;
· December 30, 1897.] opportunity of attempting to show that the advocates of a reduction of the light dues had been guilty of misrepresentation. Now that the matter is settled it is not worth while fighting the battle over again, or splitting straws over details, though Captain RUMSEY has left himself invitingly open to attack. His st: tement, for instance, that 5,700,000 tons at one cent a ton would not yield $57,000 is a mistake that a schoolboy would detect. If a portion of the tonnage is exempted, or a rebate allowed on another portion, the total yield must of course be proportionately reduced, which is perhaps what the hon. gentleman meant to say; but at one cent, a ton all round 5,700,000 tons could not yield less than $57 000. Leaving all quibbles aside, however, there is one remark in Captain RUMSEY's speech that throws a flood of light on the inner workings of the official mind. Borrowing a phrase which he said had become almost
of catchword among a certain section of the community, namely, that the shipping is the life blood of this colony, he submitted that "what is chiefly remarkable is the miserably feeble "amount of sustenance which the colony "will derive from its life blood." That is to say, though the shipping is the basis of the trade of the colony and that from which the bulk of the community draw directly or indirectly their incomes, unless it contributes by taxation to the support of an over- manned and under-worked army of officials the colony derives a miserably feeble amount of sustenance from it! In other words, the officials constitute the colony.
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MOVEMENTS OF RUSSIA AND ENGLAND IN CHINA,
[SPECIAL TELEGRAMS TO THE DAILY PRESS"]
Shanghai, 21st December. It is reported that Port Arthur has been occupied by Russia, and the report is believed
to be correct.
A report that Talienwan has been occupied by Great Britain is regarded as uncertain.
H.M.S. Pique left Woosnug this morning with sealed orders. It is understood she goes to join the Admiral,
SHANGHAI, 22nd December.
The Chinese officials report that the Russian flag has been hoisted at Port Arthur.
It is reported that the British Fleet are to rendezvous at Chusan.
Shanghai, 28th December. Definite news has been received here that the British fleet is at Chusan.
THE PHILIPPINE KEBELLION.
SURRENDER OF THE LEADERS.
Senor José de Navarro, Consul for Spain, informs us that he has received the following telegram from the Governor-General of the Philippines:-
I inform your Excellency with great satisfac. tion that the principal leaders of the insurrec- tion have laid down their arms, with cries of "Long live Spain, long live the King and >peace.
THE RECTIFICATION OF HNG- KONG'S BOUNDARIES.
REPORT THAT AN AGREEMENT ́HAS BEEN ARRIVED AT.
The following telegram, dated Loudon, 1st December, appears in the Vancouver News Advertiser :-
The morning papers assert that China has agreed to cede to England a strip of territory near Hongkong, and all the surrounding islands, in order to enable England to fortify them securely, and to increase the garrison. It is expected that a convention covering the agree ment will soon be signed."
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Nothing is officially known in Hongkong of any such agreement having been arrived at, or if there is knowledge it is treated as con- fidential. We hope the report is true, but fear that it is, to say the least, premature.
SUPREME COURT.
24th December.
CRIMINAL SESSIONS,
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF JUSTICE).
THE BURD STREET ROBBERY AND MURDER. The hearing was resumed of the case in which Tu Meng, Wong Cheung, Wong Shek ki, and Wan Sun were charged with the murder of a man in Burd Street on the 26th
November,
Hon. W. M. Goodman (Attorney-General), instructed by Mr. H. L. Dennys (Crown Soli- citor), appeared for the prosecution. Mr. E.
Robinson defended the first, second, and fourth
prisoners, and Mr. . E. Pollock defended the third prisoner.
The jurors were-Messrs. L. Suidter, J. McKie, J. Lysanght, A. H. M. da Silva, A. G. Gabbay, F. A. de Carvalho, and W. H. Day.
The case began on Monday last and the evidence was not conelnded until yesterday morning. Counsel for the prisoners addressed the jury and laid particular stress on what they suggested was weak evidence of identifica- tion. Mr. Robinson, in regard to one of the witnesses who said he identified the prisoner, said that this witness was a criminal himself and the head of a gang. Three of the prisoners were placed in a row with twelve lakongs for the purpose of identification. The prisoners were ill fed, unwashed, unshaved, and badly clothed; the lukongs were well fed, clean, and wore good clothes. Therefore, would not a man of the stamp of the witness referred to at once pick out the three conspicuously dirty men
The Attorney-General also addressed the jury and His Lordship then summed up.
His Lordship having summoned up, the jury retired at 6.50 p.m. and after an absence of a quarter-of-an-hour returned with a verdict of guilty against the first, third, and fourth pri- soners. The second prisoner was found not guilty and was discharged. The first, third, and fourth prisoners were sentenced to death.
28th December.
IN ORIGINAL JURISDICTION.
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGton (Chief JUSTICE).
GUBBAY AND OTHERS v. BELILIOS,
The hearing was resumed of the equity suit in which the plaintiffs, D. A. Gubbay, A. J. Ray- mond, and A. J. David petitioned the Court, on behalf of themselves and of all others of the Jewish community in Hongkong, except the defendant; for a declaration that the defend. ant purchased a certain lot of land in this colony known as Inland Lot No. 1,381, as a trustee for and on behalf of the plaintiffs and
of all the other members of the Jewish com-
munity in Hongkong, and that he now held the property in trust for the Jewish community subject to the payment to him of whatever monies be expended in the purchase.
Mr. J. J. Francis, Q.C. (instructed by Mr, O. D. Thomson, of Messrs. Deacon and Hastings), apperred for the plaintiffs and Mr. H. E. Pollock (instructed by Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist) for the defendant.
Mr. A. J. David, a partner in the firm of E. D. Sassoon and Co., said ‘he arrived in the colony on the 30th December, 1896, and succeeded Mr. Ezekiel in the management of the synagogue in March. Witness spoke of the meeting of the 15th March, of the conversation that took place, and of the offer made in regard to the retaining wall. When the meeting broke up Mr. Belilios said, "Gentlemen, nothing is said."
Mr. A. Shelton Hooper and Mr. M. S. North. cott, of the Hongkong Land Investment and Agency Company, Limited, also gave evidence as to the conversation between the Hon. C. P.
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Chater and Mr. Danby on Macdonnel Road about having the lot of land put up for sale.
This closed the evidence and the Court then
adjourned autil this morning.
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER ·
OF COMMERCE.
At the monthly meeting of the General Com- mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, held at 3 p.m. on Friday, the 17th. December. Present: Messrs. R. M. Gray (Chairman), Herbert Smith (Vice-Chairman), N. J. Ede, T. Jackson, N. A. Siebs, T. H. Whitehead, and R. C. Wilcox (Secretary).
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previons meeting (held 19th November) were read and confirmed.
NEW MEMBER,
Mr. W. F. Wenyou was elected to member. ship of the Chamber.
PIERS AND WHARVES COMMITTEE, A letter was received on the 20th Nov.
from the Government asking the Chamber to nominate a representative to serve on the Com- mitte it was then proposed to appoint to con- sider and report on the position and arrange- ment of Government piers, and Mr. N. J. Ede was unanimously nominated to represent the Chamber.
Mr. Ede gave a brief résumé of the decisions arrived at by the Committee so far.
HONGKONG'S CONTRIBUTION TO POSTAL SUBSIDY.
Read letter from Postmaster-General, dated
25th Nov., forwarding copy of the reply of the General Post Office to the request by the Postal Subsidy sub-Committee to know "the weight of mail matter and the gross revenne derived by each of the following Governments -the Imperial, the ludian, and each of the various Colonial Governments-from mail mat- ter carried by the P. & O. S.N. Co. under the subsidy contract with the British Government for the year ended the 31st March, 1897," regretting inability to supply the desired information.
THE PINNACIE ROCK FUND.
Letters on this subject had been despatched to the Commodore and to the British Consuls and the Commissioners of I.M. Customs at Can- ton, Hoihow, Pakhoi, Swatow, Amoy, Foochow, Wenchow, Ningpo, and Shanghai, and replies were read from Commodore's Secretary, en- closing letter from Admiral Sir A. Buller, in which the means of making known the existence of the Fund proposed by the Chamber (viz., through H.M.'s Consuls) is also suggested, and H.E. proposes that the awards should range from $10 to $50; and from H.B.M.'s Consul at Canton (dated 6th Dec.), from H.B.M.'s Consul at Amoy (dated 6th and 8th Dec.), and from the Commissioner of Customs. Swalow (dated 3rd Dec.), all courteously promising assistance and making suggestions.
These suggestions were considered at some length, and it was decided that the awards should range from $10 to $50 according to the import- ance of the danger divulged; that a credit of $300 should be opened with the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank to each of the British Consuls at the nine ports above alluded to, and that the Commissioners of I.M. Customs should be asked to apply to the Consuls for any sums they awarded.
COMPLAINT OF OFFICIAL INTERFERENOE
WITH TRADE IN KWANGSI.
A letter having been received from Mr. F. W. Watts complaining that, owing to the inter- ference of the local officials at Fu Chuen, North Kwangsi, he had been unable to complete a tran- saction entered into with the owner of a coal mine in that district, who had been thrown into prison for selling coal to him in Sept. last, and for losses arising out of which ac tion, preventing delivery of the coal, be bad lodged a claim with the British Consul at Can- ton.
Representations were accordingly addressed to the Consul, reqesting him to use his influence to obtain redress of the injury alleged.
Read eply from Mr. Consul Brenan, dated 15th inst.. stating that he is in communication with the Viceroy on the subject, and has re- quested an explanation of the conduct of the Fu Chnen Officials.