$72
bach the people along the path of progress to individual and national prosperity.j
Hongkong, 19th July, 1899.
OPENING OF THE NEW FREMISES OF THE HONGK NG AND BHANG-
HAI BANK AI PEKING.
Peking, '3rd July.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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which that necessity lias been recognised | and met by the Directors of the Bank, I The deponent hereby dedicates this declara leave this building to speak for itself. It in- on as a tokeu of his unconditional adhesion to troduces a new and a incre ambitious style of merice and to all sensible and honest Filipinos, building into Peking, and I look upon it as a protesting, in the name of reason; of particularly happy circumstance that its com- and of a sincere patriotism, against the|pletion should concide with the improvements strocities; despotism, crimes, and shameful ex- now being carried on iu Legation Street,— grerations perpetrated both in the Philippines thanks to their Excellencies the Ministers of 1 in other places, by those who falsely arrogate the Tsungli Yamen. Attached, as no doubt to themselves the right to speak in the name of many of us are, to the picturesque but dusty the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands. associations of this venerable City, I feel sure ISABELO ARTACHO, that all will unite in the hope that the innova- tions named may be the models and precursors of much further improvement in the same I would mention that our Chief Manager, Sir direction, While on the subject of the building
Thomas Jackson, when on a recent visit here, decided that its usefulness would not be complete without the addition of a public clock with chimes, a model, though necessarily on a smaller scale, of the Customs clock in Shanghai. The matter has been referred to the Directors, aud I have now pleasure in anuon (eing to you that a grant for the clock has been sanctioned, and that I have instructions to proenre one worthy of the building without delay.. I trust that the clock will keep correct time and that it will be a benefit and convenience to the community of Peking. It only remains for me now to as- sure you once more, your Excellencies and Gentlemen, of my deep appreciation of the honoar you have conferred upon me and the Corporation I represent by your presence here to-day. I trust. I may venture to interpret it as an expression of the esteem and good-will which it is the desire of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank to earn in all its business rela- tions, whether with the Chinese Goverument or with the citizens of Foreign Powers whose business brings them to this country. I trast, your Excellencies and Gentlemen, that I shall frequently have the pleasure of receiving you in this building again, not only for the transac tion of business, but to claim a hospitality which the Hongkong Bank is pleased to regard as one of its most honoured traditions.
From time to time we have noticed the growth of the new Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Building on Legation Street. We are now happily able to announce its completion, for to-day the Banking Corporation commence do- ing business under the new roof. On Saturday last, in response to the invitation of Mr. E. G. Hiller, the agent of the Bank here, there assem- bled in the new building the most representa- tive gathering ever collected under one roof in Peking. A sumptuous tifin was served under the management of M. A. Chamot of Tallien and Co., restaurateurs, at which sixty-five covers were laid. The guests em- braced sixteen nationalities, viz., English, American, German, French, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, Aus- trian, Swiss, Scotch, Irish, etc.
The health of H. M. the Queen was drunk standing, as was also the health of H. M. Kuang Han, Emperor of China. It seems curious that in all that collection of nationalities, not one suggested drinking the Empress Dowager's health, although all responded gladly to the “health” of Kuang Han. Among the notables present were H.E. Mr. Cologan, doyen of the Diplomatic Body, H. C. Baron von Ketteler, HE. Knobel, H.E. Li Hong-chang, H.E. Hu Chih-fen, H.E. Hsu Pu, President of the Board of War, Wn Ting-fen, Yuan Ch'ang, Yu Keng, and three other Ministers of the Tsangli Yamên. Mr. Cologan delivered in French a happy Httle speech of congratulation to the Banking Company on possessing such fine quarters to work in, and congratulations to the community at large on having such an enterprising and reliable business house to transact our business. Mr. Hillier, for the Bank, replied in a modest speech, expressing the pleasure he felt in enter- taining so many guests, all patrons or friends of the institution he represented, and announced that the managers had authorised the installing of a large town o ook in the upper storey of the building.
This was greeted with cheers, for in Peking we have no definite time, every one working his own watch in a go-as-you-please style. After tifin the guests were shown through the magnificent building, the finest by long odds in Peking, and after an hour of social chat and good fellowship, departed well pleased with the occasion, the building, and the tifin.-N. C. Daily News correspondent.
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Another correspondent sends a report in which the princip. I speeches are given in full, Me! Hillier's being as follows :--Mr. Cologan, I beg to thank you on behalf of the Bauk my staff and myself, for the kindness of the sentiments which you have just поч been so good as to express towards {18; and I beg you to allow me this oppor- tunity, your Excellencies and Gentlemen, of extending my sincere thanks to you for the honour you have done me by responding to my invitation, to assist to-day at the inauguration of this new building. The interests of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank are so bound up with the trade and development, financial and commercial, of this great Empire, that the provision of a fitting establishment in Its capital would seem destined to follow, sooner of later, in the natural course of events, while important financial relations which have, during the past few years, grown up be
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this Bank and the Imperial Chinese Government have rendered that step one of increasing necessity. Of the liberality with
THE MENGIZU AFFAIR.
The Avenir du Tonkin of the 9th July publishes details of the Mengtzu disturbance, which, it appears, was not directed primarily against the foreigners, but against the man- darins. We make the following translation.
[July 22, 1899
them, and they did not see it again. In this way M. Blano lost $3,700 and M. Duval-Pillet $250. On the other hand, contrary to the first reports, none of the papers were touched and the mission recovered all the documents that were of value and which in their hurry they had forgotten. All went into the town by the South Gate and straight to the yamen of the Taotsi, who received them well and conducted them to a temple where Commandant Bauzon and M. Raband had been residing for some days. The Taotai impressed upon them very earnestly that he would answer for their safety if they did not leave the temple, but that he disclaimed 'all reg- ponsibility if they were imprudent enough to | go out,
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Mengtzu has a garrison of four hundred soldiers, who, like all Chinese soldiers, are paid irregularly and are general utility men. Need- less to say that they thought it well to offer no resistance. The rioters entered the town with. out arms, but found them by some unexplained means shortly afterwards.
The party of Frenchmen in the temple kept watch by turns in spells of one hour each during the night and had for their protection a guard of fifteen soldiers provided by the Taotai.
attacked five or six hours after M. Fossiou's party had passed through. They did the only thing there was to be done and marched straight ahead. They arrived at Mongtau at eight o'clock and at the temple joined their countrymen, whose astonishment may easily be imagined.
Meanwhile Messrs. Fossion, Régins, and Clémencet were on their way to Meng. tzu and on the 22nd telegraphed to their friends that they were leaving Manhao and expected to arrive on the 24th. They were escorted by twenty Chinese, one of who, the head man, had a sword, while the others carried nothing more formidable than their pipes. On the arrival of this party at Giutan the mandarin informed them that there were pirates at Mongtza, told them that it would be imprudent to continue their journey without taking great precautions, and made them spend the night with him The next morning they set out again and arrived within 15 kilometres of Mengtzu at a village where the mandarin was the famous Mac, aq ex-pirate well known in Too- kin and who for a long time terrorised the region of Yen-bin-xa. Mao declined to accommodate the travellers and advised them to continue their journey to Mengtżu, he having been informed. that his village was about to be attacked be pirates. Two soldiers of the escort, having changed their uniform for coolie clothes, were sent in with a message to the Consul. This was about 6 p.m. Dr. Reygoudant_replied that it was impossible to enter Mengtzn by night and that they could only e me in the daytime. What was to be done? It was im- One of the managers sud part proprietor of possible to remain in the villages, since they the tin mines at Kochow (Lo-tebéou, Koué- were refused hospitality, and, as afterwards xp- tehou and Coui-tcheon are given as alterna.peared, not without reason, for the villages were tive readings in the French) had been condem. ned to death by a mandarin. The reason is unknown, but what is known is that the mandarin was influenced in his decision by a heavy bribe. The condemned man having appealed to the Taotsi of Meutza. the latter, yielding to the same influence as his subordinate, confirmed, the sentence. The Taotai had the condemned man conducted by two soldiers to his own village where the sentence was to be carried out. On the way some people beloning to the party of the condemned man, who by his position possessed a certain amount of influence, waylaid the escort, killed the two soldiers, and delivered the prisoner. The latter immediately placed himself at the head of his party, which included at least a third of the ten thousand workmen at the mines, and a large number of them decided to march to Mongtzu, which is about 20 kilometres distaut from Kochow. This was on the 21st June. On the 22nd about three hundred of them ar rived at Mengtzu, during the night, passed round the town to the west, and made an at- tack on the Chinese Customs-house, where the only Europeans were Mr. Spinney, the
The riotous miners came a second time to Commissioner, and his wife. The French the attack and completed the work of destruc Consular buildings are separated from the Cus- tion they had already commenced. Several toms-house only by a wall, and here there were hundreds of dollars, some shoes of sycee, and The rioters even. seven Europeans sleeping, namely, Command-some plate disappeared thus. ant Lasalle, Messrs. Duval-Pillet, Blanc, tried to set fire to the Consular office, but with Chaignaux, Brenier, Keller, and Dr. Reygoud- out success. and, the latter acting for the Consul, M. Dejean de la Bâtie, who was at Yunnan-sen at the time. Commandant Lasalle, awakened by the sound of talking and the shouts from the Customs. house, roused his companions. At the same time shots were heard, and there was only time to got away in light costume, some of the party forgetting to take their money with
The Consul, M. Dejean de la Batie, who was returning to Mengtzu from Yunnan-son with an escort of fifty men was informed en route of what was going on. He arrived at Mengizu at half-past nine on the morning of the 25th.
Calm prevailed at the temple and there was only one insignificant alarm, on the night of the 24th.
The Consul did not resume possession of the Consulate, but remained with his fellow-country- men at the temple.
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A Malabar who left Laokay for Meng. tan by laud carrying 88,000 for M. Bloadet was murdered during the night in a village, as were also a Chinaman, a Saigon boy, and an Aunamite, six hours after M. Fossion and his companions had passed over the same ground.
After a few days the prisoners in the temple were able to venture out and the Commissioner of Customs and all the other Europeans resumed their occupations, but returned to the temple at six o'clock in the evening to pass the might. 1hen the Chinese regulars who had been sent for by the authori- ties came to the rescue, the rioters were