PARABLE AGES JETPsekondes today and ATMOS
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April 23, 1898.}
conditions of removal should be such as to preclude all possibility of the boats ordin arily plying in the harbour becoming in fected. With this exception the line of policy sketched by Mr. OSBORNE is one that the authorities might follow with much ad- vantage to the public welfare.
THE DUTIES OF A CHAIRMAN,
The meeting of the Sanitary Board on Tuesday was remarkable for the curious and unexpected light in which Dr. ATKINSON éx- hibited himself as the President. An out- burst of temper and intolerance from a man of such a genial and agreeable disposition was the last thing that one could have ex- pected. And, carried away by his feelings, he put forward a claim of privilege in debate, by virtue of his position as President, which has no warrant in usage or common sense. It is the duty of the chairman of a delibera- tive assembly to enforce certain rules framed "for ensuring the orderly conduct of debate, and it is necessarily understood that he will himself couform to those rules. He is entil- led and it is his duty to interrupt a speaker when the rules are being infringed, but only for the enforcement of the rules, and not for the purpose of checking the free expression of opinions that may be opposed to his own or se uring any unfair advantage to himself in the debate. One of the rules of the Sanitary Board is that "when the President "rises it shall be the duty of the member to resume his seat," and this Dr. ÅTKINSON interpreted as giving him the right to rise as often as he liked and interrupt other speakers, not only for the purpose of en- - forcing the rules of debate, but in order to secure to himself what he apparently thought would be a tactical advantage in controversy. A study of some such work as "The Chairman's Handbook "might be found profitable by the worthy doctor, whose little ebullition of temper, regrettable as it was, was not of such a serious character that it should be allowed to materially affect the high reputation he deservedly enjoys. It is the duty of a chairman to rule im- partially, and, when ne is himself one of the controversialists, to draw a sharp distinction between the two capacities in which he appears and see that he does not as a controversialist infringe the rules he has to enforce as chairman.
SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES AND THE FUTURE
OF THE PHILIPPINES.
12.
War Letween Spain and the United States now seems unavoidable. A question of material importance to the Far East will arise out of the conflict, namely the future government of the Philippines. The over- throw of the Spanish sovereignty in those islands will be one of the earliest incidents in the war, and once overthrown there would not be much prospect of its successful re-establishment, even should the United States be willing to hand the islands back to Spain at the conclusion of hostilities. It is understood that the rebels are only waiting for the destruction of the Spanish fleet in the Philippines to organise a general rising, which would have every prospect of being successful, for it is only by the assistance of the fleet that the islauds are held in subjection. The United States, if they take Manila, may have to establish some sort of provisional Government to carry on the administration pending the termination of the war, but they will not annex the islands in perpetuity, and for Spain to attempt to re-establish her- self there would be equivalent to under-
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because his contention was that the Magistrate improperly admitted certain evidence in the case which had reference to other dates than the
28th December.
Mr. Justice Wise-We have got to confine the 28th December. ourselves to the evidence riven with reference to I do not see that any assault which took place on any other date has anything to do with us at all.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. taking their reconquest, a task for which she would be ill-equipped after her fleet had been destroyed and her treasury exhausted. The natives, however, can hardly be con- sidered sufficiently advanced for form of self-government, and we are thus any brought face to face with an interesting problem as to what is to become of the islands. The natives themselves, next to Mr. Pollock-But you have to bear in mind the establishment of a purely native Go- that the Magistrate did receive evidence of as- verument, would probably desire to be in-sault on other dates, and it is impossible for corporated with Japan, but against the fur- your lordships to say that that evidence might ther extension of that empire it is possible mind as to whether an assault actually took place not have had some weight in the Magistrate's that some European Powers might enter on the 28th. a protest and be prepared to back it up by force if necessary.
PLAGUE ON THE
ROHILLA."
The Chief Justice-It appears to me that the Magistrate convicted on the ground of these alleged injuries.
Mr. Pollock-Your lordships will see from the evidence that the Magistrate went into the side issues of the case and took the most general evi-
SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DAILY PRESS."dence of ill-treatment down as evidence, and that
Nagasaki, 21st April.
The P. & O. steamer Rohilla has arrived and reports one Chinese plague case on the voyage. will be quarantined for a week.
The vessel is to be disinfected to-morrow and
April.]
[The Rohilla left Hougkong on the 17th
being so my contention would be that this con-
riction cannot stand.
The matter was still further argued. The evidence showed that the child was struck by appellant on December 28th with a small stick, but seeing that appellaut had been in prison for two or three weeks the court considered that a
THE UNITED STATES AND SPAIN, fine of $1 would meet the case.
and private, stating that the President of the Telegrams have been received. both official
United States on Thursday signed an ultimatum requiring Spain to leave Cuba, compliance to be signified within forty-eight hours.
SUPREME COURT.
16th April.
IN APPELLATE JURISDICTION.
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF JUSTICE) AND MR. JUSTICE WISE (PUISNE JUDGE),
Xin SHENG (HOI V. SUI NUN, This was an appeal from the decision of Mr. Wodehouse, Police Magistrate, on the 3rd of Jaunary, of the present year, by which he sentenced the appellant. Nip Sheung Choi, to six months' imprisonment with hard labour. The charge made against appellaut was that she unlawfully did assault, beat, and abuse one Sui Nun, a girl under the age of 14 years, on the 28th December, 1897, and divers other dates, thereby causing her grievous bodily
harm."
Mr. Pollock (iustructed by Messrs. Monnsey. and Bruttous appeared for appellaut.
The Chief Justice-Hare you commuuicated with the Registrar-General ?
The Deputy Registrar (Mr. Seth); Yes, my
Lord.
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18th April.
CRIMINAL SESSIONS.
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF JUSTICE.)
MURDEROUS ASSAULT ON A WIFE.
Kwok Sui was charged with wounding his wife, Leung Ling, with intent to murder her. A second count in the indictment charged him with wounding his wife with indent to do her grievous bodily harm.
The following comprised the jury-Messrs. William Bradley Walker, Geo. Thos. Veitch, F. J. Cama A. dos Remedios Carlos, J., H. Maclehose, J. M. da Rocha, and C. D. Danen- berg.
The Attorney-General, the Hon. W. M. Goodman (instructed by Mr. H. L. Dennys, Crown Solicitor) appeared for the prosecution and stated the case to the jury.
Prosecutrix said she was 40 years of age. She married prisoner at Whampoa when she was 16 years of age. After they had lived together for two years prisoner went away to shanghai, and was away 21 years. He returned on the 15th of June. 1897. In the interval she received either message nor money from him.. After he had been away seven years, she want to live with a man named Ho Chun, who died four years ago. They had no children. She adopted a son and a daughter. The former was now 16 years of age and the later 16 years of age. On the 15th of June, 1897, she was The Chief Justice-You have had no reply 2 living on the second floor of the house No. The Deputy Registrar--I have had no reply. 10, Tung Man laue. There were living Mr. Pollock-I auderstand that the Regis- with her her adopted daughter, her daugh trar-General will not appear. Continuing he ter-in-law, and another woman, the wife said their lordships would remember that of a lamp trimmer on a steamer. She was not when that case was last before the court he living with any man at the time. On the date drew attention to the fact that the charge was uamed prisoner came up to where she was one of assaulting, beating, and abusing one Sui living, and when he saw her he said he had no divers employment and was without money. She did Nun on the 28th December, 1897, aud other dates," and he laid somemphasis upon the not know what employment he had when at fact that the words "divers her dates were
Shanghai, but when she married him he was a included in the charge. but it was pointed out houseboy. She welcomed him and they lived by their lordships that the magistrate had put together as man and wife. She asked him why on record in his finding that although the charge he had not sent any letter while he was away, mentioned the 28th of December and divers- and he said it was because he had no money. other dates he as a matter of fact found the On the 16th of September. last he went away to appellant guilty of an assault on the 28th of Canton, getting from her $75 in money and December When he raised the objection that clothing. That was all she had. On two the conviction was bad upon the face of it, be- occasions she went to the Police Station to cause the charge had not been amended, their complain about prisoner's conduct. On the first lordships intimated that that could be cured by
occasion she overlooked his conduct on his the fact that the Magistrate had found that the promising to amend. Last October she took assault had taken place on the 28th December.
out & summons against him and sub. warrant for his arrest was Since the case was last before the court he had sequently
On the 15th of last month at 11- reconsidered the matter, and it seemed to him, issued, if he might say so with respect, that the view o'clock at night he came to her house and their lordships then put forward was correct. | asked her for $100 dollars saying that if she did But it was importaut for their lordships to bear not find it for him he would chop her to death. in mind the fact that the charge was for assault She was ill at the time. Prisoner left the house on the 28th December and divers other dates, I at five o'clock the following morning, returning