|
[September 2, 1899.
from here at 5's.m., taking" Mr. Stowirt Locki hart with me."
THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO THE VICEROY," The visit to the Viceroy is described in the following despatol dated 7th April from the Governor to the Secretary State :----
the 1st instant, I have the honour to inform you "With reference to my despatch No. 82 of that on the 2nd instant I proceeded at 5.30 a.m. to Canton in Her Majesty's ship Fame and arrived at 10 o'clock, the Viceroy having in formed the Consul that he would receive me at 11 a.m. I was accompanied by Mr. Stewart Lockhart, Colonial Secretary, and the members if my staff On proceeding from the Consulate to the Viceroy's Yamên, I found that prepara- tions had been made for my reception that I did not expect: The streets for the two miles or so between the Consulate and the Yamen had been washed and cleaned, and were lined with troops": throughout the entire distance. There were? between 1,600 and 1,800 men, armed with muzzle loaders and rifles of various patterns, in addition to which a large proportion carried revolvers. I noticed that all the arms were quite clean and apparently well kept. The streets were de corated with flags on long poles and there were dense crowds who were perfectly respectful. I ceremonies and at once entered upon the busi- was received by the Viceroy with the usual
Consul, interpreting most admirably. ness of my visit, Mr. Pitzipios, the Vice-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND then sat down to tim Sir and pronounced" position not only in "finance') the seat of honour to the" and commerce but also to a certain extent in lenoy”. Subsequently politics. Of those politics I am profoundly in rose and said-Ladies' and nocent; but in this line my able colleague Mr. to join with me in drink. Cameron and my equally esteemed and able col- Bie "Thömas" Jackson-(ap- leaqus'iä Peking, Mr. Hilller, have done sterling 'It was such's plešafire to me service to the empire. They have been behind the hand Her Majesty's letters scenes in a way perhaps that even Her Majes. that the dignity conferred ty's Ministers have not always been, and every- apon Bir Thomia Jackson was richly meristed I thing they could possibly do to forward the speak not along from my personal observation, welfare of the empire has been done willingly but from the tongue of good report; that cry, and ungrudgingly. (Hear hear.) The Hong stalised artifiate of a man who has been for kong Bank I may look upon as my No. 1 wife a' prominent position before (Laughter.) I am more sincerely attached to the public,
acta and thought her than to any other. (Laughter.) It has 'become factors in the had my attention for 35 years, and while it general wal
w! (Heat, hear.) I may say I think would be naknightly and unwise to quarrel thent exaggeration that from the time Sir with any lady, such a mistress as this Thomas Jackson" bedame manager of that deserves the heart and son! and all the institution which his financial genius has placed energy a'man is capable of. (Hear, bear.) When in such an enviable position, he has been a very in the north of Chins a short time ago I met prominent factor in the advancement of British a globetrotter,—an extremely nice old fellow, political and commercial interests in this Far an American, who was most genial. He started East of which people at home hear so much from San Francisco, went to New York, Lon- and "know so little. In conferring this dignity don, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, and called upon Bir Thomas Jackson, Her Majesty the at Hongkong, and be said that wherever he Quech has but given expression to the opinion went this side heaven, there he found the of the community in these regions that Hongkong Bank. (Applause.) The Hongkong is of all who know him, and when I say Bank has been associated with the prosperity of all who know him I mean everybody whose Hongkong. When I came here in 1865-some interest has brought him here or who is 24 years after the colony was formed-I found represented in Far Cathay, for who does not things not in so prosperous a state as they know T. J.P (Applause.) I believe, ladies and might have been. There had been failures and gentlemen, that if letters were dropped in the a number of princely firms had disappeared. post in St. Petersburg, Berlin, Paris. Loudon, There was a good deal of uphill work, but there Disco,” Santa Fe, and the little post office of was grit in this little colony which enabled it to the Btraits of Magellan addressed “T. J., pull through. Your Excellency, I have the "Chin" they would find their way into the greatest opinion of the future of Hongkong. Hongkong and Shanghai Bank in Queen's I am perfectly sure, situated as we are near the Road(applause)—and I am further 84- great empire of China-for whatever her in- sured that if these letters were on busi ternal condition may be, she is and must always ness matters ✨ the writers would receive remain, with her four hundred million people, answers showing a wide grasp of general an important factor in the politics of the principles, a complete mastery of details, and a world-we have the opportunity of forward- levelheaded determination that whatever actioning the welfare of the British empire and was taken or advice given should be honest and showing an example to the adjacent empire. just? (Hear hear. I may be forgiven in feel I thank your Excellency most sincerely for ing a patriotic pride in velcoming my country.saking this company to meet me here to-day. man Sir Thomas Jackson to the brotherhood This is a red-letter day to me and a day which of knighthood, because while fully apprecisting I shall always remember. (Applause.) the energy and the capabilities of the many. Scotchmen and Englishmen who are forwarding British interests in the Far East, I think it can hardly be denied that the three names which stand out most prominently in these regions are the names of three Irishmen-MeLeary Brown, Robert Hart, and Thomas Jackson. (Applause.) We hay assume that successful in business, supremely happy in his family relations (hear, hear) enjoying the confidence and esteem of a commanity reaching over 30 degrees of latitude, even this evidence of Her Majesty's apprecia tion of Sir Thomas Tackson can hardly add to the happiness of which it would seem that the cutus et be nearly full (hear, hear.)—but it mail be a satisfaction to the community to know that even in this farthest point of our world wide empire good work for the general interest of the empire will not be forgotten (hear, hear) and the Order of Knighthood may well welcome” Sir Thomas Jackson as a member, because “ an honest man is the noblest work of God." (Applause.) I ask you to join with me lu drinking the health of Sir Thomas Jackson and wishing him long life and the enjoyment in the fature of that happiness" and "success which he has always enjoyed in the past. (Applause.)
Sir THOMAS, who was heartily greeted on rising to respond, said Your Excellency, and gentlemen. It very gratefully res. u to the feast of His Excellency, proposing ith 5. The distinction which has come to I look upon as a very marked one. I believe very first joint stock Babk manager who received the decoration of knighthood, is no small compliment not only to myself ped by threats. His Excellency in a subsequent
despatch writes :-
The proceedings then terminated.
THE NEW TERRITORY BLUE BOOK.
|
"After some preliminary observations he remarked that the friendship between England and China had been of long standing; on which I assured him that England was China's best friend, and it was with the most friendly feel- ings that had done myself the honour of visit- ing him to request his immediate attention to certain acts of intimidation and attempts to lead the people of the leased territory astray by an inflammatory placard that had been posted in many villages, a copy of which I handed to him with the name of the person who had His Excellenoy and feeling that he would take written it. Knowing the friendly feelings of
immediate action, I had determined to bring the matter personally to his notice rather than telegraph to London and Peking that disorder: was threatened in his Province. I therefore requested that the writer of the placard should-- be made answerable and punished.
"He answered that he could not possibly find the person who wrote the placard. To this I A blue book containing Despatches and demurred. He said I did not know China or I other Papers relating to the Extension of the would realize the difficulty. I answered that I Colony of Hongkong was laid ou the table of knew Chiuá sufficiently to know that if His the Legislative Council on 24th Aug. The con- Excellency wanted to find any person in his tents occupy 69 pages. The series opens with province that person would be forthcoming, a despatch by the Governor to the Secretary of He said the name given might not be the real State, dated 17th March, 1899, reporting a dis- culprit. Whom did I want punished? I an- cussion with Mr. Wong Tsun-shin, the Chinese swered that I had not come to him to demand Commissioner for the delimitation of the fron- the punishment of any person other than the tier, in which His Excellency endeavoured to real culprit, but to insure that the territory show him that it would be to the mutual advan-leased in extension of Hongkong should not be tags of China and the Hongkong Government allowed to become a prey to agitators pending the to have Shamchun and Shatankok included taking over of the territory by me; that I had in the leased territory. It was clear that postponed the taking over of the territory to the the commissioner had orders not to grant these 17th instant for the purpose of having matsheds places and His Excellency then thought it well erected in which to house the officials and police to have the river boundary formally agreed to who would be stationed there while proper as a provisional measure, leaving the pressing houses and barracks were t ug built, and to demand for the boundary of the base of the give him time to arrange the stations for the hills to the North open for further considera- Customs now that the boundar had been set. tion at Peking.
tled. On this His Excellency said that there. was no occasion for erection of new Customs stations as the Customs would remain whore they were. I answered that such a impossible. He said this country is only leased. It is China, and there is nothing about Cus- toms in the Convention. I answered that he..... ther leased, lent, or ceded, as soon as the British flag is hoisted it becomes for the time effectually British territory as Government
dags must be hauled down. I pointed out that all the waters of Mirs Bay and Deep Bay as well as the coast line to the South becoming. British under the Convention, it was impossible that the Chinese Customs authorities could set, as even if a vessel were found in these waters with contraband on board "shé
she could not be soised for having the
baying them in Chinese waters or territory, and if resistance were offered to search and life was lost the Custom officers put on their tuål for murder in the Courts Hongkong. He demurred at this, declaring in such a case that they would be tried in China'
Then follow documents relating to the de- limitation of the river boundary and reports of the earlier disturbances and the obstruction offered to the building of the mat-sheds. On the 1st April Mr. Stewart Lockhart went to the Governor taking with him an inflammatory placard that was being posted in the villages of the leased area. At the same time the informa tion was given to His Excellency that the
dually, but also to the Bank i serve and 4 workmen erecting the mat-sheds had been stop. | House, longkong, and the Chinese Customs
;
}
Colony I reside in. (Hear) hear. Coming to "Mr. Stewart Lockhart, who has a long Hongkong in the year 1884. I have spent some experience in China, said that the couse- rds of a" pretty” active life® here. I feel quences of the issue of this placard and the "best" efforts' have been far too richly stoppage of the work of erecting the matsheds 1, and if they had been twice as would be very serious. He suggested that I would not have been good en should send him to Canton to see the Viceroy, In connection with the position which as not a moment should be lost. I concluded
holds it would be very unjust that if it was necessary to see the Viceroy I had" nkiderate of me to my col better see him myself. I telegraphed to the ven the greater share of the Consul at Canton that I desired to see the hchi dokumida mu very forward "" Viceroy next day, and next morning started