September 23, 1899 1
the Colony there is no customs examination. the ones of India the coining would have to effected in that country, not only because of thesonstoma examination but because Indians could not carry on, in a foreign country, opera- tions of the required magnitude without Arousing suspicion. In the Straits, on the other hand, the bulk of the population are aliens, in easy communication with their fellow country/ men in China, whence counterfeit coins might be imported to an almost unlimited extent. This danger has been made evident by the very large scale on which the Netherlands Indian Currency has been counterfeited. No Treasury would risk having to pay away gold for coins of much less intrinsic value on which it had pre- viously made no profiting
The Governor, after this, dwells upon the need for circumspection and extreme care in the demonetisation - measures contemplated in the soheme. The Government, so he urged, could not take such a step without the fullest prepara tion and consulting with all the parties inter ested. The Governor then makes the following sanaluding observations:-
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORTU
have the
because some had sores or eruptions and were | naitsibien. Thus ♥ not in a sanitary condition for admission. There where, notwithsta were also some sixty who could neither read nor favour of French priorit write, although they were described as students French vested rights. This i and merchants, and on this account they were hearta. refused certificates. Students ignorant of the alphabet! This fact shows the extent of the ir- regalarities that have taken place.
ALLEGED DESECRATION OF CHINESE TEMPLE BY PRO TESTANT MISSIONARIES.
RESTORATION DEMANded. A correspondent of the Echo de Chine gives the following account of a little difficulty that has arisen at Haicheng, near tween a Protestant Mission and the Chinese, Newchwang, be- The correspondent's sympathies, it may be re- m rked, are adverse to Protestant missionaries, and his report may have been coloured by his prejudices:-
THE CHINESE GUSTOMS
TAO AND LEKIN
The Ichoufa cor Nowe writes :-)
The merchants of this turn their eyes toward the Those who are scquainted merchant need not be told that i tool. He may be, nay,” he
conservative, but he will not mising business venture. A rep conservatism to stand between him i the leading bank in this city bas from a visit to Taintao. He is n happy, as will appear from the much pleased with what he saw of t Last year, when the young Emperor in bis man port except that he had difficulty in find “I am doubtful if any change of our our temples dedicated to Confucius and to Kwan of foreign cotton yarn on which he paid at th
policy of reform decided to preserve only the place to sleep. He purchased twenty-seven bales rency system could safely be made until we had Si, the God of War and Protector of the Chinese Custom House at Taintão (5.6. the omos a coinage of our own, the extent of which would Manchu dynasty, and ordered all others, with lately, established there by the Imperial Uns. be a subject of exact knowledge, and I should their buildings, their estates, and their re- toms) seven mace per pical, or Tls: 56,70, ©Ho prefer to see this effected before any further venuce, to be transformed into establishments received what seems to have been the ordina steps were taken. There seems to be no reasou for public education and the study of the liberal why it should not be effected gradually, and arts, the priest of the Sansiasze Temple, the for the native port of Chingkon, which
"transit pass" of the Customs and took a jun without cost to the community. It may seem richest and most beautiful temple of Haicheng, old port of entry for Ichoufu and lies to be somewhat ungracious to subject the and also the most ancient, dating as it does from the Shantung border in the extreme scheme set forth by the Sub-Committee to what a period anterior to the foundation of the town, castern corner Kiangsu Province..There is is apparatly nothing but adverse criticism, but, embraced Protestantism. This priest, who had that point a lekin barrier, said to be a branoh of as it has been put forward as a 'basis on which only the incumbency and care of the temple, the infamous Huaian barrier south of to build, it is necessary to examine the solidity had the presumption to sell it to the Protestants. kiangpu, Arriving at that port the of its foundations. It might urged that, if the The Protestants bought it, at a ridiculous price who had the goods in charge was informed Government is dissatisfied with it, it is bound be it understood. Thereupon the Protestant that the transit pass was of no valne there to propose a better scheme, but I do not maute (pack of hounds) of the town and neigh-since-Tsintao-was, not recognised na sa regular think that this necessarily follows, nor do bourhood fell upon the images, which were Customs Office, and, besides the pass would I think that a scheme for this individual overthrown and broken. A gilded wooden not be good in any case, mince Chingkou is colony which would be workable and free from image of Buddha. of immense size, the wonder not in Shantung! The helpless ‹ merchant serious objections and dangers is at present of the country, was broken in pieces and chop thereupon sadly paid 840 large cash per bale practicable. With two great financial experi-ped to matchwood, while the reverend ministers for his yarn, thus adding nearly one third to ments going on in India and Japan the result of unctously chanted a hymn of praise to the the Customs' charge at Taintao. neither of which is yet known, I should hesitate Almighty in celebration of the glorious exploit. to select the present as the time for making The Sansiaosze Temple, however, belonged any sweeping change in our currency system. to the Tsinchan, or Thousand Mountains, Mon Iball, however, welcome any proposals for astery. The superior, justly aggrieved at seeing obtaining the fullest and most reliable advice one of the properties of the convent transferred and information on the subject, in whatever to the Protestants without his knowledge and manner it might appear best to Her Majesty's against his will, commenced a suit and carried Government, whether by merely local inquiry, it to Peking, where he obtained justice and or by an inquiry which would embrace a larger won the case. When our people," he was field than the unit of this colony and its told, individual interests. Any reasonable cost or provinces, we are called upon to punish the destroy foreign establishments in the share of the cost this Government would guilty parties and to make pecuniary compensa- be quite prepared to pay. The printed lion. We do so. Why should not the same papers on the subject show what a diver- line of conduct be followed when Europeans gence of opinion exists among that portion of seize our temples and overthrow our images " the mercantile community here who have con- midered the question, but as was pointed out in the speech of one of the members of the Cham ber of Commerce, (Mr. Earle), there are many different interests unrepresented, and that the opinion of the bulk of the native trading popul- ation as to a change in our currency system, and the extent to which their interests would be affected by such a change has never been ascertained.
"One thing only appears to be certain, and that is that there is a general wish for fixity of exchange, apart altogether from the question of how far our prosperity has been affected by the fall in the price of silver, and by any assist- ance that Her Majesty's Government could give to attain such an end would be gratefully ac- knowledged by the community of the Straits Bettlements,"
EMIGRATION IRREGULARITIES
AT MACAO,
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Reverting to the alleged irregularities in connection with the issue of passports at Macao Chinese passengers proceeding to the United Staten, the Echo Macaense says:-Wes are in formed that of the Chinese emigrants who have left Masno with Portuguese passports for California during the present year (1899) 193 already arrived at their destination, but large number concerning whose no word has been received. But not all were granted pamports at Macao certificates from the American Con- ulats in Hongkong to for the United States,
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The responsibility was therefore thrown on the Haicheng Magistrate-who, unhappy man, had been unable to prevent the great injustice that had been done--to see that the temple was restored to the Thousand Mountains community, and restored in its original condition. This was a humiliating clause for the Protestants, so humiliating that they refused to accept it. So the poor Sub-Prefeot, a young man full of intelligence and of good intentions, a highly esteemed Magistrate, falls a victim to Protestant imprudence.
A FRENCH VIEW OF THE OPENING OF NANNING.
The Nanning correspondent of the Echo de Chine says
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This practically wiped out his profit on the transaction. It is small wonder that he feels sceptical about the value of the new trade route. We have ventured to bring this case to the attention of Commissioner Ohlmer. It in about time that these "lekin" franis were stornly dealt with.
MINING ENTERPRISE.
Daily News-writes:
The Weihien correspondent of the N. C.
field, eight miles south of this city. Their cos! Progress is being made at the Carlowits coal
shaft is sunk to a depth of 30 metres and the prospecting well, locating further north, been bored to a depth of 140 metres." The pro- fessional well-drillers of Pennsylvania would consider this rather slow boring, sccustomed as they are to completing a 500-metre hole in nis weeks, but much allowance must be made for those undertaking like work in China. They are far from their base of supplies and a trifing accident to the machinery may stop the work for a whole month. It remains to be seen, what will be unearthed at the bottom of this experi. mental hole.
·A DISGRACED OFFICIAL TO BE REINSTATED.
Peking official telegram states, that Li Ping-hèng ex-Governor of Shantung, who was The English are creeping in everywhere and cashiered and dismissed the service of the Garman threatening to supplant us all along the line, Government last year for the murder of the two even on our own frontiers. Kwangsi, was it German R. C. fathers in Ts'acchon prefecture, not to be an extension of Tonkin? But now arrived at Peking on the 8th instant in obedi- the English, who opened Wuchow in 1896, have ence to the Empress Dowager's mos obtained the opening of this port also. It is commands, and was received said that a Consul has been uppointed and will in the Grand Council Chi arrive directly, namely, Mr. Little. Small iustant. We may, therefore steamers have been built for the tramo some special favour being and a company has been formed. Our rivals | most bigoted and have obtained the concession of from Canton to Chungking passing through
railway reactionary Kwangui, and we may be sure they will not promptly instead of admitting the intermin- able delays that have attended Lungehor line. They have bought nickel beyond Bylinhien and it is said that an Anglo-Jewish syndiesto kas soquired the sil Mows of Ho
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