256
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
was entrusted with the handling of correspond- ence prior to the Post Office mark being placed thereon?
the colony is a question on which the writer might well have informed the public, and satis- fied himself that it is general before giving it publicity. If it is only a mere creature of an individual fancy not much blame can be at tached to the writer's prolific imagination; but when that fancy is actuated by malice, as it appears to be, it cannot be to strongly con- demned.
The next statement in the article alluded to is that "it is believed (by whom, be it noted, is not made apparent) that they (the priests) intend to creep into Manila again and stir up strife among the natives there and in the country." This slanderous belief is utterably unjustifiable, and in the absence of an ability to substantiate the truth of such a damaging assertion it will be accepted by the reading public for what it is worth.
The fact of the convents in the Philippines being now in the possession of the very people who were instrumental in causing the priests eviction therefrom dissipates all fears that "arms stowed away therein are intended to be utilised for giving trouble, such intention being evidently attributed to the priests.
In conclusion, Sir, I would beg to express the opinion that conscientious inquiries might, in the first place, have been made at the Pro- curation, where every facility for such inquiries would have been afforded any gentleman desirous of making them, before any such paragraph as that under comment was penned for public print. This appears to me to be only a neces- sary precaution quite in keeping with the best traditions of fair and impartial journalism.—
Tours faithfully,
FR. EVARISTO TORRES. Spanish Procuration,
Hongkong, 18th September, 1898.
THE POST OFFICE CASE,
(6
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
""
SIR, I observe your evening contemporaries publish brief reports of proceedings in the Po- lice Court yesterday, two Chinese employés of the Post Office being defendants in a case of dnusual interest and importance to the com- munity. It appears from these reports that detectives found in the box of one of the delin- quents $6.30 "in stamps which had been re- moved from letters in the Post Office, a parcel addressed to Meier & Co., Kobe, one fountain pen, and a number of photographs." The man was found guilty and sentenced to four mouths' imprisonment ou each of the two charges brought against him, the sentences to ruu concurrent." The other suspect is, I read, detained pending enquiries by the Police.
E
|
4. Has any effort been made to introduce the same system of supervision and detection as obtains in the General Post Office in London, or any European capital?
5. Have the Hongkong Government applied through the proper chaunel to the Postmaster- General in London for information respecting the general management of the department and the prevention of theft by employés? If not, why not?
6Where can the photos stated to have been found in the prisoner's box be seen?
7-Is it not time that the Government bring out from home, not only Downing Street pro- tegés, but young men (British subjects) who can be trusted to handle the public's corres- pondence.
9-Is it not a fact that the salaries of the few Englishmen employed in the sorting depart- ment are wholly inadequate?
I trust I am not venturing to trespass too much on your space and that you may see your way to giving the general public a full report of the legal proceedings referred to,-I remain sir, yours faithfully,
VOX POPULI.
Hongkong, 18th September, 1898.
THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE AMERI-
CAN TROOPS AT THE CAPTURE OF MANILA,
ง
[September 24, 1898.
REBELLION IN SZECHUEN.
A special telegram of the 18th Sept. from Shanghai reported that the rebel chief Yu Man- tsz had organised a riot at Ho chow, near Chung. king, in which the American Mission was looted and the Roman Catholic Mission destroyed. From our files of the N. C. Daily News received yesterday we learn that the Shanghai Mandarins recently received dispatches from Chengtu, the provincial capital of Szechnen, reporting the ex- istence of a rebellion in the districts of Tatan and Tungliang in that province, alleged to be headed by the notorious outlaw Yu Man-tze. Reports magnify the number of the rebels to something like 50,000, but at any rate a body of Imperial troops sent to suppress the rebellion has been badly defeated, leaving the door open for the invasion of Chungking if the rebels de- sired to attack that port.
8. Is it not a fact that there are many
The Chungking correspondent of the name youths (Eurasians and others) who would be paper writes as follows:-The latest and per- glad to enter the Postal service from the bot-haps the most startling piece of news to hand tom of the ladder, ie., by first doing the duty in this city is the death at Chengtu of the of postmen?
Tartar Governor-General which occurred a few days ago. It is broadly stated by those who should know that his death is due to other than natural causes. In any case his demise coin- cides with French official pressure. Very pro- perly the French authorities had warned H.E. that the ultimate responsibility for the recent troubles in this neighbourhood would rest upon bis shoulders and the warning, strengthened as it doubtless was by urgent orders from the Tsung- li Yamen took effect. H.E. is reported to have been a man of shallow attainments, and quite in. competent to grasp or deal with matters requiring intelligent handling or prompt dispatch. It is alleged that our local Taotai, who wires for instructions in connection with the now famous Yu Man-Tze case, failed on more than one occasion to obtain any reply whatever, although possibly H.E.'s silence may in this instance have been due as much to evil counsel on the part of others as to his own incapacity or unwillingness to "instruct" in the affair. Your readers will not forget that ex-Taotai Lai has been a resid- ent very much in evidence at the capital-in
too high favour
with the conservative classes and well-known to be, bitterly hos- tile to foreign interests. Meanwhile Père Fleury is still in bondage, and to make the unfortunate man's captivity yet. more "sweet" and bitter, Yu Man-tze has removed The fear him to a coal mine where he now is. is that he will now speedily die even if he is not Yu's argument now would killed by violence. appear to be simply this: Guarantee my life and the captive will be set at liberty." But the French authorities are not likely to be seduced away from pursuing their present object by an appeal of that kind. What their object is they themselves know best, but it is clear that the punishment of Yu the brigand does not com- prehend the whole of their policy.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
DEAR SIR,-In to-day's copy of your paper appears an eye-witness's account, headed "Before and after the capitulation of Manila." Might 1 remark that this acconut is excellent in one particular, i.e., the remarkable facility with which an independent eye-witness can so report or write about events as to convey an entirely erroneous impression. I also was an independ- ent eye-witness, and, in experience, certainly in a better position to form an impartial opinion as regards both Americans and insurgents.
Independent Eye Witness can only have formed his opinions as to the movements of the Americans and Insurgents before the fall of Manila from hearsay, as with the exception of the newspaper correspondents and two officers, one English and one Japanese, there was no one else present in the American trenches, or in any position from which he could have per- sonally observed the state of affairs. The sume remark holds good as regards the advance on Manila, immediately before and after its capitu-
44
lation.
W
1.
My intention in addressing a few lines to you on this subject is to draw attention to the seu- tence passed upon, the man who was found guilty and sentenced to eight mouths' hardi labour. It seems to me, and doubtless muany of your readers will concur in the opinion,
Eye Witness" makes one statement which that the punishment meted out to such is not only misleading, through want of techui- an offender is wholly inadequate and will
cal knowledge, as the foregoing might be, but go ja very little way towards
is absolutely false, and casts a slur or a body of protect. ing the public against the gross irregu. men whose behaviour is au example to the larities which the evidence led in the case must civilized world, when he accuses the American have disclosed. The offences committed by this soldiers of looting. Had "Eye Witness
pos. man were of a most grave nature and it is there-sessed the very smallest elements of military fore to be regretted that when the Government knowledge, or even had he ever read the his had such conclusive proof in their possession tory of the military expeditions of his own the opportunity was not availed of to make the country, he would have been lost in wonder at punishment a warning to others for all time. the perfect behaviour of the American soldier, Taking into consideration the leniout sentence taking his success so modestly, and instead of and the long series of complaints about neglect violently asserting his victory, humanely pro- of duty and irregularities in the Postal Depart-tecting life and respecting, and guarding both ment it is to be hoped that the Chamber of Com. Spanish and Foreign property. merce will make special representations to the Government with a view to having the public's correspondence not only protected against stamp- lifters and photo-anuexers but properly delivered at their offices and residences.
!
This Post Office case suggests a few questions which may merit consideration
1-Is the compradore or chief shroff of the Post Office guarantor for all the Chinese em- ployed in the Post Office, either as sorters, stamp vendors, office boys, or delivery men?
2.-Is there a detective employed in the de- partment as clerk, coolie, “boy or sorter? If not, why not?
3.-How long was the man who is now serving four months for stealing stamps off letters in the service of the Postal Department before he
entered Manila at the same time as the American troops and afterwards devoted a whole week in observing their behaviour, and fter questioning the larger number of foreign residents, not one made the slightest complaint of an act of pillage or assault committed by an American soldier. will eren go further and state my absolate belief that there would not be found ten dollars' worth of loot throughout the whole American army at present in the Philippines. Yours faithfully,
AN EYE WITNESS OF SLIGHT
EXPERIENCE.
Hongkong, 20th September, 1898. The article to which the above letter is a reply was reproduced from the Singapore Free Press,
-ED. D.P,
TRE FORWARD MOVEMENT IN CHINA.
A dispatch from Peking states that the yamens of the six recently abolished Courts are to be turned, for the great part, into col- loges of Western learning, and that the yamen of the Supervisorate of Instruction will be the future beadquarters of the Bureau of Mechani. cal Arts and Commerce.
It will be remembered that the Emperor gare, in a recent edict, his Viceroys and Gover. nors one month to report upon what they in- tended to do or had begun to do in connection with the proposed reforms in regard to the establishment of provincial colleges, secondary and elementary schools of Western learning, bureaux for the encouragement of commerce, railways, mining, agriculture, and the various branches of mechanics within their various juris- diction, on pain of condign punishment for dis- obedience to his Majesty's commands. Accord- ing to dispatches received from Nanking. Soocbow, and Yangtze ports, the Viceroys of the Liangkiang (Kiangsa, Kiangsi, and Anhufj and Hakuang (Hanan and Hupeh) have in- structed their subordinate officers to report within ten days upon the above subjects, which seems to show that the provincial authorities are beginning to move at last under the deter- mined efforts of H.I.M. Knang Hsü. It is a fact that, with the exception of the now