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January 7, 1899:1
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. additions to the fleet have been made. The financial reform in China under present King's Own Regiment, which arrived at the conditions would, he held, lead to dis- close of last year, is
a to leave
us in a few
turbances all over the country and prove days, its place being taken by the Welsh futile, but when a trained and disciplined Fusiliers. The vacancy in the Bishopric | army has been established the Government fail to entertain has been filled by the appointment of the will be in a position to repress provincial Right Rev Bishop HOARE, whose enthrone-opposition
reform quietly and in
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ment took place on the 12th November. out its 8c decrees and to carry beliefin its magnificent possibilities provided-
The Colonial Secretary has been absent during the greater part of the year, the acting appointment being filled by Mr. T. SERCOMBE SMITH, and Mr. H. E. WODE HOUSE, Police Magistrate, after a long term of service in the colony, has finally retired: Socially the most important event of the year has been the visit of Their Royal High- | nesses the Prince and Princess HENRY of Prussia, who are spending the winter in, the colony.
their entirety.
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If reform of the army is to be the prelude to financial reform it must be welcomed with enthusiasm. But would it prove so That would depend on the character of the Government having control of the army. The Turkish army is a very good fighting machine, as has been fully proved in the wars with Russia and Greece, but it is largely employed in the work of massacre and has no influence at all on the standard. of administrative honesty, the Government of Turkey being if anything a trifle more corrupt and barbarous than that of China. There is no necessary connection therefore between army reform and financial reform in general, and whether army reform in LORD CHARLES. BERESFORD AND foreign point of view would depend entirely China would prove a good thing from a
Before another issue of the Daily Press appears 1898 will have given place to 1899 and we take this opportunity of wishing all our readers
A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.
HIS MISSION.
(Daily Press, 6th January). Lord CHARLES BERESFORD has come and gone, leaving behind him a lively sense of his genial personality and sound com- mon seuse. No one who has heard him speak or read
upon the use that was made of the reformed army. Nor are we entirely satisfied that financial reform might not be carried out prior to or simultaneously with the reform of the army without leading to the distur- bances anticipated by Lord CHARLES BER- ESFORD. If, however, China can be induced to accept foreign assistance in the reorgan- isation of her army and foreign assistance in the reorganisation of her finances, and at the same time to be guided by foreign opin- ion in the use she makes of the army, there is a bright future in store for the country and for those who have commercial connections with its people.
his speeches can fail to be impressed by the thoroughness with which his Lordship has conducted his investigations, and whether his conclusions be accepted or not-and on such a complex problem there must necessarily be wide differences of opinion-the British com- munities of the Far East, the home Govern ment, and the nation at large must feel indebted to him for having put forward a A strong, independent, and progressive definite working theory by the venitilation China is what would best suit Great Britain of which we may at last find the key to the hoth from a political and a commercial great Chinese puzzle. On public grounds point of view, and Lord CHARLES BERES- it is to be regretted that the speech made FORD has pointed out a line of policy by by Lord CHARLES at the China Association which he thinks that ideal may be realised. tiffin was not reported, as it was in one His Lordship proposes to provide China sense the most important he has delivered with a trained and disciplined army for in the Far East, inasmuch as it dealt to a police purposes as a prelude to the reform great extent with the why and the whereof her whole system of administration, and fore of his recommendations with respect to at the same time to guarantee the country's the reform of the Chinese army. When the territorial integrity by means of an alliance report of the Shanghai speech reached between. Great Britain, the United States, Hongkong many, ourselves amongst the Germany, and Japan, who are all interested aumber, experienced a sense of disappoint in the preservation of China as an open inent at the almost total absence of market. If the programme can be carried any reference to the necessity of reform out in its entirety it will be an excellent ing the Chinese administration except thing and we will all be vastly indebted on the military side. Army reform might to Lord CHARLES BERESFORD for bringing prove a good thing, or ou- the other about such a desirable consummation, as in- hand it might prove a bad thing, according deed we already are indebted to him for to the use to which the reformed army was propounding the programme and so direct- put, but in any case it was not a mattering men's minds straight to the points re which, standing alone, was calculated to quiring solution. For our own part we excite much enthusiasm amongst a com-
cannot divest ourselves of the conviction munity irritated by continual breaches that the crucial point of the whole question of the treaties and suffering under the is the possibility of effecting financial re- restrictions of their trade caused thereby.. forms, which are at the root of all other re- In introducing Lord CHARLES to the meet forins, for with an honest administration of ing at the City Hall on Tuesday Mr. R. M. the funds raised from the people we should GRAY, the Chairman, briefly urged the im- expect honesty in all other departments portance of securing the removal of the of the Government as a natural consequence, impediments to trade, and Lord CHARLES including an honest observance of treaty responded by saying that the whole fiscal obligations and the suppression of the fre- system of the country must be taken up. quent auti-foreign outbreaks which at pre- That important question, however, still ap- sent disgrace the country. Without a peared to be relegated in his Lordship's mind rehabilitation of the moral integrity of to a position inferior to that occupied by the China we must confess we see little use question of army reform. At the China in either Great Britain or any other Power Association tiffiu, in reply to Mr. FRANCIS, making
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by the pushfulness of our rival Russia, could scarcely fail to be a change for the better. But no one who has had to live amongst and work with the Chinese can doubtedly high qualities of the race and a a respect for the un-
it can shake itself free of its old time traditions and its habit of looking backward instead of forward. Already have appeared amongst the people of a indications
genuine desire for reform, indications. strong that the Government at Peking has felt constrained to pay attention to them. There seems, indeed, some pos- sibility of Great Britain's desiré China & strong, independent, and pro gressive Power being realised. We wish Lord CHARLES BERESFORD all success in his efforts to bring that result about, and have to thank him for presenting the Ching problem to us in a clearer light than we have hitherto seen it in. But it is evidently a case of mending or breaking. If China will not reform she must inevitably go to pieces.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
On 30th December meeting of the Hong. kong Legislative Council was held in the Coun. oil Chamber at the Government Offices, there being present:-
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR (Sir Henry Blake, G.C.M.G.).
Officer Commanding the Troops.
His EXCELLENCY Major-General GASCOIGNE,
Hon. T. SERCOMBE ŠMITH (Acting Colonial Secretary).
Hon. H. E. POLLOCK (Acting Attorney- General).
Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Acting Colonial Treasurer).
Hon, R. D. ORMSBY (Director of Public Works).
J
2
Hon. C. P. CHATER, C.M.G. Hon. Ho KAI. Hon. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G. Hon. WEI A YUK.
Mr. J. G. T. BuCKLE (Clerk of Councils). MAJOR-GENERAL GASCOIGNE TAKES THE OATH.
having taken the oath, His EXCELLENCY the His Excellency Major-General Gascoigne GOVERNOR observed to him-I am glad to have you as a member of the Legislative Council, and have pleasure in welcoming you.
MINUTES.
submitted and adopted as a correot record.
The minutes of the previous meeting wore
REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. The report of the Finance Committee (No. 9) of the ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY, seconded was laid on the table and adopted, on the motion by the ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER. AMENDING THE WATERWORKS ORDINANCE,
The ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL-I 1189 to move the second reading of the Bill on- titled an Ordinance to amend the Waterworks members will see from the Bill, it is purely an Ordinances, 1890 to 1897. As honourable amending Ordinance, and the objects and rea- sons for the passing of this Ordinance are stated at the foot of the Bill, which has been circulated among honourable members. If there is any question which any member would like to ask in committee I shall be pleased to forward by me in consequence of certain points answer it. This Ordinance has been brought which were raised by the Honourable the Direc-
tor of Public Works,
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the motion was carried.
The Council then went into committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. No altera- tions were made in committee, and on Conncil passed on the motion of the Acting ATTORNEY- GENERAL, seconded by the ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY.
who placed the point directly before him in integracrifices to preserve her territorial | resuming, the Bill was read a third time and
Things could hardly be worse in bis usual incisive style, Lord CHARLES ex- the country, either for the people themselves plained why he held that army reform or for foreign trade, than they are under the must come, first. To attempt to enforce present system, and a change, even if effected I
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The objects and reasons of the Bill are thus stated:-The reason for section of this Bil 1: