410
Instructions, provides that "All questions pro- posed for debate in the Legislative Council shall be decided by the majority of votes, and the Governor or member presiding shall have an original vote in common with the other Members of the Council, as also a casting vote, if upon any question the votes shall be equal." Now Standing Order 34 says:- "The Standing Orders of the Council may be suspended by the consent of the Pre- sident and a majority of the members present.- ently not in accordance with clause XVIII. of To require the consent of the President is appar- the Royal Instructions, and the Secretary of State has pointed this out and suggested an amendment. I accordingly propose the amend. ment in the terms of the Resolution set forth in the printed notice. As regards No. 41 of the Standing Rules and Orders, it has been found by experience that in a place like Hong- kong it is very likely one of the members may be absent at one or more meetings of the Stand- ing Committee. It is undesirable that the fact that one member out of five is on some occasion anable to attend should paralyse the action of the remaining members. It is true that by No. 50 of the Standing Rules and Orders the Com- mittee is competent to act if three at least of its members are present. But the absence of a single member prevents the Chairman from be-
ing able to give the certificate mentioned in No. 41" that the Bill has been considered clause by clause in the presence of all the members of such Standing Committee at least." It is difficult to see the use of the words "at least," for it could not be considered by more that all the Standing Members,. Ac- cordingly I propose the Amendment specified in the printed notice of motion. I cannot see any evil likely to result from the amendment, for it will still be competent for any member to object to have the Bill so reported on treated as if reported on by a Committee of the whole Council, and if any single member raises that objection the Bill must be considered clause by clause by the whole Council in Committee. As to 48, this provides for the appointment of three standing Committees at the first meeting of the Council subsequent to 1st October in each year, bat as it stands it makes no provision for filling vacancies occurring during the year. My proposed amendment remedies that defect, and in its wording I have followed as nearly as may be the verbiage of No. XIV. of the Royal In- structions dealing with Provisional appointments
of members of Council.
The ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY Seond- beond- ed, and the motion was carried.
FIRST READINGS.
The following Bills passed their first read- ings:-
A Bill entitled an Ordinance to further amend the Magistrates Ordinance 1890, (No. 10 of 1890). A Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend the Piers Ordinance, 1899.
The Council adjourned until Monday week.
MEETING OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
After the Council meeting a meeting of the Finance Committee was held, the Acting Colonial Secretary presiding.
The following votes were agreed to:—
A sum of $1,772.66 to cover the cost of print- ing the Draft Code of Civil Procedure for the Supreme Court of Hongkong. The consideration of the vote for $2,300 in aid of the vote con- tribution towards Defence Works was postponed at the request of the unofficial members. A sum of $16,528 to defray the cost of the purchase of arms and other stores for the Police.
This was all the business.
The Foochow Tea Season, says the Daily Echo of that port, is an earlier one than of late years. The larger arrivals of Congon, however, only go in part to confirm this (184,000 half-chests against 119,000 half-chests to the end of May last year), the real reason as regards a consider- able portion of the excess being that there have not been the same heavy rains and floods which delayed transport of the tea from the in- terior last year. Judging from figures, buyers appear to be somewhat wary, the settlements to the end of May barely reaching half those made to the same date last year.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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THE CRISIS IN CHINA.
DAILY PRESS SERVICE OF TELEGRAMS.
SHANGHAI, 9th June, 11.25 a.m. Paoting-fu is burning. The railway ser- vice to Peking has finally stopped. Matters are becoming increasingly serious. The Eng- lish missionaries at Peking are in the British Legation. An Imperial Edict which was of encouraging the Boxers. published on Wednesday has had the effect
SHANGHAI, 9th June, 4.9 p.m.
Sir Claude Macdonald telegraphs to Con- sul-General Warren at Shanghai that the movement against the foreigners has been allowed to grow to such an extent that it has resulted in the burning of railway sta- tions and the interruption of the railway service for five days. Two British mission. aries and several foreigners have been mur. dered in a district near Peking. Through- out the country numbers of missionary con- verts have been murdered or pillaged and chapels destroyed, while in the capital British missionaries have been compelled to leave which is defended by 75 marines. their houses and take refuge in the Legation,
The Chinese Government, which is so deeply affected in the matter, sends high officials to parley with the Boxers, but shows no intention of summarily suppressing the rising, Probably it has the power, but the Throne is strongly influenced by sympathy perial troops is doubtful. All is well with the movement. The spirit of the Im-
present at the British Legation.
[With reference to the above despatch from Sir Claude' Macdonald, it may be noted that the Peking and Tientsin Times reports the departure from Tientsin on the 31st ult. of some 330 international troops for Peking. They got off by 4 o'clock, being loudly cheered by all present. The body comprised about 75 British. 75 and 25 Japanese. The train reached Peking at Russians, 75 French, 52 Americans, 30 Italians,
6.45, and all entered the City, with the excep- tion of twenty British, who stayed with an officer at Machiapu for the night with the baggage.]
SHANGHAI, 9th June, 5.35 p.m. It was expected at Tientsin yesterday that 5,000 Russian troops would land. Tungchow has been burnt. The missionaries are safe.
SHANGHAI, 10th June, 11.18 a.m.
in the capital were very critical and that it Tientsin reported last night that affairs
was impossible to wire detailed news.
SHANGHAI, 10th June, 11.47 a.m. Tientsin reports to-day that 800 troops, chiefly British, are forcing their way to Pe- king. The train has just left with machine guns mounted for use and sleepers to repair the line. Admiral Seymour and the Ameri- can Commander are leading.
The Russian, Japanese, and French troops and more British are following by a second train. More troops are landing. Great sa- tisfaction is felt at Tientsin. This clinches matters.
June 16, 1900.
and the Bible Christians' and Roman Catholic missions utterly, destroyed. All the missionaries are safe at the Yamen.
French troops are at Mengtze. It is alleged that opposition to the spread of French influence is the cause of the distur- bance.
Mission at the beginning of the year were :---- [The representatives of the China Inland Rev. O. and Mrs. Stevenson, Rev. A. H. San- ders, Rev. F. H. Rhodes, Misses Leffingwell, F. Campbell and M. E. Carsley, Rev. E. J. and Mrs. Piper, and Mrs. Thorne; those of the Bible Christian, Mission were Rev. F. J. and W. A. and Mrs. Grist, and Mrs. Thorne, some Mrs. Dymond, Rev. E. J. and Mrs. Piper, Rev. therefore representing both Societies. A list of the Roman Catholic Mission is not to hand.]
THE BOXER RISING.
[FROM OUR TIENTSIN CORRESPONDENT.] Tientsin 29th May.
i
THE CRISIS ARRIVES,
The Boxers have precipitated a crisis, and unless the Imperial Government instantly gives up its insane attempt to run with hare and hounds the issue will be most grave. Chiefly Governor of Shangtung, whom the Germans through the influence of Yü Haien, the ex-
got cashiered last year, the Peking officials have persuaded themselves that the I Ho Tuan was a society where strings might be pulled to Chinese advantage vis-à-vis foreigners. Conse- quently in all their proclamations, instructions to officials, &c., they have taken the line of the Boxers are to be punished, but qua patriots flattery and non-denunciation: qua wrong-doers
and gymnasts who affect military drill they are to be left strictly alone. The result is, that they have now raised a ghost which, unless they are very prompt and decided, they will be unable to lay. The Ministers have been very well informed by direct communication from missionaries in the ill-affected dis- tricts how serious the situation is: they have been unceasing in urging on the Chinese the dangerous nature of the fire they were foreigner. Bishop Favier especially has kept fostering in their anxiety to scorch the M. Pichon au courant with all that has been going on below the surface. This ex- perienced and cautious old resident last week did an unprecedented thing in closing his (Peking) Orphanage and Hospital by way of precaution. These are institutions which attract the notice of the mob in times of sedition and which give rise to appalling calumnies. It is to be noted that the Right Reverend Bishop has a constitutional tendency to restiveness in times of danger, but on the other hand a more wary or better informed observer of affairs is not to be found in China.
THE COURSE OF EVENTS.
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Now for the facts. The Boxers from Southern Chihli have acquired quite 8 remarkable mobility: they have within the last week swarmed up into the neighbour hood of Pao-ting Fu. They have been railway officials all round for a few days. threatening the native Christians and The Provincial Authorities sent up Brigadier Yang with three hundred sabres against them to avenge the death of some eighty or ninety Christians who have been attacked and kill- ed at Kao-Li. Yang, after consulting with the magistrate of Cho-chan, pushed on to deal with the Boxers summarily. With a small party of thirty men he came up with them on a hillside, near Lai-Shuai and, much against the himself to be inveigled up the hill for a consul- advice of his followers, dismounted and allowed
tation. He was pulled into a dongs, and instantly done to death: as many as seventy-two wounds were given him; a statement is now cir- culating in the form that he was cut into seventy-two separate pieces. The accounts as to Telegraphic communication with Peking off, others that only two or three were killed. This his followers vary; some say they were all cut ceased on Sunday at 2 o'clock in the after-attack on an Imperial officer was the first awak- noon, since which there have been numberlessening given to the Palace folk in Peking. In- unvouched rumours,
SHANGHAI, 12th June, 4.25 p.m. The troops have reached Lofa, their pro- gress having been delayed through the ne- cessity of repairing the bridges. To this point supplies have been sent. 275 Russians and French left at noon yesterday to join the column.
SHANGHAI, 14th June, 11.10 a.m. Rioting has broken out at Yunnanfu. The China Inland Mission has been partly,
stantly twelve camps (5,000) were ordered up from the military centres. This incident took place on the 23rd or 22nd instant, but the Boxers have been more prompt than their punishers. On Sunday they fired the railway stations at