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regular service has been established whereby trade and commerce will be stimulated.
Public works in the Provinces have much improved, new roads, cauals and bridges have been added to those of existing ones.
The Nagararajasema Railway has been opened for the use of the public as far as Pak djong from Kengkoi; We have every hope of seeing the whole line completed and opened up to the town of Nagararajsema next year.
The line of this Railway from Sarabures to Lopburee which will be the main line to the North, has been commenced and its earth work nearly completed to that town, but it will be necessary to re-survey the Northern line this dry season before continuing the con- struction farther than this town.
The Petchaburee Railway line has been sur. veyed from Bangkok to Rajbures and its con- struction will now be commenced.
The Railway Police and that of the suburbs of Bangkok have now been uniformly organized. In the district of Thoong Luang, where irri- gation has been in great progress and lands available to agriculture, it has been considered necessary to order in establish better coutrol and order, to organize a township this year.
We have great satisfaction in being able to state that the preventive measures, We have taken against the epidemic of bubonic plagne that ravaged fatally in some of our neighbour. ing countries, have been successful. We trust that this epidemic will not appear in this Kingdom.
The Sanitary Department which was lately organized, has carried out useful and beneficial work in making roads and drains to keep the city clean and healthy. These works of the Department are only the commencement of a progressive soheme to improve public sanitation. By the organization of the Local and Pro- vincial Offices to collect inland taxes by Gor. ernment Officers, and abolishing the old system of farming out as hitherto, the revenue has bean greatly increased and the people have been there by much relieved of oppressive ine nveniences.
With a view to the gra lual abolition of gambling houses, they have been further re- duced in the whole country, and now one third of the whole number no lougar exist.
The introduction of the system of money orders in the interior has given satisfactica, and it will be extended as far as possible.
Into order to control and give security to landed property, the want of which have been the causes of many disputes and conflicts and from which, thus only a part of the revenue could be collected, it has been thought advis able that the allotments be made and title deeds issued to their proprietors as legal proofs of ownership. We have therefore re-established the Ministry of Agriculture to meet this purpose.
Our intention of opening forests other thun teak-forests have been carried out, and many leases have already been given to work them.
In our religion we have been blessed with joy and happiness throughout Our Kingdom this year by the finding in one of the pagodas in the Buddhist Holy Land, the Sacred relics of our Lord Buddha. These Sacred Relics have been offered to Us by the Government of India. as the Protector of the Buddhist Faith, to be partly preserved by Us and partly distributed according to Our wish to other countries which
adhere to our Faith.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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rains lately. We hope that the greater part of the crop will be saved in most of the Provinces, and thus do decrease in the trade will occur.
The happy and satisfactory results of all Our undertakings give Us the assurance that you all will endeavour to continue in fulfilling Our wishes in those measures which have been set forth and those which will be undertaken from time to time for the welfare of Our Country. We ask you all again to accept Our heart felt thanks for the accomplishment of all your ser- vices, for your devotion and good wishes and for your presence in this Assembly to-day.
MR. JAMES CREELMAN ON THE ANGLO-AMERICAN ALLIANCE.
THE BRITISH COMMERCIAL SYSTEM ROTTEN
AND OUT OF DATE.
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Under the heading of what there is in the Anglo-American Alliance the New York Journal publishes an article by Mr. James Creelmau.
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When you ask an English statesman, says Mr. Creelman, why the people of the United States should favour an alliance of any kind with Great Britain he will tell you that, once united, the nations can dictate to the rest of the world. But I have yet to find a serious and well-informed American citizen who desires to su port this scheme of inter- national dictatorship.
British statesmen have said to me again and again that the American flag must be kept flying in the Philippine Islands because the breaking up of the Chinese Empire is at hand and it is uecessary that the two great Anglo- Saxon uations, with similar interests in Asia and in joint control of the Nicaragua Caual. shall be in a position to insist that the great markets of the Far East shall not be closed to the commerce of the world. This of course, is based upon the assumed idea that the United States dues not intend to apply the bigh pro- tective tariff system to the parts of the Philippine Archipelago, and that Great Britaiu is to be an equal partuer, or at least a special partner, in the coutrol of the Nicaragua Canal. Certainly, if Congress applies the McKinley tariff or any tariff of the same general nature to the Philippine Islands and if the United States adheres to Mr. Blaine's aud Mr. Frelinghuysen's official declaration that the Clayton-Buiwer Treaty is extinct in so far as it relates to the Nicaragua Canal, we shall hear no more in England about an Anglo-Saxon alliance, political, co umercial, or-moral,
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{October 7, 1899.
occurred General Otis refused to allow Ameri- can newspapers or merchants to use the cable, although he permitted this British bruk to c ble an account of the fighting to its agent, at Hougkong, and the American public got its first news that the American flag had been fired upon through the courtesy of the British bank manager in Hongkong. Of course, it is easy to see the profitable advantage which this official favouritism gare to a British firm as against the non-favoured American firms. Thi incident is not in itself important except as an illustra tion of the British point of view in the Philip- pines. Whatever we are to do in the Philip pines or elsewhere in Asia, we may be sure of one thing, that British interests aud American interests, British methods and Americab met- hods are radically different.
In the early days of our war with Spain I talked with Jobu Hay at his London residence almost every afternoon. I know that he was then vigorously opposed to an alliance with Great Britain. He was also opposed to any joint Anglo American naval or other demonst ration in Asia, although he admitted that there might be instances in which the pressure of simi. lar interests might warrant simultaneous, rather than joint, action by Great Britain and the United States, lo a long experience with American diplomatic officers în Loudon I must frankly acknowledge that John Hay is the only one I have known who was not gooner or later. mesinerized by British influence. He was at all times a modest dignified, sensible American. I predict that so long as he is permittel to have a really potent share in the determination of our foreign policy the Anglo-Saxon alliance idea will not advance beyond the after dinner speech stage.
CRUELTY TO FROGS.
Our Chinese neighbours suvs the China Gazette, like our amiable and fair-minded French friends are in a culinary sense ardent admirers of the festive and suculent frog, and immense numbers of the harmonious songsters of the marshes are lo ally consumed. Withhis we have no fault to find,-every man to his taste". But as the lady said when she kissed the cow. We do think that the enthusiastic Society for Prevention of Crulty to Animals ought to direct a little of its supe finons energy. to suppressing the diabolically cruel method in which the los frog merchant bring their produce to market and expose them for sale even under the agis of the Municipal Council in the Hongkew Market. A foreigner, who visited that great food bazaar yesterday morning, informs us with indignant astonish- ment that he saw baskets of luckless frogs ex- posed for sales at that place, skinned and still alive! We have mide enquires and pbtained convincing confirmation of his assertion from independent native sources who admitted that they see such sights in the market every
confesse.! that they onuld. day and nothing nousual in it or any cause for It has lean the custom from astonishment.
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The truth of the situation is that British trade in the East is going to pieces. Germany aud the United States are driving British manu- factures even
out of markets covered by the British flag. Meanwhile the great Russiau railway system, running six thousand miles east and west and two thousand miles north and south. will be in operation within two or three years, and this will control the carrying trade of northern China and India, while the magnificent merchant marine fleets of France and Germany, time immemorial for frogs to be so prepared for sale by the frog-dealers The natives like together with the Russiau volunteer naval re- serve fleet and the rapidly increasing merchant their bactrachia brought to them ready skinned as the tough opidermis of the rana esculenta is fleet of Japan, breaking dow. Great Britain's control of the carrying trade in the south. After troublesome and nasty to detacth. They also an invidious comparison between the P. & O). like them quite fresh so the dealer satisfies both and other mail lines and a grow at the Hong-requirements of his customers by the ingenious bat devilish device of skinning his frogs and kong and Shanghai Bank for charging a com- mission for cashing at one port its own notes keeping them alive to show that they are fresh. Can the ornelty of man to the world of dumb: issued at another port, the article proceeds:–
creatures go further. It is not surpassed by system în Asia is rotten and out of date. What-anything in Mr. Well's “Island of Dr. Moreau ever American commerce and industry may achieve in Asia, with or without the Philippines. must be accomplished in spite of, and not because than heretofore. Whilst in the Provinces, of, the presence of the British there. I have talked with some of the ablest Americans in the where the system of education has been cou- tinued to be under the care of the Head Priests, East, and they all agree that we have more to His Holiness Krom Mun Vajirayan has been expect from Russia than from Great Britain. zuccessful in devising a better and more elabo Russia is the growing. Great Britain the dy rale system. Though this plan of education ining power in Asia. Russia encourages American the Provinces was only re-organized last year, trade; England opposes and undermines it. yet the result gives Us the hope that it will be adopted throughout the whole country soon.
Moreover the study of the Holy Scripture of our religion among the members of Holy Order and their followers has improved, and in the examination held by the Assembly of the High Priests and at the Colleges, there were large numbers of successful candidates.
Also general education in Bangkok has made marked progress especially in the elementary education, the number in attendance being much increased and the standard of work higher
We have been greatly troubled, by the scar- city of rain in the beginning of the year, about the rice production, but by the steady and usual
The whole British commercial and financial
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So shrewdly have the British pushed their theory of a union of hearts" in the Philip. pines that General Otis has made the Hong- koug and Shanghi Banking Corporation the bank of deposit for the United States When the Philippine outbreak against our authority
At Shaughai a supper room with accommoda- tion for four hundred has been built on top of the Chinese market adjoining the Drill Hall. The original idea was that the Drill Hall was so large that half of it could be used for dancing and the other half screened off for supper; but the community in
fast.
increases very From the Indische Handels Compagnie we have received a post card dated Batavia, 13th September, stating that the Tomini Mining Co......... have received the following telegram- spector found roof decomposed rook free gold about one ounce per ton." The Company's concession is in North Celebes.
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