THE
Hongkong Weekly Press
VOL. XLVI.]
AND
China Overland Trade Report.
CONTENTS.
Epitome of the Week, &c.
Leading Articles:-
The Gambling Law.
...
HONGKONG, WEDNESDAY, 21ST JULY, 1897.
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02
The Women's Hospital and Nursing Institute 82 Chinese Shareholders in Public Companies
63
The Principles of French Diplomacy in China.... 84
Supreme Court.....
The Police Scandal..
Hongkong Sanitary Board
The Indian Famine. Fund.....
The Army and Navy and the Jubilee Review
The Accident to the late Mr. D. K. Sliman.............
Diamond Jubilee Subscriptions........
The Empress of Japan's Quick Run
The Queen and Eureka Mines
Tebrau Planting Co., Limited
Correspondence
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Mr. H. T. Houghton, Acting Assistant Col- onial Secretary and Clerk of Councils at Singa- pore, died on the 9th July, after a short illuess. The Court of Inquiry held at Singapore with reference to the loss of the steamer Sri Hong Ann censured the Captain, but did not deal with his certificate. The chinchew and owners were also censured.
No. 4.
A Tokyo press despatch of the 6th July says it is reported that the Government has decided, with a view to encouraging the export trade, to abolish export duties on all goods on and after the 1st April next, whether the new Import Tariff has come into force by that time or
not.
The following message has been received by their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of H.E. Li Hung-chang having demurred, the Japar from Her Majesty Queen Victoria :---“ I sale of H.E. Sheng's big mill has, the N. C..heartily thank your Majesties for having sent 78 Daily News says, fallen through, but the small H.I.H. Prince Arisugawa to attend the celebra- mill of 25,000 spindles has been sold to the tion of the 60th anniversary of my accession to English syndicate for Tls. 500,000.
the throne, and I express my sincere appreciation of the handsome presents your Majesties have sent me through his Imperial Highness.”
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75
Horrible Outrage în Acheen ...
75
Death by Drowning of General De Badens...........bre 75 The Belgian Syndicate and its Contract
The Kind of Siam Changes his Plans
76
Hwai River Country
70
Attack on a Government Station in North Borneo Hongkong and Port News....
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77
78
Commercial...
Shipping
H. TODD, of a son.
BIRTHS.
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80
At Manila, on the 4th July, the wife of HERBERT [1849 On the 14th inst., at Merton Lodge, Richmond Road, the wife of WM. SHEWAN, of a daughter.
[1632 DEATHS. At No. 4, Elliot Cresent, at noon, 15th July, DEL PHINE MCLAREN, the much beloved daughter of DAVID E and MARY MCLAREN BROWN, aged 22 months and 14 days.
[1646 Suddenly of heat apoplexy, on the 15th inst., at Kowl on Docks, COLIN D MACLACHLAN, aged 38 years, chief engineer of the steamer Methren Castle.
[ 656
At Shanghai, on the 10th July, Jous JACKSON, Shipwright, Boyd & Co, Linrited, late of Govan, Scotland, aged 37 years.
At Shanghai, on the 12th July, HEINRICH J. JÜRGENS, aged 72 years.
ARRIVALS OF MAILS.
The proclamation of the Governor-General of the Philippines offering a free pardon to penitent rebels who surrendered has now been abrogated. The Manila papers continne to publish accounts . of conflicts between the Spanish forces and scattered remnants of the rebels, but the rebellion as an organised move. ment is over.
A telegram in Australian papers states that Mr. Hooley has arranged through the British Foreign Office for the construction of railways in China at a cost of eight million pounds, Mr. Hooley may have ideas in that direction, but the statement that he has arranged for carrying them into effect is certainly premature. The N. C. Daily News is informed that one of the directors of the Hooley-Jameson Syndicate left London on the 11th July for Shanghai.
H.I.M. The Empress-Dowager, who had been staying at her favourite retreat Eho Park for the last three months, returned to her Peking Palace on the 1st instant. The Emperor and the whole Court, dressed in full Court costume, met Her Imperial Majesty at the Western En- trance of the "Forbid len City," and prostrated themselves as the Empress-Dowager's sedan- chair passed into the gates. Her Majesty will stay at Peking for a month and then return to Bho Park until the very hot weather is over.— N. C. Daily News.
The work on the Seoul Chemulpo railway is being vigorously pushed, says the Korean Independent, and as soon as the final surveying The French mail of the 18th June arrived, work is finished more men will be put to work. At present the graders are pushing the survey- per M. M. steamer Salazie, on the 17th Julying party closely, being at work on the (29 days).
Chemulpo side of the pass, and from there to Chemulpo. The small Decanville construotion track is laid from the outskirts of Chemulpo to a distance of about five miles from Chemulpo, most of the way now being continnous, with temporary trestles. The Korean coolies, it is said, are very satisfactory as workmen and are able to take small contracts for grading.
EPITOME OF THE WEEK.
Inspector Witchell, of the Hongkong Police Force, has been committed for trial on charges of neglecting to suppress gambling and receiv ing bribes.
Brigadier General de Budens, commanding one of the military districts in Tonkin. has been drowned by the capsizing of a boat on the
Claire River.
Captain Ronneaux, Paymaster of the 11th Regiment of Marine Infantry, stationed at Sai- gon, is to be court-martialled on a charge of embezzling 40,000 francs.
The duty question on yarn produced at the local mills has been arranged. The duty has to be paid on shipment, and the yarn then goes free and carries an exemption certificate.-N. C. Daily News.
We mentioned in our issue, of the 3rd inst... says the Shanghai. Daily Press, that China will not use Russian money, thongh offered for the building of her railways in Manchuria. We find our report corroborated by yesterday's (13th) Shenpao, which has a paragraph from its Peking correspondent to the same effect, with a further statement that after the Russian offer was de clined the special Ambassador tried to get the Chinese to consent to build their railways with the same gange as the Russian, thereby enabling the cars to cross each other's lines to the advantage of the commerce of both coun. tries. The Peking Government has declined its consent to this proposal.
Official information received at Manila con- firms the reports previously published as to the disastrous character of the eruption of the Mayon Volcano. Lava covered the whole
mountain to its base and the obscuration of the sun by the clouds of ashes was 80 the neighbourhood of the great that in disaster artificial light had to be used at three- o'clock in the afternoon. Several
villages were completely destroyed. At Libog buried, and more remained in the lava. At Some of the bodies recovered were so completely another place two hundred persons were missing.
caloined as to be unrecognisable.
a hundred and fifteen bodies were recovered and
The Viceroy of Nanking, well knowing that the consumption of coal on board the Nanyang squadron forms one of the most profitable sources of remuneration to native commanders, bas instructed Lin Taotai to appoint two officials to strictly ascertain the actual amount of fuel necessary for each of the ships according to The first man-of-war to be so horse-power. enquired into is the Wuntai, which is being commissioned for a long ornise. It is thought by many that the commanders must have in- curred in some way the displeasure of some of the Viceroy's underlings, to have this business, which they have enjoyed for years, suddenly brought to the notice of Li Kunyi.-Mercury.
Chinkiang, has written a comprehensive report The genial General Jones, U.S. Consul at
on the Yangtze Valley and with the poet's eye he surveys the future:-"One can picture the Yangtsze bearing rumberless steam craft of every descripion laden with valuable products of foreign and native industry, their decks crowded the adjacent provinces; the cities on its banks. with passengers from the teeming millions of
populated, and the people active, densely happy, and prosperous; foreign machinery and implements developing the unlimited re- sources of their fields and hills. Railways running north and south through the land will connect, by means of steam ferries, across the river; on the innumerable canals and inland waterways, the steam passenger-boat will sup. plant the tardy and unsafe sampan; specially constructed fast passenger steamers, running frequently during the day, will carry their human freights; and finally, the American flag will, it is to be hoped, once more be proudly and prominently displayed on this great waterway, from which it should never have withdrawa This prospect is but a logical result of freeing. the Chinese people from their present burden of taxation and opening the whole country to foreign trade."