February 17, 1900.]
A PROCLAMATION BY LI HUNG CHANG,
Sometime last year the district of Fayain was - very much disturbed by bauds of robbers, of whom Tongchau was the chief As he and bis gang are still at large doing great mischief at sea and on land, the gentry of the villages have presented petitions to H.E. Li Hung Chang, the Viceroy of Canton, requesting troops to be sent to repress the brigaudage and piracy in that district and its vicinity; thereupon H.. issues a proclamation of which the following is
a translation:—
Upon reading the petitions presented I find that the city town Kuukai is contiguous with the districts of Fayuin and Samsui. As the pirate chief Tongchan and his associates are still at large attacking and robbing passen- ger boats and junks. I was asked to send the commandant. Cheangyonchai, with one or two hundred soldiers of the Au regiment. to guard and protect the city town, and also order two guard boats to proceed to Mankao for the purpose of cruising about so as to hunt down the pirates for the protection of the mer- chants. Upon enquiry I also find that the
station
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
CANTON NUTES.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDEN U. ]
Canton, 13th February.
THE PIRACIES-CHINESE AUTHORITIES
CONTEMPLATE ACTION.
A native paper, Pok Man Po, of the 10 inst., and piracy which is a source of great incou says that on account of the prevalent robbery |
venience and injury to travellers and merchants пр the West River, the English Government in- tend to despatch gunboats there for the protection of their merchants; but as this step seems an encroachment upon the sovereignty of China. H. E. the Viceroy Li Hung Chang has given strict or dørs for the arrest of had characters and the punishment of those who are responsible for the peace and good order of the locality. bave heard that the generals of Chung Hip and Pan Hip. together with the commandants of the different regiments of Canton, have devised some which is as follows:-The West River is
Now we
means.
upper and the lower streams. Each stream is
divided into six sections, and in each section there will be a gunboat and a guardboat for its protection, with additional soldiers of several teus to each of the boats, guarding and ornising about days and nights. In case of robbery in which the offender has not been arrested, the official responsible for the peace and good order of that locality shall be noted for minor offence, and in case of serious offence he shall be degrad- ed for negligence in not endeavouring to make arrest.
RELIEF FOR THE FUFFERERS FROM TH
BOMBARDMENT.
FRENCH
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adoption, but others do not hesitate to add that Kwang Sea's immediate abdication (!) was also intimated. This is of cours the mere gues- sing of the political quid nunes.
How such an astounding report can have arisen I do not know, but during the last few days the natides of Tientsin have stoutly main. tained that four Russian battalions of infantry and two or three batteries of artillery had landed given credit to this preposterous fiction. The af Shan Hai Kwan: uot a few foreigners have
truth of such a report is of course easily ascer- tainable hore, as we are in daily traiu commu. nication with the North, to say nothing of the telegraph. The moment the falsehood was disproved, the newsmongers changed it into the statement that these forces were all ready for embarkation at Port Arthur. I his modi fied form of the news found some credence even among the well informed. Personally, I fail to see the remote possibility of such a movement in the existing rel. tions between Russia and Japau, unless these powers have come to á misunder- standing. A few foreigners in Peking profess to think that the Dowager has come to a secret
which further territorial cession is to be the reward of presen support. I need not udd that there is no vidence whatever support this belief; the public is in such an excited state that every wild suggestion finds wule credence. The man-in-the street is under the firm onviction that Kwang Sen is to be formal y deposed to-morrow by force.
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to
cause of the land and sea being infested, impor-marked out as two tributaries or streams, the arrangement with the Northern Power by tuned and almost blockaded by robbers and pirates daring thes« few years is wholely attributed to the negligence and remissuess of the local ad- thorities, civil as well as military, in making arrest, and also to the fact that the army has been reduced and pay diminished; con- sequently there have not been men suffi- cient to guard all the places. Since I have taken up the post of Viceroy in Canton I am pretty well convinced that the thiefs and robbers are a source of great injury to the well. fare of the people; therefore it is necessary that I should appoint competent officials to the different places to hunt them down for the I inost preservation of peace and good arles, use all possible means and lose no time to raise money and soldiers to attain
o my sim and end. As to the request of despatching the Command ant Cheangyouchai with troops to there, and sending guardboats for ernising, I should have grant d it; but as the command- ant has not yet succee ed in destroying the brigands in the district of Saicliew, the forces under him are
sufficient for that purpose.
As to sending the gahoats I find that since the braves has been reduced, most of the oars, ropes and other things are rotten and useless; consequently I am think- ing of having them replaced. Even if I were to send them now they are not strong euongh to equalize the force of the robbers. So, taking all the circumstances into consideration, I bare to delay for a little time before I can take auy effective step. I have given orders to the Gen- eral Kwang Yil and Chung-Yih together with the Commandout Cheang, to be prepared to go and make a trial, and in case of urgency I shull send a large boly of troops Let the provincial judge, the magistrates and garrisons take notice."
not
OFFICIAL CALLS.
On the 8th inst. H.E. the Viceroy Li Hung Chang went to made returned official calls to all the Consuls iu Shameon in a long procession, proce ed by flag bearers, gougs and a regi ment of soldiers drilled after foreign fashion. H.E. was in a chair carried by eight beners, followed by his secretary and interpreter and a long retinue, and the rear was brought up by cavalry.
A BIG FIRE,
On the night of the 7th inst at about 3 o'clock, a big tire took place in the city, which lasted four hours. Between two and three hundred houses were destroyed. As the season was dry. and there was a northerly wind blowing and no water avai able, the fire rapidly spread and covered several streets.
The following appointments appear in the Government Gazette:-Honourable Fraucis Henry May, C.M.G. to be acting Colonial Secretary and Acting Registrar General. Francis Joseph Badeley to be Acting Captain Superintendent of Police, Acting Superintend- ent of Victoria Gaol, and Acting Superiutend ent of the Fire Brigade. Inspector Alexander Mackie to be Acting Deputy Superintendent of Police and Acting Assistant Superintendent of the Fire Brigade. Arthur Wimbolt Brewin to be a member of the Legislative Council.
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Last year oa account of the Frau h taking possession of Kwang Chow Wan, and on the natives opposing them with force of arus all the places were destroyed, H.E. the V.c roy Li Hung.chaug has sent deputy officis to examine into these premises, and ordere 1-3,000 taels to be distributed among the poor in com. misseration of their destitution. In the village of Wong Leok over 1,500 houses and huts were burned or destroyed, for which he gives 1,900 taels, compensation to the families of those who suffered 400 tals, for 135 houses burned in the San Po and Tung kee he gives 14 taels, These donations are to be paid out by the offi- cials and gentry of the respective villages,
TIENTSIN.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
TIENTSIN, 29th January, 19:0. Affairs in Peking are in a critical e adition ; and the recent edicts leave very little doubt as to the nature of the crisis-the actual or vir. tual deposition of Kwang Sen. The nominati n of the youthful Pu Chen as the heir appar. ent by adoptive affiliation marks au important step: we may now see Kwang Seu disappear quickly or slowly from the political field. If the Manchus desire to keep face with the outside world the process will be gradual; but if his friends in the Camp show any desposition to rally, his weakly health may be expected to develop into a galloping decline.
Little or nothing is at present kuown outside the Palace of the character and ability of the new aspirant to the Dragon Throne Manchu and Chinese critics who affect to be scrupulous legitimatists are expressing their satisfaction that he is at least the
proper Generation." Manchu succession ought to be strictly lineal by generation and not collateral : ie, a brother cannot succeed, though a brother's child may do
Bo. Sterility makes no difference in this, as an adopted child has all foe privi. leges of a real sou. Kwang Sen's nomination to the succession w‹s in violation of this traditional sequence, and hence, according to the parists, the wrath of Heaven on his adminis- tration.
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The timid in Peking and Tientsin are just now under another scare-that of the I oxers. The local press, both vernacular and foreign, is not on this subject so well informed as usual, and is doing not a little to increase the un-axy feeling The Peking and Tientsin Times in its last issue states that letters from Chinese friends ay that the Boxers are pouring into the Capital, and that an attack on the foreign. is con emplated during the Nov Year. Those best acquainted with Chinese opinion and movements in the province scout" such statements as the mere outcome of foolish fear. The Boxers, or 1 Ho Chuân, are bad enough in their present aspect without being promoted Our last real news into a foreigner's bogie, about them is for the moment a little more rea- suring. The atrocious murder of Mr. Brooks, of the S. P C. instead of being an incentive to further villianics seems to have had an opposite effect. The Big-Swords have in many places dispersed pro tem, and the magis trates are plucking up courage not only to pro- tect the nativo Christians but even to nake restitution to them for injuries received. There was a borrible fear from an ambiguous word in que of the official despatches on the murder of Mr. Brooks that he had actually been oruci. fied. This point is uw cleared up, the word chia (2) frained) referred to the usual disposi- tion of the corpse in a coffiu and not to the torture of the living body on a cross. As the case really was, no increase of atrocity by fletion was needed to make the story more appalling. They submitted the brave lad, for such indeed be was, to mutilain · and indignity by cutting off his ears and new (or shitting his n- strils) and by clothing Liu in offensive rugs, befor fiually cutting off his head.
Some of the missionaries here are dubious as to the expediency of donning Chinese clothes under the circumstances attending Mr. Brook's journey. Such clothes are of course no disgnize, In this case it is suspected that the Boxers rage was chiefly directed against a Mission of which men habitually dress in Chinese style, and that Mr. Brooks was mistaken for vue of them. This may be so, but it in no way lossena the heinousness of the crime.
The annual meetings of the two Municipál bodies governing the Concession and the Extension were held 1st week. The senior body is acting as nursing mother to the junior. The latter is busy making r ads. &e., &c. with- out an income, 18 a périod of three years im- munity from taxstión was given to all. Chinese There has apparently been some anxiety in owners, renters and residents. This perioú Manchu circles about the possible action of the expires on March 24, 19 0 The reports show Foreign Powers about these changes. Ten steady expansión a dipro teskin British Tien- days ago all the Ministers were hurriedly sent tain. During the d ende is90 9- mooring fres for; they went down to the Yamen at an up- have increased from Thx3,50 (to'i 1,19 500, Bund precedented hour. It freely bruited abroad | Rent from Tis, 8,10 to Tl 1,19%, jiurickshow that the ommunication concerned Pu Chen's i licences from 'Tis. 830 to Tix.4,500; trolly foes