Angust 11, 1900.]
out involving herself in some grievous mis- carriage. Englishmen individually have ever fought bravely, English commanders have not lacked skill or ability; the cam- paigns of MARLBOROUGH and WELLINGTON have left an indelible mark in military science; and yet, as a nation England has never sought military laurels, Long before their settlement in Britain as the land of their adoption, Englishmen more than held their own on the waves, and the instinct has not yet left their sons. Fortunately for the race and the world it is an instinct that has ever tended for peace, and its conquests have ever been over oppression and aggression. This it is that points to the present efforts being made to check the natural growth of of the Navy as fraught with danger to the general peace of the world. The natural expansion of the Navy cannot be retarded without damage to the service, any more than can the natural growth of a tree be interfered with without serious injury to its vitality; and as the possession of a strong navy by England is at the present time more than ever necessary for the wholesome expansion of her dependencies, so the period is above all others one when a statesman should refuse to listen to insidious councils, tendered by those whose main motive is irritation at the check that the possession by England of a powerful Navy places on their own hankerings after conquest.
THE STATUS OF HONGKONG AND CHINESE TAXATION.
"
109
carry
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. "the Chinese agents with a clear exposition prepared to concede something in its "of the danger there is in listening to any turn. Vessels at present trade between the "proposals made for Tariff revision until Northern ports of China and Canton under ample security has been given that the the privileges pertaining to the coasting "whole of the fiscal system will be placed, trade and yet call en route at this port ; a “and placed by a certain date, under foreign proceeding which would strictly speaking "control. The ablest advocates, both writers bring them under the heading of vessels "and speakers, should be employed to repre- coming from abroad and entail the payment "sent the evils of the present system and to of a full import duty at the port of destina "stir the British public up to a sense of the tion on all goods so carried; while with re- danger which threatens their interests." gard to the large junk trade between us Thanks to the action of the Chinese them and the mainland, it cannot be argued that selves Lo FENG Lo's propaganda has re- these vessels should be allowed to. cived a check that it is not likely to recover goods from here into China without paying from for some time; but the danger is no less pressing that, when the time comes for practical step left open to the Chinese Go- any duties at all, and therefore the only the settlement of this Chinese question, the vernment was to establish stations Government will not be in a position to say borders to examine and levy taxes on them. on our what it is they want-backed by the force of Theoretically they ought, of course, to do this an intelligent public opinion. It is to meet at destination, but for many years we are this danger that the very wise step of forming afraid this, however desirable, will be an... a China League has been adopted. But it is impossibility in practice. The loading of not only at home that the Government needs goods here and the stoppage of them a few to be backed by an intelligent public opinion; miles further on for examination and levy of much can be done in this Colony by a care- duty must of a necessity be unsatisfactory ful consideration of the problems entailed both to the revenue officials concerned, on in the reorganization of the Chinese Empire, the one part, and the owner of the goods, on and as its immediate welfare is closely con- the other. With this, then, conceded, it be- nected with that of its neighbour, it becomes the duty of all whose vocation calls them earnest consideration of the community here comes a matter, as we said before, for the here to give the matter their earnest con- whether some modified arrangement could sideration. Of course amongst so many be found satisfactory to both parties. It complex problems it is well nigh impossible is perhaps somewhat early to express any for the ordinary man to go fully into all; views on the subject of the ultimate settle but the broad outlines of the policy he ment which is to result from the present wishes to see pursued he both can and must condition of China, but the question before grasp, however much he may be content to this Colony will remain the same as long as leave the working out of details to experts. the mainland continues in the hands of a To take, for an instance, the question of the foreign power. In the absence of any real status to be accorded to the I. M. Customs knowledge of how far it may be necessary in this Colony as one which has agitated for China to tax her own goods when in and to some extent rendered the relations transit, for the purpose of raising revenue, between us and the mainland rather strain- it is somewhat difficult to formulate any ed. There is no doubt that as circum- scheme in detail, but the broad lines on stances were then the voice of the public which reform must be worked are, first, the was for non-recognition, and that on broad abolition of the dual system of custom principles public opinion was right; but, houses, and after that the division of the under the changed conditions which must trade of China under the following headings, result from the settlement of the trouble namely, trade from abroad into ports of now going on in China, it becomes a question direct foreign entry (these would cover the whether the views formerly expressed under bulk of the treaty ports now open)-coast- this heading are not in need of reconsidera-ing trade between those ports of foreign en- tion. Hitherto the argument used, and try-and, lastly, trade between all and rightly so, has been that China should and every port or place on the rivers or coast of must collect her own revenue on her own China; including those referred to above as: territory and, as a result of this, when the ports of foreign entry. Whether, when an extension of our boundaries was sought. for equitable fiscal system is established, the ob- and obtained, the removal back on to her jections hitherto held against official recog own soil of the lekin stations with which nition of the I. M. Customs in this Colony China has encircled this Colony was insisted would not disappear; and whether by the on. Given, however, fiscal reform and a creation of Imperial Chinese bonded ware- general tariff applicable to all China the houses in some convenient portion of its problem of where and how that tariff is to waters (thus creating in the close vicinity a be collected is one calling for the careful port of direct foreign entry into China from consideration of the Powers interested. which goods duty-paid would be free to go to Mr. BRENAN some years ago exposed the any and all ports in the Empire) a perman- fallacy of the benefits which are supposed to ant benefit might not result to the Colony result from the opening of new Treaty Ports. without any sacrifice of its independence as It must be made known at home to the Hitherto this was supposed to be the one a free port-to which of course all other "whole of the manufacturers, merchants remedy for all evils, but experience has questions are subordinate are questions "and the great artizan class of England proved that such is not the case, and the which we think are entitled to grave and "who are interested in the China trade whole method of opening Treaty Ports must careful consideration... "that this pursuasive and fluent Chinaman be gone into and amended. Many of those "has no more real power to advance British
now open are quite useless, inasmuch as in "interests or trade than the shopkeepers in practice they do not constitute ports of "the neighbouring city of Canton.
direct foreign entry; these consequently "The necessity of bringing this forcibly should be closed as Treaty Ports, or in other forward is of the utmost importance to words as ports of direct foreign entry and **this Colony, and it would be money well | amalgamated in the general scheme for "spent were the Chamber of Commerce to throwing open the whole of the coasting "adopt
means to do this. Whether it and inland waters trade of China to all "should be a Deputation of representative vessels on equal footing. What must be *men from the Far East or should take particularly considered by this Colony is other form is a matter which practical the fact that at present it enjoys the status "business men would have no difficulty in of a foreign port and also of a coast port deciding. The great thing to be done is to of China, and if it wishes to profit organize resistance and meet the craft of by this double capacity it must be
(Daily Press, 10th August.) The formation of a China League having for its object the instruction and enlighten- ment of the public at home marks a step taken in a direction which we have fre- quently pointed out as being the one neces- sary before any effectual action would be taken by the British Government to insist on China fulfilling her obligations to other countries; and, at the same time, to assist her in reforming her administration in such a manner that fulfilment of these treaty ob- ligations will be possible on her part. In our article of February 24th, referring to Tariff revision and to the tour then being made through England by Lo FENG Lo, we said, "By far the most essential thing in this "connection is that accurate and clear in- formation on the point should be conveyed "to the public in England and America, "more especially in the former country, "where the absence of Customs duties on "the great bulk of articles of everyday con- sumption enables interested parties to ad- "vocate views which would not be so readily "received in America. We have no hesita- tion in saying that the tour of the Chinese "Minister through Britain has one aim and "object, and that is to pave the way for an increase in the Tariff without an adequate quid pro quo on the part of China.
st
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The return of visitors during last week to the City Hall Library and Museum shows that
403 non-Chinese and 168 Chinese visited the former institution, 161 non-Chinese and 1,683
Chinese the latter.
ed at Singapore on the 2nd inst., notifies that A. Government Gazette Extraordinary, publish- the exportation of arms, ammunition, dynamite, and other explosives and military and naval stores, other than stores required for the use of the military or naval forces of any European in or on the coast of China, from any port or or American Power or of Japan to be employed place in the Colony to any port of the Empire of thina, is prohibited for a period of six months from the 1st instant.