July 30, 1898.j
Art. II.-The Senors appointed shall assume their respective offices, taking solemnly, on the day appointed for that purpose by the Presid- ency, the following oath: "I swear by God and my honour to obey the laws and regulations in force and faithfully to discharge the duties which I have voluntarily accepted, under the penalties established for the same. So mote it be." The said oath shall be taken before the President and the dignitaries he may invite to the solemn act, the swearer's right hand being placed on the gospels.
Art. III. The Provincial and Municipal Directors and Chiefs on assuming their respec- tive offices shall take an oath analogous to the above before the President and the Secretaries of the Government. Provincial Councillors, etc., shall take the oath before the Head of the Pro- vince.
Art. IV-Prescribes the mode of official address.
Art. V.Signatures to be attached to official orders.
Art. VI-The Provincial Chiefs shall use as the emblem of their office a gold-headed staff with silver tassels. On the upper part of the head of the staff shall be engraved a sun and three stars. Municipal Chiefs shall carry the same staff, but with black tassels. Assistant Chiefs shall carry a silver headed staff with red tassels.
Provincial Councillors shall wear a triangular jewel of gold suspended from the neck by a chain of the same metal, a sun and three stars being engraved on the jewel. Delegates shall wear the same jewel, but in silver and with a silver chain.
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Art. VII. The President shall wear collar of gold with a jewel similar to that abore described and a gold whistle. The Secretaries sball wear a similar collar and jewel, and Directors the same in silver.
The President shall also carry a gold headed staff with tassels of gold.
Done at Recor, the 15th July, 1898.
EMILIO AGUINALDO,
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THE " MONTEREY AND THE "MONADNOCH."
The monitor Monadnock sailed from San Francisco, accompanied by the collier Nero, ou June 23rd, the Monterey having left some 13 days before. We may, therefore, expect to hear of their joining the rest of the American squadron at Carite before many more days elapse. The third expedition for the Philip pines sailed from San Francisco on June 27th and is expected to arrive next week with General Merritt, whom the United States Go- verument have appointed Governor. pedition consists of six troopships.
The ex
THE KWANGSI REBELLION,
THE REBEL CHIEF'S PROCLAMATION.
The Ling Hai Pao (Canton) of the 22nd July says that the Kwangsi rebels consist of several tribes, mostly secret societies, and their secret marks are borne on their flags. Their leader is one Lee Lee-ting. When they recently took possession of Yung-hsien the leader styled him. self Generalissimo of Hung Shun Tong and is sued a proclamation which he dated The first year of the Hung Shine Dynasty."
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Recently the rebels were very close to Kwai- hsien and the people were so alarmed and distracted that they ran about in great confu. sion in fear of their lives. Commandant So Yuan-chow with one thousand soldiers proceeded to the place for its protection, arriving on the 17th July, and the people are now calming down. He sent an urgent despatch to the Governor of Kwangsi asking for further re- inforcements for the protection of Chinchow and troops have now been sent to the last named place.
the rebel chief :-
The following is the proclamation issued by A PROCLAMATION issued by the Rebel Chief LEE, of Hung Sun Tong, for the purpose of pacifying the people and opening the markets (ie., resumption of trade).
CHINA OVERLAND TRADË REPORT.
101
This rebellion was regarded as very serious at first, a prefecture and a sub-prefecture being overrun, and the people were in great fear. It is owing to the august dignity of His Majesty that three districts were recaptured and four: besieged cities relieved within the brief space of ten days, an achievement beyond expectation.
ple, who have been repeatedly squeezed and ill | in Youngchuen, which will be no doubt easily treated, I the Generalissimo have seen the conquered. troubles of the present time becoming so heavy upon the people that I have collected a faithful band and gathered together the braves to raise the great event (rebellion). No sooner did I begin operations than I took several cities as easily as if I were cutting bamboos. This shows that the fates are propitions to me, and the bearts of the people are leaning towards me. Ye people of the markets and villages, be ye scholars, farmers, labourers, or merchants, you must stick to your trade of buying and selling merchandise. Carry on your business properly and justly and you need not be afraid and run away. In case any of the brethren of Hung Sun Tong give you trouble or rob you or your goods, under any pretext whatsoever, come and report to me and I will have him beheaded with- out mercy, so that the people may live in peace. Let the people tremblingly obey,
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A Proclamation dated the 15th day of the 5th moon in the 1st year of the reign Hnug Hing."
THE MOVEMENT SUPPRESSED.
The Kwangsi Rebellion is virtually at an end and a memorial reporting. to that effect has been despatched by the Viceroy and Governor to the 'T'sung-li Yamen. The memorial is to the following effect :--
In the sub-prefecture of Watlam rebels stirred up a disturbance, which assumed serious proportions. The city of Yung-hsien, in the prefecture of Wuchow, fell into the bands of the rebels, but was recaptured. The cities of Shunkai and Tiug-hsien Were in imminent danger, and the cities of Hingip, Paklau, and Lukchuan, in the sub-profecture of Watlam, were successively taken by the rebels, the cities of Pokpak aud Watlam being also besieged. The soldiers of Kwangsi were few in number and the seat of the disturbance dis. tant from Canton.
On the 1st July, on receipt of au urgent des- patch from the Governor of Kwangsi, we im. mediately despatched ten regiments of soldiers, four for the protection of Wuchow and six for the protection of Watlam. The two regiments commanded by Chui Kwo-ngan and Chai Chui arrived at Wüchow on the 8th July and suc- cessfully recaptured the cities of Shuukai and Ting-hsien.
The two regiments commanded by Cheang. Yuen-chai and Kwang Chee arrived shortly afterwards and bunted out and destroyed the rest of the local banditti.
The prefecture of Wuchow being thus pacified, the forces marched together to join the troops that were sent to the relief of Watlam, which is distant several hundred li 'from Wuchow.
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The telegraph wires between Wuchow and Watlan having been ent, despatches had to be carried by soldiers, who in spite of the strong sun and heavy rain executed their errands most faithfully and promptly.
The regiments Sui and Yuan, led by the Tao. tai Pan Pai-chia, joined with the troops under the command of Lao Paug-shing, who together with a number of village volunteers, went on the 14th July to raise the seige of Pokpak. The robels were defeated and over ten thousand of them retreated to the city of Watlam, into which the Sai and Yuan regiments pursued them. Com mandant Lau Pong-shang also pursued them, arriving at Watlamat midnight. Being attacked on both sides the rebels were completely routed. and some seven or eight hundred of them were taken prisoners. The rebels were armed with old guns and rifles, but our soldiers were armed with new quick firing weapons. Commandant Chen Yuu, of the Sui-Yuan regiment, was wounded in the arm by a shot, yet he fought bravely till daylight and encouraged his men.
On the 15th and 16th July the cities of Hing-Ip and Paklau were recaptured. On the 18th the city of Lukchuen was recaptured by Pun Ying, Chief Commandant of the soldiers in Kochow, and Fong Tsun, a military officer The soldiers commanded by Mok Sin-chik, who were on the way to Watlam, met a large Whereas the fate of the present Tsing dynastynualer of retreating rebels at Shiksling. The has been disastrous for a long time past and its government is weak, so much so that the foreign nations have encroached upon our lands and the mandarin soldiers are unable to protect the peo
rebels, who were just on the point of encamping ou a hill were dispersed. The troops then marched to Watlam to co-operate with the other forces to attack the head-quarters of the rebels
The Kwangsi soldiers have effected the cap. ture of a rebel leader in Kwai-hsien named Chin Tai-shap, so that the prefecture of Chum-chow has been rendered quiet. The neighbouring prefectures have been molested by the rebels more or less, but the Governor of Kwangsi bas sent troops to all the disturbed districts.
In the Kwai-hsien district we captured the rebel chief Cheno Tah Sow, and Chinchow is now at peace. There are some more rebels in other districts, but our troops under the com- mand of So Yuan-chou will soon sweep them away and peace will be restored to the Empire. We most respectfully request that the Yamen will memorialise the Throne for the information of His Imperial Majesty.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Hongkong Sanitary Board was held on Thursday afternoon under the chair- manship of the President (Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Officer). There were also present the Vice-President (the Hon. F. H. May, Captain Superintendent of Police), the Director of Public Works (the Hon. R. D. Ormsby), the Acting Registrar-General (Mr. E. W. Brewin); and the Medical Officer of Health (Dr. F W. Clark), the last named acting as Secretary.
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and accepted as a correct record,
REGULATIONS FOR THE sale of POISONS.
Draft bye-laws for regulating the sale of poi- sons, to be made under sub-section 22 of section 13 of Ordinance 24 of 1887, wore submitted and
adopted by the Board, subject to the approval of the Legislative Council, the PRESIDENT pro- posing and the VICE-PRESIDENT seconding.
THE WATER CLOSET QUESTION, Application was made for permission to erect trough (water) closets at the new married quar- ters to be erected on Kennedy road by the military authorities. The application came up at the previous meeting, but was adjourned.
The PRESIDENT-Can you inform us whether any drainage from the Chinese houses will go into the same sewers that these water closets would empty into?
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-Oh, yes.
The VICE-PRESIDENT proposed that as the building in respect of which the application had been made did not fall within the category of buildings in respect of which the Board had decided the introduction of water closets should be restricted the Board refuses the application. The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH seconded. reserving his remarks.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS said that with regard to this question he would first quote the opinion of that eminent authority on all sanitary matters, one who knew well the condition of affairs in Hongkong and who had studied its wants thoroughly-Mr. Osbert Chadwick. This was what he said on the sub- ject in clause 248 of his report on the sanitary "The more I con. condition of Hongkong sider the various methods of hand removal, the greater difficulty do I find in devising means for carrying them out practically and com pletely, so as to realise the advantages which their respective advocates claim for them. It has been shown that good drains are a necessity in any case for the removal of slop water. which forms about four-fifths of the total sewage, and it seems, therefore, obvious that the simple, cleanly, and efficient water carriage system is vastly preferable to all others, provided that conditions proper for its introduction exist, namely, a supply of water, good house drains and sewers, and a proper outfall.” Again towards the close of his report, in comparing the different methods of dealing with the removal of nightsoil from public latrines, he says "As to the relative merits of these systems, assuming the existence of a supply of