J.
Tyler, Wor. Bro. J. R. Grimble, Wor. Bro.
R. Simmonds and Wor. Bro. W. C. H the Board of General Purposes. Hastings were elected unofficial members of
COMMERCIAL.
TEA.
The installation meeting of Zetland Lodge was held on Saturday evening, when Bro. R. Mitchell was installed in the chair by the Dis trict Grand Master, Right Wor. Bro. the Hon.
SHANGHAI, 24th December (From Messrs. C. P. Chater, who was attended by the District Welch, Lewis & Co.'s Circular). Our last printed" Grand Lodge officers. There was a very large Tea market advices were under date 11th instant. attendance, and the Lodge was honoured by the Black Tea. The only settlements reported are presence of H.E. Sir William Robinson. Wor. two small chops shipped off on native account. Bro. Mitchell invested his officers as follows:-The Committee if buyers has arrived S.W., Bro. G. J. B. Sayer; J.W., Bro. J. Lochead; Treas., Wor. Bro. G. A. Caldwell; Sec., Bro. G. Piercy, Jr.; Organist, Bro. G. Grimble; S.D., Bro. W. J. Tutoher; J.D., Bro. G. C. Hayward; L.G., Bro. J. W. L. Oliver; D.C., Bro. H. Brost; St., Bro. 8. W. Hayward; Tyler, Bro. J. Maxwell. After the Lodge was closed a banquet was held, when the usual loyal and masonic toasts were duly honoured, and a number of the brethren contributed songs.
On the 24th December the Namhoi Magistrate went with a party of soldiers to Fung-yuen Street, Canton, to seal up a house which belongs to a merchant carrying on business in Hong; kong and San Francisco. We learn, says that Chung Ngoi San Po, that the reason why the house is sealed by the Government is that the Viceroy has received a telegram from the Chi- nese Consul-General in San Francisco stating that a fight had broken out between the two parties named Sz-yap and Nam Pun-shun in San Francisco, and that the merchant to whom the sealed up house belongs is a leading man of one of the parties. He failed to comply with the request of the Consul General to stop | the fight, so that the Consul telegraphed to the Canton Government to have his house sealed up. The Chinese merchants in San Francisco on hearing of this were very angry and they intend to employ legal advice with a view of securing the protection of the Government of the United States against the action of the Canton Government.
at the conclusion that no scheme for combined native and foreign action to improve the methods of curing Tea is workable and that it must be left to individual effort. Foreign buyers will not unite at present to bring about the desired change, though the whole expenditure necessary to re-habilitate the British and American trade
would probably not exceed a couple of thousan pounds. One demonstration of the enhanced value of machine-made Tea compared with tha made by the primitive native methods would suffice to transform the whole trade in a few
years.
If the trade to England were regainod
the Customs revenue would be increased by some two million taels a year, and it is a question which is worthy the attention of the authorities.
Eettlements reported nre — Oonam
337 half-chests shipped off. Green Teas. Pingsneys moderate settlements continue at about previous prices, a considerable portion being shipments on active account. ........
Country Teas. Although the stock on offer is very small, and no further supplies are expected from the country, this market has been very quiet, and most of the settlements show a further decline of
about a tae apicul, ysons have not been much dealt in, and could be bought at a decline of 2 to 3 for
nearly all grades, except chois Settlements reported since 11th inst
6,6520
Pingsuey Moyune Tienkai. Local packed.
Total
870 -ch
18. 181 to 26 a pcl:
101 to 28
17 to