October 15, 1898.
amended since the formation of the Company, (See article 57.)
The Companies' Ordinance of 1865 requires, in its provision for the protection of share- holders, that the majority to pass a special resolution shall represent at least 4ths of the shareholders present, and I therefore stated that I thought the 3/5ths mentioned in the articles of association of the Hongkong Hotel Co.. Limited, was a misprint for 1bs, as the law of ths majority cannot be diminished to 3/5ths by any articles of association.
A third point was that inasmuch as the articles of association provided a scale for the remuneration of the directors, say $3,000 per annum with au additional remuneration of $1,000 for every 2 per cent dividend declared over and above 15 per cent per annum (see paragraph 88), a resolution voting money to them coutrary to these articles cannot have any legal effect until the articles of association themselves have been amended by special réso Jution giving power to the Company to do so.
I still maintain that neither at the first extra- ordinary meeting of the Hongkong Hotel Com- pany, Limited, when the resolution voting $6,000 of the Company's money to the directors was declared carried by the Chairman of the Beard of Directors, nor at the confirmatory meeting on Thursday, the 6th instant, were there any shareholders present qua.ified to vote ac- cording to the articles of association (except myself at the confirmatory meeting).
Even if all the persons present at both meet- ings had been legally qualified to vote they did not represent ths of the nominal capital of the Company as required by the articles of associa tio and yet the chairman of the Board of Directors, being a recipient of the money sup- posed to be voted, declared the special resolu tion carried in the face of the articles of associa tion of the Company.
I never understood before that the directors of a company could act contrary to their articles of association, nor that a company could carry on its business under the articles of association of another company. Under what companies articles of association the directors acted at the recent meetings I do not know, but the special resolution in question was certainly never carried under the articles of association of the Hongkong Hotel Co., Limited.—I remain, dear sir, your obedient servant.
JAMES H. COX, Shareholder in the Hongkong
Hotel Co., Ld..
Hongkong. 13th October, 1898.
FOREIGNERS MOBBED IN PEKING.
E
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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317
Kuang Hsu has never been liked. Not for his own sake, but because he, a usurper, was placed upon the Throne by the Dowager who was herself a usurper, the Emperor has always had a strong clan opposition to him. During the years of the Regency the Empress-Dowager opposed this party with all her might and did her utmost to minimise their influence. This fact placed the Emperor under the deepest obligation to the Empress-Dowager and made him loth to do anything which would appear ungrateful on his part. On the other hand he knew her great unpopularity and that she was blamed for the settlement of the Japanese war. as well as for the general state of official cor- ruption. It seems that he attempted a com- promise by giving her the bighest public hon- our and allowing her often to name men for leading positions, while at the same time he secretly exerted himself to gain possession of real power by which he could reform and redeem his country.
it down to every motive but the real one. The Russian, German, and British ministers at once telegraphed for the guards which the precarious nature of the general situation had inspired them to ask for from the naval aud military an- thorities in northern waters. Fifty British marines with a Maxim and two officers arrived to-day. Twenty-five of these are to go up to the Legation. Thirty Cossacks with their horses are due at Taku to-morrow, and a goodly squad of stont Germans from Kiaochou on Wednesday. It is believed their co-arrival has been purposely effected, and the real nature of their present duty explained to the Chinese. There was a precedent for this during the war. Peking has, however, taken the alarm, and the next day or two may see serions complica tions. It is believed on good authority that orders have been sent down to the railway authorities not to allow these guards to entrain, and it is current in well-informed circles to-night that Yuan, the Acting Viceroy, has published proclamations to this effect, and actually posted This compromise has been in execution for them up in the railway station. Personally I several years and like all similar attempts besitate to believe that Yunu is such a marplot. Las been the cause of endless bickerings and He is a very able, clear-headed man (was in quarrels in Seoul before the war) and knows quite well that latest form of the quarrel is responsible for the Imperial household. The such a procedure is certain to embroil both him the present situation. The Empress-Dowa. and his country with the foreign powers. More. ger, seeing that the Emperor was determined over Yuau is strong enough to refuse to carry to institute reform measures and that he was out the follies of ignoraut Peking; if, however, he bold enough to dismiss the old Minister Weng acquieces in them, there will certainly be trouble. Tung-ho, feared that he might take some rash for he has both the means and the courage to measure which would involve the safety of the act up to his intentions. His troops at Hsiao-capital, and hence she resolved to have her own shan (thirty miles from here) are the best drilled, trusted henchman Yung Lu made Viceroy of most honestly paid, fed, and clad braves that Chihli and Generalissimo of the Peiyang troops. China bas seen for mauy a year, and his This gave her substantial support at any time straightforward conduct to the men has pos- when she might need it, for it would allow troops sibly secured their attachment.
to be moved into Peking at any moment and The lady who was mobbed in Peking is back would make her ruler of the situation. This in Tientsin and leaves for the South to-morrow. appointment was strongly opposed by the It is advisable to withhold her uame lest her Emperor, but he finally acquiesced in it. To family suffer needless, alarm from reports which offset its influence, however, he succeeded in are sure to bo grossly exaggerated. She be-appointing Yuan Shib-kai, the ex-" Resident" bared with admirable presence of mind and courage, insisting on Mr. Mortimore taking refuge in her cart pro tem, There is a report here that another foreign lady was assaulted in a different part of the city, on the same day.
THE
COUP D'ETAT AT PEKING.
It has been well known for some months that Kang Yu-wei had the ear of the Emperor at all times and that scarcely a day passed without an interview. Often Kang was accompanied by one of his friends, but next to himself the most frequent visitor to the Palace was Tan Tsz-tung, the brilliant son of the Governor of Hupeh. These two men Kang and Tan were allowed great freedom in their audiences and were treated as familiar friends by the Emperor. Being meu of inferior rank this special distinction caused them to be the subjects of much jealousy on the part of influential clansmen and of the bigh Ministers of State. were also closely watched by the Empress- Dowager, who was anxions to score points against the Emperor. The struggle for power between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor Kas been going on ever
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at Seoul, who is a favourite of the Emperor and a member of the Reform party, as Assistant High Commissioner of the Peiyang forces. This gave Yuan Shih-kai more real power over the Chilli forces than Yung Lu had, for Yuan was to live with the troops while Yung was shut up in the Yamen at Tientsin. The Re- form party represented by Kang and Tau were forced by the threatening attitude of the Em- press and of Yang Lu to recommend vigorous action, and they proved themselves equal to the occasion. They urged the Emperor to do three things which would give him absolute control of the Empire. The first step was the b-head- ing of Yung La, the second was the oc- cupation of Peking and the Palaces by the troops of Yuan Shil-kai, and the third was the removal of the Empress-Dowager to a place of confinement where she could not interfere with the affairs of state.
The first act was attempted, and here the fatal mistake was made. The Emperor issued an ediet instructing Yuan Shih-kai to proceed at once to Tientsin with his troops and to be- head Yung Lu. This edict was written in the presence of Kang and Tan, and was delivered by the Emperor to Tan to carry to Yuan since his accession to the throne after his Shih-kai. He did his task faithfully and de- marriage. It had been gradually reaching an livered the message to Yuan, who during the acute stage during the last few months, because night of Monday, the 18th of September, moved the Emperor through his many familiar inter-five thousand troops to Tientsin, but instead of views with the members of the Reform Party has had opportunity to learn the feeling of his subjects toward the Empress-Dowager. Never popular, she has always been feared for her astuteness and fearlessness. Her doings have
well-informell Chinese for years, and it is not to be denied that she has male herself to
Their movements
The Tientsin correspondent of the N. C. Daily News, writing on the 4th October, says:— A cricket team accompanied by a few friends left Peking on a visit to our Port. As the cavalcade passed through the capital its numbers and destination provoked the greatest curiosity; and with an astounding combination of ignor- ance and credulity it was put down to an exodus of the foreigners because Peking was getting too hot for them." Even our Tientsin native neighbours rose to this climax of folly. The blackguards and canaille, who are rampant in every great city in East or West, gathered courage at the departure of the men, and on, Friday last attacked Mr. Lowry, acting Secretary of the U.S. Legation and (ou ̈dit) broke one of his ribs by heaving brickbats at him. Worse, Mr. Mortimore of the British Legation was escorting a lady when both were going into the city from the station, when both were savagely set upon and maltreated by the mob, the gentle-been the constant subject of conversation among man on foot, the lady in a cart. They were only saved by their own discretion, and by the plucky adherence of their servants, who invoked the assistance of some friendly carters; the latter got the cart off the raised causeway and out of the "block on a bridge, thus enabling these men to drive furiously along on the grass(!). Mr. Mortimore and the lady wont straight to Sir Claude and gave Ilis Excellency ocular demonstration of their ill-treatment.
Prompt measures were at once taken to speure do repetition of this disgrace, all the Legitious taking up the matter at once. The meeting at the Spanish Legation was instantly known ail -round native Peking, was dissociated from its real cause, and made the focus of mares” nesta too absurd for recapitulation. They of course put'
be thoroughly hated. She has encouraged bribery and cerruption for her own emolument and has shown no interest in the general welfare of the people. The Emperor kwon- ing her sullied reputation has been placed in a most difficult position. On the one hand he owes her the greatest debt for having made him Emperor, and for having acted as Regent during his tong minority. He was nearest heir to the Throue, and yet the prompt vigorous action of the Empress. Dewager suc. ceeded in placing him above ail rivals. The very fact that he displaced other candidates made natural enemies of all their patrons, 20 that in the Imperial clau it is safe to say that
not the
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taking Yung u immediately into arrest and carrying out his orders to execute him, he showed the orders to Yung Lu and weakly apologised for the disagreeableness of his task. This gave Yung Lu time to telegraph an urgent dispatch to the Empress-Dowager, who immediately issued an edict for the arrest. of Kang and Tan and their associates, and another edict ordering Yung Lu to proceed immediately to Peking. Thus the in- decision of one man, Yuan Shih-kai, frus- trated the coup planned by the Emperor and enabled the Empress. Dowager to bring ber sagacity into play for her own protection. As Koon as Yang Lu reached Peking, and Fassumed his new office as a member of the Grand Council, he revenged himself on the men who had planned his death by having Tan and his associates summarily decapitated.
Thus the present situation may be regarded as the outcome of a family quarrel and not as a protest against the reform measures instituted by the Emperor. It was not opposition to