500
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
CAN CHINA PAY FOR IRONCLADS. | railway concessions in that region supported by
A Shanghai contemporary says:- "It is reported from Peking that Minister Ln at Berlin has been instructed by the Tsung- li Yamen to contract with the Vulcan works at Stettin, Germany, for the construction of two armour clads, of about 8,000 tons, and six pro- tested fast ornisers of 3,500 fons, to be completed within 30 months, for something like to mil- lion taels. An order for fifty quickfiring fiel guns will also be placed in Germany."
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According to another of our Northern con- tempories, The report that China has ordered ironclads and armoured crnisers from Germany is incorrect. The Minister was only instructed to enquire whether such commodities could be bought on oredit.'
If it be true, as has been stated, that China was unable to pay for the Hai-Chi, built to her order by Messrs. Armstrong & Co., we should think it probable that she will find in future that "such commodities" cannot be bought on credit.
A JAPANESE SEARCH FOR THE NORTH POLE.
Have you heard anything of the following incredible rumour? It was told to me in all seriousness the other day in Tokyo, by an in- fluential personage in whose veracity and trust. worthiness I place implicit confidence; and difficult though it is to believe, I see no reason to reject it so utterly and immediately as at first glance its sensational character might seem to warrant. It is nothing less than that a morement is on foot, to send a Japanese expedi- tion to the North Pole. According to my in- formant a number of young men belonging to some of the leading scientific and political asso- ciations in the capital, have recently been debat. ing the cause of England's maritime greatness. The conclusion they arrived at was that it is primarily due to the enterprise of her naviga. tors in the field of exploration and discovery, since the days of Drake and Frobisher down- wards. They contend that if Japan erer wishes to rival the great western mistress of the seas she must cultivate the same adventurous spirit. and as the only portions of the globe remaining to be exploited are practically the North and South poles, they say very logically, that Japaa cannot do better than take over the uucompleted Jabones of Nansen, Andree, and all the other Arotic explorers who have tried and fail d to penetrate the mysterious solitudes of the extreme north. These young men are said to be con- ducting their agitation very vigorously but quietly, and I am told that the idea has been warmly adopted by certain statesmen in very bigh places. LoOKER-ON in Japan Gazette.
TEXT OF THE ANGLO-RUSSIAN AGREEMENT,
the British Government.
The two contracting parties, having nowise in view to infringe in any way the sovereign rights of China on existing treaties, will not fail to communicate to the Chinese Government the present arrangement, which by averting all cause of complications between them is of a na ture to consolidate peace in the Far East. and to serve the primordial interests of China herself.
J
(signed) CHARLES 8. SCOTT.
St. Petersburg, April 28, 1899.
The Russian Note to Sir Charles Scott,
signed by Count Mouravieff, “duly authorised to that effect," is identical in terms with that of the British Note, the only differen e being that paragraphs 1 and 2 are therein simply transposed.
The second Identical Nota, subscribed to by both the British Ambassador at St. Peters burg and Coaut Mouravieff, the Russian Minister, in an addendum to the other, and is in the following terms:
In order to complete the Notes exchanged this day respecting the partition of spheres for concessions for the construction and working of railways in China, it has been agreed to record in the present additional Note the agres- ment arrived at with regard to the line Shant, haikuan-Newchwang, for the construction of which a loan has been already contracted by the Chinese Government with the Shanghai- Hongkong Pank, acting on behalf of the British and Chinese Corporation.
ut
a
an
accountant
to
The general arangement established by the above-mentioned Notes is not to infringe in any way the rights acquired under the said Loan Contract, and the Chinese Government is liberty to appoint both English engineer and European supervise the construction of the line in question and the expenditure of the money appropriated to it. But it is remains well understood that this fact caunot be taken as constituting a right of property or foreign con trol, and that the line in question is to remain a Chinese line, subject to the control of the Chinese Government, and cannot be mortgaged or alienated to a non-Chinese company.
As regards the branch line from Šiaosichau to Sinminting in addition to the aforesaid re- strictions it has been agreed that it is to he constructed by China herself, who may permit European, not necessarily British, engineers to periodically inspect and to verify and certify that the works are being properly executed.
[June 17, 1899.
have a large proportion of Japanese officers and instructors to drill them. From indications it would seem that Chinese officialdom here talk freely and confidently as if the affair were an accomplished fact already.
FOREIGNERS AND THE OWNER- SHIP OF MOVEABLE PROPERTY IN JAPAN:
We take the following from the report for 1898 of the Hiogo and Osaka Chamber of Commerce :
to
Twice during the year was local credit badly shaken-first by extensive fraud in connection with the Hiogo Soko Kaisha, and latterly by similar means on the part of Messrs. Flood & Co. The latter case resulted in several Japan- ese Matting Mercchants attempting to obtain possession of a-large quantity of matting stored beyond the limits of the mixed residence, but against which the Chartered Bank contended that they had possession under hypotheca- tion. The question was raised whether or not foreigners could legally own moveable property beyond the limits of the mixed residence. At the close of the year the case, which was commenced in October, was still sub judice, most of the time having been oc cupied in skirmishing b tweem the rival lawyers Delays are always vexatious, but few merchants even with a good case would care to have a large deposit locked up indefinitely, and yet this is practically what fighting a case means, for when au A. 1 Corporation like the Chartered Bank is ordered by the Court to pay in heavy deposits it is not likely that the Court will accept the gua- rantee of a merchant countersigued by one of the Bauks.
THE SUGAR TRADE AT KOBE.. The Hiogo and Osaka Chamber of Commerce report for 1898 coutains the following reference to sugar :-
The import of Sugar of all kinds in 1898 shows an excess over 1897 of yen 2,006,816. The increase is thus summarized
Picnls.
Value. Brown .1893. 299,817 yen 1,596,119
.18-47 ...194,516 ..1898..... 929,750.
+3
White
•
927,207 7,066,556 5,700,601
..1897. .745,638 The difference between the above figures for Brown and White, and the total increase, is accounted for by a decrease of yen 28,051 in what is classed as "Others" in the import of
1898.
The present special agreement is naturally
Brown. The increase in the importation of not to interfere in any way with the right of this quality is due to the establishment of a the Russian Government to support, if it thinks fit, applications of Russian subjects or establish- Refinery at Osaka known as the "Nippon Seito Kaisha," which practically took all the import ments for concessions for railways which, start-only a small portion going into consumption ing from the main Manchurian line in a south in its raw state. The factory commenced re- westerly direction, would traverse the region in which the Chinese line, terminating at Sinmin-fining in April-May, aud its product was put on the market in July. The output was mostly ting and Newchwang, is to be constructed.
sold by tender weekly, and is said to have amounted to about 30 tons per diem. From
CHINA.
The following is the text of the Identical ALLI NCE BETWEEN JAPAN AND July up to the end of the year about 90,000 Notes exchanged between the United Kingdom and Russia with regard to their respective rail- way interests in China. The Notes are issued as a Parliamentary Paper (Treaty Series), a copy of which has been laid on the table of the House of Commons.
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RETURN 0 THE PEIYANG FLEET,
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We (N. C. Daily News) translate the follow- ing from the Universal Gazette :—“ The Japan ose Government has been recently in close uegotiations with the Chinese concerning the SIR C. BCOPT TO COUNT MOURAVIEFF. The undersigned British Ambassador duly return of the remuants of the Peiyang fleet authorised to that effect has, the honour to make which survived the Battle of Yalu and the the following declaration to his Excelleucy Siege of Weihaiwei in 1894-95. The transac- Connt Monravieff, Russian Minister for Foreign tion is termed "a gift of Japan to China" and Affairs: Great Britain and Russia, animated, the vessels to be returned will be the armour- by a sincere desire to avoid in China all cause olads Chenyuen and Pingyuen, the protected of condict on questions where their interests craisers Tsiyuen und Kuangping, and the Arm- meet, and taking into consideration tho economie strong mosquito" gunboats Chenpien, Chen- Chentung. Chennan, Chenhsi, aud and geographical gravitation of certain parts chung, of that Empire, have agreed as follows:- Chenpei, or a total of ten vessels." With to the above statement of our I-Great Britain engages not to seek for regard her own account, or on behalf of British sub-native contemporary we may add that it is con- jects, or of others any railway concession to fidently asserted among Chinese officials here the North of the Great Wall of China, and not that there is to be a quid pro quo in the matter, to obstract, directly or indirectly, applications and that if the deal takes place, there will be for railway concerns in that region supported some important changes in Fukien province. A high Chinese official now in Shanghai on by the Russian Government.
business, from the North, further states that the return of the old Peiyang Fleet to China will mark the era of an offensive and defensive alliance between Japan and China and that, as an ontoome, the Chinese armies and fleets will'
2-Bussia on her part engages not to seek for her own account, or on behalf of Russian rubjects, or of others, any railway concession on the basin of the Yangtsso, and not to obs- tract, directly or indirectly, applications for
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piculs are reported as having been sold at figures rather lower than the rates obtaining for Hong- kong refined during the same period. Although the ontput of this establishment can only mest a small portion of the demand for refined, still it must have some effect ou the importation of the Hongkong article.
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Hongkong Refined. The increase in the sales noted in 1897 was not maintained in 1898, which shows a decrease of about 100,000 piculs. It necessarily follows that heavy stocks must have been carried over in order to account for the in- crease in the import. Prices at the commences ment of the year were rather low, but gradually. advanced during the Spring and Summer months, and continued moaltered until the end of he year... German Beet. The imports were consider- ably in excess of those for 1897.
Prices for Granulated finotuated between yen 7.80 and you 8.75 per picul, high rates of freight again -accounting to a great extent for the ́im- provement of value on this side during a portion of the period under review.
Towards the close of the year, as was to be ex- peoted in view of the enhanced Customs Tariff coming into force on the 1st January, 1899, rather heavy shipments arrived, leaving stocks to be carried forward ample for several month's requirements.