416
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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JAPAN AND COREA.
[June 16, 1900.
HONGKONG.
The Corean, correspondent of the Nagasaki The appointments of Mr. J. W. Jones, Act- Press, writing on the 29th ult. of the recent ing Deputy Registrar and Accountant, to be judicial murder in Seoul, concludes with the Acting Deputy Registrar and Appraiser, and following remarks:-
of Mr. C. J. Xavier to be Acting Deputy Re- What will the Japanese Government do?gistrar and Accountant, during the absence on That is one of the political consequences which leave of Mr. A. Seth, are notified in the Gazette. no one can foretell.” Minister Hayashi, one of the On the 10th inst. Inspector Baker visited 24, brightest men Japan has had here, on hearing Queens Road West, and found a roomful of the news immediately demanded an audience people playing Pai Kan. He arrested 12 of with the Emperor. This was refused him. He them, including three women.
At the Magis- then sent a vigorous letter of protest to the tracy on the 11th inst. the two keepers of the Foreign Minister and there is no doubt that the house were fined $10 each and the rest $3 each. wires between Seoul and Tokyo have been kept busily at work since yesterday.
It is notorious that Corea inaugurated the war between Japan and China, and the first ostensible act of that great tragedy was the assassination by a minion of the Corean Emperor of Kim Ok Kinn in Shanghai. It is possible that again this fatal nation is about to deluge the Far East in blood? It is notorious that the relations be- tween Japan and a certain Power are strained to breaking point. It is also notorious that the faction in Corea which has done An and Kwong to death is in favour of that certain Power.
Just at this time also a company of Japanese infantry have arrived to relieve part of the troops in the Japanese garrison in Seoul. The relieving purpose has been given up, so that so far they really constitute a reinforcement to the Seoul garrison. Japan knows just what step to take in this emergency and is prepared to take it.
therefore, grant the said high provincial author- ities one month to consider the matter, within which time each and all of them are commanded to report to us their views, based on the con- ditions and interests of their several provinces and await our commands thereon. Finally, we command (the Grand Council) that copies of the memorials and documents of the said Sheng | Hsuan-huai and his colleagues, as well as the memorials of the Board of Revenue and the Toungli Yamên, be hereby made out and des- patched to each of the high officials herein named by courier, travelling at the rate of 400 li a day, and that this Decree be also notified at the same time to the said Shêng Hauan-huai and the said Nieh Chih-kusi. Respect this!'
In obedience to the Imperial commands I, therefore, hereby make a copy of the above Decree which I herein send to your Excellency. Now I find that, of late, the financial condition of China-is daily growing worse while the amounts we have to pay annually to our foreign creditors grow heavier and heavier, insomuch that in a few years' time we shall actually be in the position of being almost unable to liquidate any of them. Now if we can indeed devise a method of revising the tariff and bring in un increased revenue of several millions of taels annually, the country at large will, pt course, be greatly benefitted thereby. I would. however, be well to remember also that the matter in question, namely, the combina- tion of customs and likin duties, is solely confined to the duties on foreign goods and has nothing whatever to do with the likin ou native produce. Again, of late years I find that the number of those trading under foreign flags has increased while, at the same time, Chinese THE trading under the names of foreign hongs are `also numerous. It would therefore seem neces-
sary for us to guard against attempts after the On the 11th inst. at noon an extraordinary gen- Treaty Revision has been settled, of people try-eralmeeting in connection with the above company ing to defraud the revenues by passing native was held at the company's offices, No. 2, Con- produce for foreign goods. Foreigners will also naught Road. for the purpose of submitting as be used to protect these people, thereby render- a special resolution the resolution passed at the ing it extremely difficult for the Customs people meeting held on the 23rd May. The Hon C. P. to do their duty in examining goods. Indeed. Chater. C.M.G.. presided, and there were also present Messrs. P. Sachse, J. A. Mackay (Direc- tors). Edward Osborne (Secretary), (Capt.) Brown, N. A. Siebs, A. Haupt, R. C. Wilcox. Wong Kamfuk. L. L. Lopes, J. Hooper, E, Roberts, J. J. Monteno, G. M. Bain. A. V. Apcar, Tsan Fu Cheung, and P. Jordan.
On the motion of the CHAIRMAN seconded by Mr. WILCOX, the following resolution was con- That the Regulations contained in Table A in so far as they apply to this Company be altered as follows:-That the following clause be substituted for Clause 37 of Tabl: A:- The quorum for all the purposes of a General Meeting shall be not less than five members present in person or by proxy, No business
the interior administrations become unable to
collect likin, the country at large will naturally suffer a great deal. In a word, we shall find that before the country will begin to reap any benefit from the new tariff, frauds will already have been widespread. We must, therefore, be extremely careful and on our guard from the beginning.
As the matter under discussion is of para.firmed. mount importance I have decided to instruct the Provincial Treasurers of Kianguing (Nan king) and Soochow; the Taotais of Shanghai, Chinkiang, Kiangning and Soochow; and the Chief of the three Likin Bureaus of Kiang ning, Soochow and Shanghai, to report the re-
sult truthfully to me, after careful considera.
tion. They are warned not to be indifferent or conservative in their views and must always keep in view the importance of arriving at u modus operandi by which the interests of likin on native produce may be protected. This in- deed must be a sine qui non. I give them half a month to investigate, within which time they are required to report to me their views and suggestions. Upon these reports I shall base my memorial to the Throne. Your Excellency is requested to give your careful attention to the subject, in obedience to the Imperial commands.
Mr. Gilbert B. Whyte has been appointed General Manager of the Raub Mine, in succes- sion to the late Mr. Wm. Bibby.
A Government Gazette Extraordinary pub lished on the 12th inst. contained a letter from Acting Commissioner of Custom E. V. Brenan. announcing the receipt from Shanghai of the following telegram "Amoy and Swatow declared infected; inform shipping. Aglen."
The Eastern Extension and Great Northern Telegraph Companies informed us on the 13th inst. that they had received the following, from the International Telegraph Office at Berne:--- "On account of the interruption of the Chinese lines between Tientsin and Peking, telegrams for the latter place by either of the Joint Com- panies' cables can only be accepted at senders' risk. During the present crisis the Shanghai, Nagasaki and Vladivostock offices will remain open all night for the transmission of telegrams
Government service.”
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STAR" FERRY COMPANY,
LIMITED.
shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless the quorum requisite be present at the commencement of the business."
This was all the business.
At the Magistracy on the 9th inst. the Chinese fitter at Shaukiwan was arrested on a charge of attempting to murder his wife, appeared before Mr. Hazeland. The wife, however, de clined to say a word against her husband. She said a fall was the cause of the injury to her head. The Magistrate bound prisoner over on security of $100 to appear for sentence when called upon.
The woman was taken back to Hospital, but it will be some time before she completely recovers.
At the Magistracy on the 9th inst. the keeper of the boarding-house at 48, Connaught Road, was charged with assaulting a coolie. The com- plainant said he was brought down from Pakhoi- with other coolies, being informed that they could get good wages in Hongkong. When they arrived here they were told that they would have to go Singapore. Upon this the de- fendant demanded their passage money and payment for the food he had supplied them with, and on them refusing to pay him anything a disturbance took place, during which the de. fendant throw the complainant downstairs, causing him severe injuries from which he is still suffering. On the application of Mr. Mouusey, the case was adjourned until the 11th inst.
This week a substantial addition was made to our local Indian Famine Relief Fund, when on Wednesday night at the theatre a lecture was delivered by Captain Percy Scott, R. N., C. B., and Captain A. H. Limpus, R. N., of H. M. S. Terrible, on the "Mountings of the Naval Gans and their subsequent use with the Ladysmith Relief Column." The lecture was held under the auspices of the Hongkong Odd Volumes So- ciety, and H. E. Major-General Gascoigne, the Acting Governor. took the chair, and introduced the lecturers to their audience. The illustrations were supplied by some magic-lantern slides, which Dr. Jordan kindly worked in a lantern lent by him, and the light for the lantern was supplied by the Eastern Acetylene Light Company. The lecture, which was very well received, will be re-issued in book form, with and without illus- trations, at the Daily Press Office, and the Proceeds will be devoted, like the takings of the entertainment, to the Indian Famine Relief Fund A Chinese boatman employed on board H. M. S. Tamar was charged at the Magistracy on the 12th inst. with assaulting Chinese Coustable 299 and damaging his coat.
The
HONGKONG VOLUNTEER CORPS. | complainant said that about half-past seven on
*A
MACHINE GUN COMPANY.
The third shoot of present series took place on the 10th inst.. resulting in a win for unner H. S. Holmes of the No. 1 Cup and for Cor- poral Nicholson of the No. 2 Cup. There are sixteen competitors.
The following are the six best scores: -
200 500 600
H'cap.
Tots' yds. yds. yds. Gunner H. S. Holmes 28 31 32 4 95 26 scratch 87 Sergeant Lammert... 30 31
18 81 Corporal Nicholson₤20 22 21
14 10 79 Gunner Wodehouse 24 31
21 20 15 20 76 Corporal Head
27 13 21 14 75 Captain Sanders
The police have arrested an Eurasian boy, aged 15, who gives the name of John Whiley, on a charge of obtaining money by false pretences. It seems the youth has been in the habit of go- ing about representing himself as an official of the Water Department. He has made it his business to examine taps, and after promising to send new taps has asked for sums varying from a dollar to a dollar and a half, giving chits and signing them "John Whiley." Ultimately his doings got to the ears of the police, who
laid hands on him.
Monday night he was on duty near Blue Build- ings, standing on the wharf, when the defendant came up and called for a sampan. Both he and the defendant were in plain clothes, the defend- ant being slightly drunk. As the defendant was going down into the boat he nudged him with his shoulder, saying he was in the way, and near ly pushing him into the water. The defendant knocked against him on purpose. On his telling him not to push him the defendant caught hold of his coat and tore it.-Chinese constable 313 corroborated.--The defendant said that on Sun. day night he called a boat. The complainant was on the wharf at the time and told the boat- man to ask him 20 cents. He said he would give 10 cents. The complainant then said, Ask him 15 cents." He said he would not pay 15 cents and walked away, the complainant having previously struck a blow at him with his truncheon. He got a boat at the pier near the Cricket Ground." On Monday night he went ashore again. The complainant came up to him and asked him if he was looking for him. The complainant then got hold | He replied ne.
of him and struck him and afterwards took him to the Police Station.-For the assault the defendant was fined £5 or 14 days and for damaging the constable's coat he was ordered to pay $3 or go to prison for 14 days.
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