June 10, 1899.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRALE REPORT.
hind well groomed horses exerts a very strong When the volunteers go home, which they influence among the local Filipinos, and then will do in the very near future, the Govern. they return to their own lines "to conferment will find that it has lost the greatest part with Aguinaldo." Each of their visits has of its experienced fighting strength. New regi. been more extended than the previous ones ments are arriving from the United States, and many different commissioners have but though they are called regulars large num- come with credentials from Aguinaldo and bers of the men are mere recruits and most from Luna. Their stories are always the same, learn by experience what the Volunteers have and they always find objections to the scheme been taught during the last year. presented to them. Sr. Barretto, the Judge Advocote, told me, in an interview during his at visit, the Filipinos have stated since a year ago just what they wanted, and that is inde
pendence pure and simple; they have never lost sight of this principle and all negotiations have been carried on with this as an ultimate end.
At a matter of fact most of the leading officers put very little faith in these numerous commissioners and believe that they are merely s series of cleverly worked dodges for gaining time. While the last Filipinos were in Manila their comrades utilized the days of semi-official truce to throw up a strong line of entrench ments in addition to those already about San Fernando. General McArthur is now within touch of from 4,000 to 5,000 insurgents at any. point in a radius of three miles of the city. Yesterday morning Major Bell with a scou- ting party of ten men and Lt. Vitalo, the Italian Attaché, as a companion, rode over the country on the immediate front of the South Dakota and Iowa Volunteers. They had not proceeded more than a mile when they found that the enemy had got in behind them and the only means of safety lay in further advance into the hostile territory. It was only by some very skilful manovering in a jungle patch that the Major brought the party out safely, after a mile's chase with ballets chipping off twigs and flecking up the dirt all about them. The greatest vigilance exists on both sides and a false step in any direction puts one into the insurgent net, which means speedy disappearance; on the other hand, if a native shows his head above the lines a rifle covers him immediately, and if he happens to take a bath along the beach south of Manila the Monadnock gives her sharpshooters some lively practice with the guns.
OFFICERS CAPTURED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT,
On decoration day two officers from the hospital ship Relief were becalmed in a sail boat off Paranaque. They were immediately gathered in by natives, who rushed out in small boats. The Monadnock came down from Ba- coor on the jump and pounded away on the beach and into the trees without stopping the captors, and then she tried to land a party of Marines, who, however, found the reception from the shore a little too warm, so that they were obliged to retire out of range.
The American Commissioners are rather more sanguine then the military element and Presid- ent Schurman is especially hopeful of good re- sults. However, he is a thorough believer in the administration of forcible illustration of power followed by a policy of conciliation. He has fathered a paper printed in Spanish and edited by Filipinos with the object of furthering the cause of peace and explaining away various mis- understood conditions that are held up as scare- crows to the natives of the provinces. It is called the Democracia and its utterances are generally regarded as more than semi- official. The magnificent resideuce of the commissioners at Malate has been the scene of two very elaborate receptions, one tendered by Mrs. Col. Denby to soine six hundred guests, army officers and their wives besides civiliaus, and many prominent Filipino families. On Thursday there we a ball. The guests were almost all Filipinos and it was a conditon that all ladies present must wear the native costume, The effect was very beautiful and a more pic- turesque assemblage has rarely been seen. Such attentions are rapidly increasing the popularity and influence of the commissioners.
But to return to the situation. There is absolutely no means of analysing it. The un- expected is daily happening and it is as difficult to call the turn in affairs as to read the Oriental mind. Certainly there is no great reason why the Filipinos should surrender. The fighting has not brought about results that necessitate surrender. True, many towns have been taken and many insurgents killed, but not of such importance or in such numbers that a halt must be called.
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If the Filipinos hold out until after the rainy season there promises to be a more lively time than has ever been had before. If they surrender now-well, many will be treated to a genuine surprise
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
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469
in a large amount for a seizure effected at the instance of informers who obviously knew where the drug was secreted. THE INFLUX OF CANTON SUBSIDIARY COINS, Read letter from Mr. J. Grant Smith, dated 19th May, in which he called attention to the loss suffered by Chinese traders and storekeepers in having to receive the subsidiary coins issued by the Canton Mint at par, there being a loss of 2 per cent. in exchanging them for the legal carrency.
Resolved to reply to the effect that the ques- tion had already engaged the serious attention of the Committee; it had been referred to by the Chairman at the annual meeting in April; and it will receive further consideration with view to the discovery of a remedy for the evil.
THE LEKIN · AUTHORITIES AND BRITISH❤
General Chamber of Commerce, held at 3.45 p.m.
At the Monthly Meeting of the Hongkong OWNED CRAFT ON THE WEST RIVER.
Read letter from Mr. E. T. Snaggs, dated on Tuesday, the 30th May,-Present: Messrs. 23rd May, in which he states that a launch R. M. Gray (Chairman), A. McConachie (Vice-registered in his name at the British consulate, Chairman), A. Haupt, W. Poate, H. A. Ritchie, used for towing a native-built boat carrying N. A. Siebs, T. H. Thitehead, and R. C. Wil- oargo, after being allowed to run freely on the cox (Secretary),—
West River for three weeks, was denounced by the Hoppo at Samshui to the Commissioner of The Minutes of the previous Meeting (held Customs as refusing to report at two Lekin 26th April) were read and confirmed.
stations and having no Chu'an-liao licence, and therefore liable to fine and confiscation. The matter was placed in the hands of the Consul, who (as stated by Mr. Snaggs) refuses to recog. nise the claim that it is necessary for a native- built boat owned by a foreigner to carry a Chu'an-liao licence.
MINUTES.
NEW MEMBERS.
The following new members had been elected siuce the last meeting-Mr. D. Haskell, Mr. R. C. Wilcox, Messrs. L. Sculfort & Co.
NEW MEMBER OF COMMITTEE,
On the proposal of the Chairman, seconded by the Vice-Chairman, the Hon. J. J. Keswick was unanimously elected to fill the seat on the Committee vacant by the resignation of Mr. J. J. Bell-Irving.
OFFICIAL TELEGRAPH CODE VOCABULARY. The despatch of a letter, on the question of ommitting consecutive numbers in the new official telegraph code vocabulary, to the Inter- national Telegraph Administration, Berne, bas been postponed pending receipt of confirmation of the report of such omission by the Telegraph Companies.
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CABLE RATES FROM INDIA TO EUROPE. Read letter from Madras Chamber of Com- merce enclosing copy of a despatch addressed to the Indian Government urging a reduction in the telegraph tariff between India and Europe.
The Secretary reported that, acting on the instructions of the Committee, he had sent copies of this correspondence to the local papers, who had published the letter and enclosure in full.
Decided to acknowledge receipt and state that the question was receiving attention and that the dispatch had been published.
SYSTEM OF FINES FOR SMUGGLING AT SAIGON.
A letter dated 26th April, signed by the principal British and German firms trading with Saigon, having been received, a letter was, on the 3rd May, addressed to the Government calling attention to the hardship entailed on shipowners by the working of the present sys- tem of giving excessive rewards to informers for the discovery of opiam amuggled iuto port at Saigon by crew or passengers in spite of the most vigilant efforts by the masters aut officers to prevent it, and asking that representations on the injustice of the system be made to the ludo-China authoritios.
l'ead reply to abore, dated 20th May, in which the Government stated that the Chamber's letter and enclosure had been transmitted to the British Consal, Saigon, with the request that he would make a representation to the French authorities with a view to the adoption of a system that will bear less hardly on ship. owners. The Government also asked to be farnished with further observations' with refer- ence to the suggestion contained in paragraph 3 of the Chamber's letter to the effect that the smuggling of opium on board be constituted a punishable offence, for which the master of a ship could prosecute without, as at present, referring to the Opium Farmer.
It was decided to write and thank Mr. Snaggs. for placing the Chamber in possession of the facts of the case, which appears to represent an entirely novel claim, and to add that the Com- mittee will be interested to hear how the case
(which is in good hands) progresses.
REVIVAL OF AN ILLEGAL MONOPOLY IN KWANGTUNG,
Read letter from Messrs. Arnold, Karberg & Co., as Agents for the Shell Transport and Trading Co., Limited, enclosing a cutting from the Hongkong Daily Press, being translation of a proclamation said to have been issued by the Head Lekin Office in Kwangtung, announcing the establishment of a Farm for the collection of lekin on kerosine in Kwangtung and suggest- ing that representations on the subject should at once be made to H.B.M.'s Consulat Canton,
inquiries as to the authenticity of the proclama- After some discussion, it was decided to make tion, and, if this could be verified, to then address the Consul on the subject and assure him of the Chamber's co-operation in his efforts to defeat this attempt to reverse the recent`. decision of the Tsung-li Yamen that lekin was not to be farmed to syndicates of merchants.
PIRACY ON THE WEST RIVER.
The piracy, on the 22nd May, on the West River at Kumchuk, on the British steamboat sengers' effects to the value of some $7,000, Wo On, when she was robbed of cargo and pas-
next engaged the attention of the Committee, Sandpiper was not alone sufficient for the patrol who were unanimously of opinion that the
of the West River, which is in urgent need of a more effective policing, but the question was deferred for consideration at the next meeting. IMPENDING PROPOSALS FOR. INCREASED
TAXATION IN HONGKONG. A statement having been made in the leading columns of the China Mail to the effect that the Hongkong Government had referred its proposals (for increased taxation) to the Com inittee of the Chamber for consideration, an official contradiction was, on the 18th May, given to the announcement.
THE LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMEROF AND
THE KOWLOON HINTERLAND. The CHAIRMAN-Before we break up there is one other matter I wanted to mention. It will be remembered that in the course of the agitation against the retention of the City of Kowloon under Chinese jurisdiction and for the removal of the Chinese Customs Stations ont- side of our new boundaries, we addressed a Some discussion ensued on this request, and vigerous letter to the London Chamber of Com- it was decided to reply pointing out that at pre- merce on the subject, asking for their co-opera- sent the would be smuggler only suffers the tion, and we were rather surprised that no an- loss of his drug instead of being liable to punish-swer was ever returned to that communication. ment. It was also resolved to call the attention Now I see by the Blue Book on Affairs of China, of the Government to the case of the fining of | laid on the table, that though--no doubt from the German steamer Ingraban on the 19th May an oversight-ho reply was received here to that
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