February 4, 1809.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
the islands, one would have thought that | Americans Other questions were also ven- nothing could suit the book of the Com- tilated in yesterday's session. The Philippine missioners better than the aid to investigate members of the commission entreated the affairs would ensue.from association with pro- Americans that while no definite agreement minent Filipinos. The Commission appointed had been come to on the political situation of locally by General Otis has held conferences the Philippines America was not to exercise from day to day with the Commission appointed any act of sovereignty over them, but to con- by the Filipino Government, and it would tinue the military occupation, and General naturally be assumed that the superior Commis-Hughes and his companions did not make any sion appointed by the President would fol- objection to this. Our commissioners insisted low the same course. It would indeed be in their petition that the vessels seized by the s matter for regret, if, as we are informed, Americans should be returned to the Filipinos President McKinley has negatived the repre- and that they should be allowed to sail here sentations made to him by General Aguinaldo's flying our own flag This matter was not quite special envoy, Mr. Felipo Agoncillo, to allow settled but the answer was that all measures representatives of the National Government to would be taken so that it might be satisfactorily confer with and assist the Commissioners to settled as soon as possible. arrive at a proper understanding respecting the actual condition of affairs. in the Philip pines.
We understand, however, that the Filipinos are not at all satisfied with the announcement respecting the appointment of the Commission, because they have information from what they consider a reliable source which indicates that the McKinley Administration declines to re- cognize the National Government in any way. That the Filipinos are determined to assert their claim to recognition and independence there can be no doubt after the proclamations of General: Aguinaldo, the refusal to permit U.S. troops to land at Iloilo, and the proclamation of a Re public, which has, we understand, been notified to the Powers.
THE SITUATION IN THE PHILIPPINES.
We take the following items referring to the situation in the Philippines from the Manila Times
WOMEN WANT TO FIGHT.
The Republica Filipina to-day (21st January) published a telegram from Malolos in these terms Splendid demonstration of the Cavite women, without distinotion of class or age, unanimously requested with enthusiasm to be permitted to take the place of men, if the men perish in the struggle against the Americans for the defence of the independence of the Philippines. They say that irrespective of the weakness of their sex, the love of their country will make them strong and will animate them to keen combat against the Americans.
REPORTED PLOT AGAINST AGUINALDO.
A telegram published in the Republica to-day (23rd January) says that a letter has been found in Baliway, offering $50,000 reward for the as-. sassination of Aguinaldo. The telegram also says the Malolos Congress has passed a vote of confidence in Aguinaldo, as president of the Nation, that he is to declare war against the Americans whenever he may think fit; and that Paterno has asked to be placed in the front rank in the fight. The Republica is Paterno's paper.. AMICABLE SETTLEMENT IN VIEW. [Independencia. }
ences,
The last point discussed was that the sending of more troops here by the Americans implied a desire to continue the war even if they did not actually come to blows, but the Americans said they were ready to prove by authentic telegrams that these forces were intended to relieve those already here.
The meeting broke up with friendly mani festations on both sides, but this will not be the last conference, as many people have be- lieved and wished.
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE.
With the object of solemnizing the glorions proclamation of the Republic and by the powers invested in me by the constitution and in accord with the Council, I decree the following:
Art. 1.-The Spaniards who do not belong to the Spanish regular army and those of the regular army who are suffering from serious wounds or diseases will be liberated. The goods and chattels of said prisoners and individuals in the regular Spanish army will be retained till it is decided what should be done to them. All sacerdots belonging to the regular Spanish clergy, even those occupying the highest ecclesiastical positions, and all individnes connected with them although they do not actually belong to the clergy will be expelled.
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town; they have given permission to the are now at least 20,000 insurgents in the
Americans to go ashore to buy frait, for other purposes provided they are unarmed. A mountain battery has been organised ⠀ in Light Battery "G," 6th Artillery, with two Hotchkiss and two Gatlings.
MANILA AND HONGKONG.
: There is much food for reflection in the fact that the sunken Spanish oruisers Isla de Cuba and Isla de Luzon, after being floated by Hong- kong engineers, had to be sent over to Hong- koug for repairs. It is strange how completely Manila is dependent on Hongkong. It is anomalons also, for the two places ought to occupy exactly opposite positions relatively, it natural
When Manila was the greatest port in the advantages counted for anything. orient, the "Pearl of the Orient," Hongkong While Manila produces everything that the was just a bare brown lump of rook in the ses,
tropics can produce, Hongkong can grow practic. ally nothing but a wiry grass. Manila bay is easy of approach; Hongkong harbour is the con- trary, as shown by the number of ship wrecks in the vicinity, and by the number of naviga. tors who refuse to take a ship near the place in the night, though well lighted. The land in the immediate vicinity of Manila provides food enough to contribute considerably to feed the population; the land around Hongkong grows only a crop of granite boulders, for miles and miles along the neighboring hills on the main, land. Yet Mauila depends on Hongkong, Manila is almost a suburb of ongkong.
There is coal in sarions parts of the Philip- pines; yet steamers in Manila fill their bunkers with coal brought from Hongkong, though Hongkong has uo coal-beds within hundreds of miles. There is kerosine in the Philippine Islands, waiting to be tapped; yet Manila bays kerosine from Hongkong, which has not an oil- spread near it. Cotton grows wild all over the Philippines but the inhabitants buy cotton garments from Hongkong, which does not grow a pound of cotton.
Art. 2.-The government will nominate a commission, mixed, military and civil, to suquire into the rights of those who wish to benefit by this decree and to find out if they have scrupu On the other hand, the Fhilippines do indeed lously respected the rules of war established grow sugar, and it is refined in Hongkong. among civilized nations. This commission will Hongkong bas several great prosparous sugar also enquire into the rights of the Philippine refineries, making millions of dollars out of prisoners who have been taken by the civil and Philippine sugar, while the refineries in the military authorities so that those who deserve Philippines are struggling concerns not to be it may be pardoned and who have not a just case compared with them. Manila grows. hemp against them may be liberated. Lastly the com and it is the Hongkong Ropeworks that sup mission will examine into all seizures of goods plies the world. And when communication I both of Filipinos and Spaniards who have not between Manila and Hongkong is out o
been prisoners of war, so that the council may confirm otherwise according to the rights of the
case.
Art. 3-The authorities, civil and military. will give to the commission all the necessary data and help so that they may carry out this decree.
Given in Malolos on January 23rd; 1899.
(Signed)
A conference between the American and
The President of the Republic Spanish commissioners was held Sunday after-
EMILIO AGUINALDO. noon (22nd January) and lasted from 3 to 7 p.m.
President of the Council We publish what passed without comments,
APOLINARIO MABINI We understand the natural impatience of the
CONFISCATION OF CLERICAL PROPERTY. country to know anything connected with its In has been declared in an additional article future. The actual situation is insupportable; of the Filipino consitution that from the 24th we must have a definite solution soon.
of May, the date of the constitution of the The conference was begun on the understand-dictatorial government in Cavite, the restitu- ing that the independence of the Philip-tion to the Philippine state of all baciendas, pines was to be recognized. This was not ob- jected d to as it has been in former confer The American commissioners were agreeable to send to Washington the basis on which the Philippine Government would agree to a protectorate and offered for the con- sideration of our representatives the following point Amerion is to exercise over the Philip- pines an informal protectorate from the moment its independence is recognized till the treaty of protectorate is signed and ratified. This mat- ter was discussed, and the principal argument on the American side was that the Philippines should not be left without protection against outside attack and they again stated that Ameri- ca could not possibly have any bad intentions toward this country. After this point had been thoroughly discussed the commissioners of our Government, in obedience to instruc- tlons received, agreed to the desire of the
buildings, and all other property which the religious corporations had in these islands should be made in spite of article 33 of the Spanish civil code which was declared in force provisionally. The government has completely annulled all force which said article might have in connection with the religious corpora- tions as it is completely contrary to and incom- patible with independence, public order and tranquility,
AT ILOILO.
port in Iloilo bay writes under date January
A correspondent on board the transport New 16th that the whole American troops consisting of the 18th Infantry, the Iowa Volunteers and Light Battery "G" 6th Artillery, are still kept on board the transports Newport, Arizonu, and Pennsylvania. wondering and waiting. The insurgents can be seen working busily throwing up breastworks on both sides of the bay. There
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course of war, it is the fertile luxuriantly- productive Manila that starves, instead of the barren bit of brown rock-Manila Times.
محمد
NOTES ON THE GUNS AT: KIMPAI FORTS.
Two guns by Krupp; calibre 28 centamstres (about 1 inches), weight 50 tons. Weight of projectile, 760 pounds.
Weight of powder 352 pounds.
These guns are mounted en barbette and have an all round fire.
order of the General then in charge) with a full Over two years ago these guns were fired (by
charge of Chinese cracker powder made up to imitate the proper prismatic powder.
The first round fired so strained the gun that the breech could not be opened. Instead of taking warning by this, the General ordered the second gun to be fired; the result was that the gun burst, blowing the entire breech, weighing about 4 tons, to the rear killing some 20 soldiers The General of course tried to make out that the guns were made of inferior métal, etc., etc. but an investigation proved that the steel was really of the very highest quality and the cause of the bursting entirely due to the use of the aforesaid Chinese cracker powder.
Several experts (principally German) ex- atterly ruined. amined these guns and pronounced them both
The Chinese, however, could not realise that the unburst gan could be quite useless so requested the Shanghai Arsenal to send Cornish to examine these guns and he sired to report on the possibility of r them. His report fully endorsed those given by other experts, but he underto