October 20, 1900.3
in boats in and out of Canton, the ordinary server can see for himself, When Mr. Scort wishes to
steam transport
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
ted, it would app
the
do not appear
909
is or can be exp or thed Water would collect in a lump sum the duties a animated by anti-foreign feeling, as far
።
"
幕幕
66
66
force at them shall be published through the Customs; that an official should be tionable o prove that little or no good appointed who would have an office in the These particular law-breaker
carried by vicinity of the Custom House and who | tung, however,
concession he draws a narrow circle round vessel loading for a certain destination is as can be discovered, and there would Canton and excludes all goods which pass bound to pay at the various stations she in that case be no connection between the circumference, going either way. When, will pass on the way. These rules were to them and the wreckers of chapels and per- on the other hand, he wishes to show that be published before the end of the Chinese secutors of converts at Kumchuk and ita the concession is a success, and in proof of Year (1898). In April 1899 Mr. MANSFIELD neighbourhood. The despatch of British it holds up the large increase in the number reported to the Legation: "I have been troops yesterday morning to the New Ter- of steamers registered under it, he at once informed by the Commissioner of Cus-ritory was a measure of precaution which enlarges his circle to an indefinite extent "toms (at Canton) that these Rules and should remove all cause for apprehension. and includes in his total all launches, no Regulations, with a list of the lekin stations, inatter how distant from Canton their line "lekin tariff, list of articles subject to taoli of operations may extend. In many cases "and rates charged, and list of articles sub these very launches which he includes tow 'ject to ching fei (battery tax) and rate the boats carrying the goods which he charged, have already been drafted and excludes! This is ingenious but hardly will shortly be published. A Provincial ingenuous reasoning on Mr. Scorr's part. Officer has also been nominated who will Mr. Scorr also forgets to point out "that have a floating office on the Houam side included in his totals of "inland steamers is that class of Chinese vessel which is neither inland"
or "interport" and yet which, as the shipping companies have pointed out, secures the advantages of both. Neither does he inform the public that a good number of steamers included by him are, when under the Chinese flag, furnished with dual sets of papers by the Customs, so that one day they are "inland water boats" and the next "interport boats." We may remark in passing that Canton is not the only port where statistics can be made to prove anything. For years past the China Merchants' Company have run a steamer from Chefoo up the Gulf of Pechili, With the opening of inland waters this steamer is classed under that heading and statistics of the cargo carried in her are now published. These statistics are held up to us as a proof of the successful working of the Inland Water concession. The Chefoo Consul might with equal justice say, as Mr. Scort does, 'These are facts; "there can be no question of juggling with "statistics; the trade has been recorded, "the revenue has been collected."
"opposite to the Custom House." Mr. G. | queries whether it is possible that the
"
t
JAMIESON when called upon by Lord SAĻis- BURY for his opinion on the Hongkong Shipping Companies' petition remarked that the publication of these Rules, which they there asked for, should be insisted on at once, but he added that from Mr. MANS FIELD's remarks it was apparently under
way.
We draw Mr. Scort's attention to these very explicit statements, which the general public understood to mean that it would be open to any British subject who wished to run a steainer under the Inland Water con- cession to go to Canton, inform his Consul of the fact; and the Consul would be in a position to give him a copy of the rules in force at the barriers and a definite statement of the exact amount of taxation which ship- pers by his vessel could be called upon to pay. This, we contend, was what the public looked for, and it was a result they were justly entitled to look for from the wording of the Regulations and the statements made by Mr. SCOTT's predecessor in office. It would have been interesting if Mr. Scorr had informed us why he has failed to get this carried out.
To the ordinary reader not familar with details the question will of course present itself why the Customs, whose record for THE SOUTHERN DISTURBANCES.
(Daily Press, 16th October.) The condition of affairs in the vicinity of this colony, on land and on sea, has during the current month shown a tendency toward disturbances which has caused a certain amount of alarm, needlessly heightened by such rumours as the soil of European settle ments appears always so fruitful in. It is not, however, to be denied that there is a general sense of unrest, and the passion by which so many people are possessed of put ting 2 and 2 together and making 5 has led to many isolated troubles being classed together as parts of a general upset of the peace of Southern China. Of the recent fighting to the north of the New Territory, where the "rebel' or brigands, whichever they should be called, were at one time comparatively close to the British bor- der, it is difficult to say much, for the reason that trustworthy news is
When
The sudden panic at Macao on Sun- day night arose out of an affair which seems to have been purely local, and though naturally the townspeople were upset at the rapid turn-out of the entire military strength of the place, it appears from our correspon- dents' letters that the affair was rather trivial. In fact our regular correspondent
was intended to test the defence of colony. We can hardly credit t
this; a mischievous scheme could not enter the head of any sensible man. the air is full of exaggerated stories as it is at present, even an accidental dis- charge of a gun will easily upset the general equanimity. A similar occurrence might well have taken place, say, at Shameen when the panic was at its height. Fortunately nothing of the kind happened, for which we have every cause to be thankful. As was the case here at the Feast of Lanterns, adequate precautions, quietly taken, and avoidance of ridiculous alarm on the part of the residents are the best men s of meeting mischievous rumours put into circulation by irresponsible persons, and of showing how little foundation there is for the ima ginative taler which get into currency.
THE EUROPEAN STEAM-ROLLER.
(Daily Press, 18th October.)
The expression invented by the Times for the force under the control of the Generalis- simo of the allied troops, "the European steam-roller," is a distinctly happy name in one respect at least. The expedition to Pao-
tingfu has been conducted with all the slow fair dealing is so well established, should countenance a condition of things so
dignity of a steam-roller-though the actual opposed to their traditions. The reason
march from Tientsin and Peking to the city is to be found in Sir ROBERT HART's
was fairly rupid, owing to lack of opposition decision to keep separate the inland and
from the Chinese. But among the peculiar interport trade and steamers. With the
properties of a steam-roller, other than its opening of inland waters to foreign steamers
slow pace, the most notable is its crushing the Customs at Canton found themselves in
effect. Will "the European steam-roller the position of being forced to uphold the
perform its work in the same thorough way? I. G's decision and at the same time to
The move on Paotingfu has failed for the reconcile it to a state of things which had
most part to attain its object, owing to the existed for years previous to the opening.
discussion and delays which preceded the In practice they found this impossible and
departure of the expeditions. When the so they not unnaturally decided that if
allied troops arrived there they discovered differential treatment there must be it
the city practically deserted and all the should fall on the foreign steamer; and that
treasure, both Government and private pro- the onus for remedying this state of things
perty, safely removed beyond the possibility primarily rests with the British authorities
of capture. The Allies have left to them who initiated the concession. Of course
the bare satisfaction of removing Paotingfu, everyone admits that the separation of
as far as its mere buildings are concerned, "inland" and "interport' boats was a
from the face of the earth, but the punish- matter over which Mr. ScoTT had no control,
ment has been shorn of its impressive charac- and that in recognising it he was simply scanty and conflicting rumours are ter. There is an atrocious crime to beavenged, carrying out the instructions of the Minis- many. From Canton sources of information and the destruction of a few empty houses ter, but it is quite apparent that there are it appears probable that the men who have will not weigh much in the balance against matters to which he might have devoted his come into conflict with the Chinese regular it. But presumably the question which attention with more profitable results than troops profess to be followers of KWANG our Tientsin correspondent aska-Will Pao- in endeavouring to persuade the mercantile Yu-WEI, our protegé at Singapore, and of tingfu be burnt to the ground?—will be community of China that they do not un- SUN YAT-SEN, whose rescue from the agents answered in the affirmative. derstand their business-for that is prac of the Chinese Government created so great tically what his report amounts to. The a sensation in London some time ago. But Supplementary Rules for Inland Waters, it cannot be said for certain whether they which the Minister informed Lord SALISBURY | are genuine “Reformers or men of the were merely subordinate to and explanatory of the original Agreement, provide that list of the lekin barriers and the rules in
>
..
It is difficult to see what will be the course of events in the immediate future." The Ger- man Government, as the Ostariatische Lloyd cable from Berlin on the 11th inst. type of those who fell into CHANG CHI replied to the Yangtze Vic TUNG's hands at Hankow and whose deal-protests against the exte ings with the Kolao Hui made them justly into Shantung that the que