364
*** RUSSIA, JAPAN, AND CHINA.
The Kobe Chronicle translates the following telegrams from Japanese papers *-*-*-*-*-*
Seoul, 14th October.
It is stated that the Korean Government made an official reply last night to the Russian Min ister's demand with regard to the purchase of land at Masanpho. The reply points out that the Korean Government has no longer any thing to do with the affair, and informs Russia that negotiations should be opened directly with the Japanese Government. -
Seoul, 15th October.
The gist of the reply of the Korean Govern ment to the demand of Russia is said to have been that nothing could now be done, as the land at Masanpho desired by Russia-had al- ready been purchased by the Japanese, so that the Russian Government must treat directly with Japan, which was now the owner of the land.
Tokyo, 15th October.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
A QUESTION OF RELIGIOUS TOL-
ERATION AT SHANGHAI.
Some time ago the Shanghai Municipal Council refused to allow a Japanese service to take place in the chapel attached to the public mortuary. Considerable public feeling was aroused by the incident and as a meeting of the ratepayers was to be held for another purpose the Council resolved to incorporate this question in the business to be brought forward.
The meeting was held on the 17th October and the Council submitted the following resolu. tion That the Council be and is hereby au- thorised forthwith to undertake the construc- tion in the Bubbling Well Cemetery of a Mortuary Chapel to be reserved for Christian services, it being understood that the existing building in this Cemetery shall, upon com- plation of the proposed new Chapel, be open to the use of all members of the Foreign com- munity; irrespective of nationality or creed."
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In case the Russian Government refers the The following amendment was moved :— land lease question at Masanpho directly to the Resolved, that the Council be and is hereby Japanese Government, the latter resolved to authorised to throw open to the use of all decline it with decision, whatever demand Rus-members of the Foreign community, irrespec- sia may make.
tive of nationality or creed, the present mor- chapel and crematorium in the Bubbling Well Cemetery."
Tokyo, 17th October.
A Peking dispatch of the 15th instant which has reached Tokyo states that the Russian Minister has had an audience with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. It is believed the object of the Russian Minister is either to express the disapproval of the Russian Govern- ment with regard to the dispatch to Japan of the commissioners Liu and Ching, or to make representations in regard to the Peking Railway.
Peking, 16th October.
It is reported that the Empress Dowager to- day sent a message secretly to Messrs. Liu and Ching, who were recently sent to Japan on an alleged commercial mission, expressing her sat- isfaction at the results.
The ostensible reason for the audience of the Russian Minister with the Empress Dowager is the presentation of a decoration. It is re- ported, however, that he took occasion of the audience to point out that there was apparently a feeling of antipathy growing up in the Chinese Government against Russia, and that the dis- patch of Lin and Ching on a mission to Japan was a discourteous action towards Russia.
Itis believed by some that the Russian Minister has demanded that a large quantity of firearms should be bought by China from Russia.
Peking, 17th October. Yesterday's dispatch stated that the Russian Minister presented a decoration, but in reality he presented certain documents. It is believed the Russian Minister will set out shortly on a tour of inspection in Mongolia.
Later.
The audience of the Russian Minister with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor with the object of presenting their Majesties with a copy of the record of the Tsar's travels in the Far East when he was Tsarevich (1).
DIFFERENTIAL
DUTIES ON ASIATIC GOODS IN TONKIN. The Hanoi Chamber of Commerce has made representations to the Government with refer- ence to the differential duties charged on goods coming respectively from China and Japan. Formerly articles of Asiatic origin were sub. jected to a uniform favoured treatment, but this is now confined to articles of Chinese origin, the result being that goods from Japan have to pay much more heavily than goods from China. From the discussion we gather that goods from Hongkong come under the lower tariff and that Japanese goods purchased in Hongkong consequently pay less than the same goods procured from Japan direct. The follow- ing illustrations of the different amounts pay able as duty on two classes are given
From China From Japan Lacquered ware Fres, 20
Fres. 190 350
150
Hats
Cordage
Mate
Combs, pipe
Borows
Embroideries.
500
1,200 (2,500
1·1,600 500 2,500
It transpired that a letter had been received from the Rev. H. C. Hodges in which the Council were threatened that if any but Christ- ian services were allowed in the crematorium building, neither he, Dr. Muirhead, nor Mr. Darwent would hold services there. The Rer. W. Muirhead amidst load groans and bisses (a shocking reception to an old re- sident) defended the incumbent of Trinity Cathedral and was supported by Dr. Edkins, Dr. Farnham announced that he had often preached in Buddhist temples, and that he did not sympathise with Mr. Hodges; and the Rev. F. L. Hawks Pott pointed out that it was a question of morality, and that neither morality nor religion could be satisfied by the money of the public generally being taken to construct a building which was then to be denied to any who were not Christians.
Upon a vote being taken the amendment was carried by large majority.
TRAMWAYS AT SHANGHAI.
THE PROPOSAL REJECTED.
At the annual meeting of the Shanghai ratepayers held on the 10th March, 1898, it was resolved "That the Council be and is here by authorised to consider the expediency of the stablishment of a system of tramways in the streets of the Settlement, and in its discretion to formulate a scheme for the ratification of Ratepayers by which the system may be carried into effect" In accordance with this resolu- tiou tenders were invited and on the 17th inst. a special meeting of the ratepayers was held, to consider this and other business, and the following resolution was submitted:-- That the Council be and is hereby authorised to grant a franchise for the construction and working of a system of Electric Tramways Shanghai Tramway in Shanghai to the Syndicate, Ltd,' in terms of that Company's tender, published in the North-China Daily News of the 7th October, 1899."
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On the motion being put to the meeting it was lost on the show of hands by a large majority.
MARSHAL SU.
It is reported in native official circles that, when Marshal Su has finished his work of defin- ing the boundaries of the French leased terri- tory at Kuangehouwan, he will return to Ch'ing ohou, on the Kuangtang-Tongking frontier, which city has been made the headquarters of the forces of the Two Kuang provinces, ever since the Franco-Chinese war of 1884. While at Chingehou, Marshal Su will select 15 bat- talions (7,500 men) of his best disciplined troops who are to be at once transported to his new headquarters at Tsingkiangpa, North Kiangsu, In the meantime a number of Marshal Su's officers have been active in Kiansu. Anhui, and Honan, where anothor 7,500 to 10,000 men are to be being enlisted for the new Army Corps stationed at Taingkiangpu by the end of the prosent year.—NC Daily News.
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[October 28, 1899,
PRINCE HENRY
Shanghai, 19th October. The German Royal Squadron in these waters consisting of the Deutschland and Kaiserin Augusta arrived at Woosung at noon, H.R.H. Prince Henry being on board the flagship. The cruiser Iltis went out to meet the two larger vessels and the N. D. Lloyd tender was in waiting to bring the Prince up to Shanghai, where he arrived shortly after three, landing at the P. & O. Jetty. He is stopping at the German Consulate. The Kaiserin, which is the largest ship that ever came up the river, was brought up by Pilot Carmichael and moored opposite Messrs. Farnham & Co., Ltd. Cosmo- politan Dock, where she will undergo extensive repairs which will take fully three months.
China Gazette.
SHENG AND HIS RAILWAY SCHEMES.
According to a private letter received at Shanghai from a member of H.E. Sheng's staff now at Peking, H.E. was recently received twice in public audience in the Grand Council Chamber and once in private audience in an ordinary Throns-hall. His first public audience lasted one hour, but in the second the question of the details of Sheng's railways in the South- ern provinces being gone into, the audience lasted quite two hours, at the end of which the Empress Dowager was pleased to commend H.E.'s activity and shrewdness. As for the private audience the affair was more of a per- sonal character during which, it is reported ** volunt- here, in Shanghai, H.E. promised a ary" private contribution towards the Empress Dowager's Privy Purse of something like Tls. 50,000.-N. C. Daily News.
THE IMPERIAL CHINESE RAIL-
WAYS OF NORTH-CHINA,
Foreign residents of Tientsin and Peking are, of course, fully aware of the extent of the line that has been opened in the North to pub lic traffic, and how substantially and carefully it has been constructed under the able direction of the Engineer-in-Chief, Mr. C. W. Kinder. But foreigners in Central and Southern China who have never visited Tientsin or the capital have, perhaps, only a vague idea of the mileage of the district passed through, of the recent, ex- tensions, or of the progress that has been made with proposed extensions, so that a few words on these points will probably prove interesting.
It may be taken for granted that it is general- ly known that a double rail line runs from Peking to Tientsin, with its terminus at Ma- chiapu, some few miles outside the wall of the Capital, the distance being a fraction under 80 miles. At present there are three trains a day running each way, two being ordinary and one express. The ordinary trains leave either end respectively at 6 a.m. and between 2 and 3 p.m... taking five hours for the journey. No foreigner · would travel through by these trains from choice, preferring the express that leaves either end at 11.30 a.m. and completes the journey in three hours and forty minutes.
When the line was first opened the 1st-class were cushioned and made as comfortable ag circumstances - would permit, but in a very “ short time all this had to be altered, as the habits peculiar to Chinese soon rendered these carriages quite unfit for use by cleanly people, even though they were not too fasti dious. So that now the 1st-class carriages are provided with wooden seats, made as comfortable as the nature of that material will permit. But with the 11.30 trains runs a postal car under the control of the Imperial Chinese Post-office, and as these are considered the private property of Sir Robert Hart, a part of the car has been comfortably upholstered and is reserved for such foreign travellers as choose to make use of it. To travel by these reserved cars it is not neces- sary to take the ordinary ticket, but each tra- veller when seated in the car is provided by the foreign postal olerk with a special pass, for which he has to pay the sum of $5. The com- fort thus obtained is well worth the charge made, Ma
On the other side of Tientsin is a single-track line running almost due east for 27 miles to Tangku, which is now virtually the shipping: