May 6, 1807.
raw opium not bona fide exported a large staff of excise officers would still be required to exercise the same in quisitorial functions that are exercised by the Opium Farm's officers in order to prevent opium, either raw or prepared, being clandestinely introduced into the colony in passengers' baggage and through other channels. It is to be regretted that the Government has not yet seen its way to appoint Commission to enquire into the whole question, as asked for some time ago by Mr. WHITEHEAD.
SHANGHAI A DITS GOVERN- MENT.
In an article on the approaching election of a new Municipal Council at Shanghai the Mercury, after expressing satisfaction that the ratepayers are likely to have a sufficient number of names from which to select a really efficient Council, goes on to say "It is, however, well that the rate- payers should remember that very much "depends on the issue of the coming election, and that the mere question of the "wheelbarrow licences, although the im- "mediate cause of the failure of the last
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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object of dread to every department of the British Government"-just as Mr. WHITEHEAD is to-day an object of dread to every department of the Hongkong Government," and when every American "boasted that under the Federal system a "citizen was almost untaxed, that pensions were unknown and impossible, and that the idea of a National Debt was as much hated as that of a standing army. : The
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doors closed. Thereupon he applied to the police, but getting no satisfaction from them, he collected a force of the Company's coolies and led them to the office. In view of this force the eight foreigners in possession retired, and the Company's re- presentatives resumed possession. While these proceedings were going on it was ex- pected that some disturbance would occur, to prevent which a strong force of police was drafted to the spot, a party of blue-"desire for thrift was, in fact, so strong that jackets from H.M.S. Caroline was Innded, "it excited temper, and the populace were and the Taotai sent a party of Chinese as irritably unreasonable as a wife over, soldiers. Fortunately, however, all passed pressed by her household economies when off quietly, but the net result was that in the she hears that her husband has been so-called British concession a Chinese Com committing some extravagance. The 'ig pany forcibly ejected a party of foreigners
norant impatience of taxation' became a placed, under legal advice, in possession of
commonplace not only with statesmen but certain premises the title to which was in
"historians. So completely has that mood. dispute. At the time of the revision of the disappeared that it has become nearly Land stated in the memorandum accompanying
1866 Regulations in
it was
unintelligible. The French Budget has the Committee's report that all idea of
"risen to more than double its old figures, "and whenever the Ministry make a new asking for a charter of incorporation had "demand it is always, after discussion; vote. The British Estimates exceed a been willingly abandoned. We can only repeat now, what we said when discussing "hundred millions sterling, and except as in 1891 the dispute with reference to the excuses for discussion on side-issues the China Merchants' premises, that it would
"debates on the Estimates are absolutely
perfunctory, neither Council, was only contributory, and that be desirable to reconsider that question and
dreaded by the take steps for placing the Governinent of
officials nor cared about by the electora. the Settlements on a more satisfactory anil "In the United States the Pension List is should be to make the Settlements a" of the whole national expenditure of the Re stable basis. The object to be aimed at actually twelve millions sterling in excess free city, so far as may be consistent with"
public in 1847, and the people are content nominal recognition of " preserving a
that it should be so Our contemporary China's eminent domain. We
some indulges in some interesting reflections on times envy the freedom they enjoy in the man- throw taxation more and more on to the our friends in the North this subject, including the tendency to agement of their own affairs, but we may well-to-do classes, and says it would not be at least congratulate ourselves that in this greatly surprised to know that England, colony disputes as to the possession of land France, and the United States were in 1950 few hundred coolies to the spot. are not decided by marching an army of a paying double their present taxes and were The local still able to bear the burden without think- the Taotai for sending soldiers to the China however, about the reasons of the increased papers were at the time very angry withing of civil war. Little is said in the article,
ceded that the dispute affected Chinese to seek. Increased armaments account for Merchants Co.'s premises, but if it be con- expenditure, though these are not very far subjects only it is difficult to question the some of it, but if the cost of these is only he considered necessary to protect the of the interests to be protected the body of right of the Taotai to send such a force as commensurate with the greater magnitude interests of the parties concerned. In
taxpayers has no more reason to complain. barrow riots the resolution of the ratepayers to house, finds his account for fire insurance of the wheel- than a property owner who, adding house
back, between the Consuls and the Tuotai in expenditure is to be accounted for was set aside and terms made behind their increasing. On the civil side the increase which seriously compromised the dignity not only by the natural increase in popula growth of the intelligence, education, and general well-being of nation, additional duties and responsibilities are thrown on
"to come.
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sooner or later the catastrophe was bound The great industrial change, the foundations of which indeed were laid some fifteen years ago, but which has only become strongly marked within "the last four, has altered profoundly our "social organisation. Not only has the population of the Settlements increased in number, but it has altered in kind. We "have to meet the difficulty imposed on us by the presence of an enormous popula- tion of mill workers, probably considera- bly exceeding at the moment thirty thousand, and rapidly increasing. The pressure of this large and eminently "unstable class has pressed on the means of accommodation, and has over- flowed into the contiguous quarters, "and has more or less disjointed the "entire system of administration." Our contemporary then goes on to point out that the municipal expenditure has for some time past exceeded the revenue and that additional expenditure will now have to. be incurred for an increase in the Police Force. The financial difficulty, however, is, we should imagine, one of the least of and authority of the ratepayers as a self- tion, but also by the fact that with the
露露
those with which the new Council will have
to deal. What is required at Shanghai is to set the municipal authority on a firm basis, not only as regards its right of legis- lation, but its right and ability to enforce its laws. What happened the other day in -connection with the wheelbarrow riot is fresh in the minds of the public. It may be well now to recall an incident of six years ago which, though in a less disastrous manner, exhibited with equal clearness the disorder prevailing in the administration of the Model Settlement and the conse quences of divided authority. The China Merchants S.N. Co. rented from the late firm
the more recent case
governing community. To prevent the intrusion of the Chinese Authorities in the Settlements it is time that Shanghai con sidered its position and took another step forward.
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.
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We have heard little of late, concerning retrenchment in the public expenditure of Hongkong, a matter which excited so much attention a year or two ago, and it would seem that the question is to be allowed to die a natural death. The cost of government has during recent years
the Government in departments of life in which
in Governmental intrusion was former ages either wholly unknown or very slight. Thus of the civil expenditure of the United Kingdom more than half is accounted for under the headings of educa tion, science, art, and charity. In Hongkong, falso, a good deal of the increased expendi
ture can be looked on with equanimity, being of such a character as to yield the taxpayers a good return for their
veniences. Hongkong is a very much more agreeable place to live in to-day than it was twenty-five years ago and the public cannot object to paying on a reasonable scale for the increased agreeableness. But we have it on the authority of the Governor that the service is overmanned, and it is natural that the ratepayers should object to having to pay salaries to gentlemen who are almost if not quite qualified for admission to the society mentioned by IAN MCLAREN under the name of "Sons of Rast," whose have a conscientious objection to work between meals.
of RUSSELL & Co. certain premises which it grown at a great rate, but Hongkong is money in increased comforts and con. was claimed belonged to the HowQUA family, but which RUSSELL & Co. managed in their own name. On the failure of RUSSELL & Co. the China Merchants Co., who figured amongst the creditors of the estate, discontinued the payment of rent, which they apparently intended to retain as a set off against their claim. Thereupon Mr. H. S. WILKINSON, acting on behalf of the trustees of RUSSELL & Co's estate, caused the premises to be seized, early on the morn- ing of the 18th September, 1891. When Mr. CHAN FAI-TING, the manager, arrived at his office in the morning he found the
not singular in that respect, having for its companions all or most of the great States of the world, This subject has attracted the attention of the esteemed Spectator, which expresses a wish that some considerable economist who is also a statesman would explain in a convinc ing way the cause of the extraordinary change which has come over the free peoples in the matter of public thrift. "Men still living can remember well when "in France every half-million of State ex- penditure was watched with grudging "jealousy, when JOSEPH HUME was an
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