350
should be taken up, and that the proposal was a reasonable one,
Mr. C. 8. Sharp seconded the resolution, and it was carried unanimously.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF THE
BANKRUPTCY ORDINANCE.
The Committee considered a short Bill that had been drafted for the purpose of amending the above Ordinance and in "the direction of making non-resident partners liable for debts contracted by a firm which it was unanimously considered would go far to meet the require ments, and it was decided to address the Gov.❘ ernment on the subject and forward the draft Bill for its consideration. It was also unani. mously decided again to urge upon the Gor. ernment the necessity, in order to prevent fraud, of providing for the compulsory regis- tration of partners in Chinese firms or hongs.
THE CANADIAN PACIFIC MAIL SUBSIDY. Read letter from the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, dated 4th September, acknowledging receipt of the Chamber's letter and resolution referring to the renewal of the contract in May, 1901, for the carriage of the mails between Hongkong and Canada.
This was all the business before the meeting.
The following letters were read at the meet- ing:-
-
THE HEALTH OF THE PORT.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 24th October, 1900,
SIR,
Adverting to my letter of the 17th ultimo on the subject of granting a clean bill of health to this port,
am instructed by my Committee to again bring the question to the consideration of the Government.
It is now considerably more than a month since the plague ceased to be epidemic, but iso- lated sporadic cases continue to occur, at inter- vals, and it seems possible that if the practice hitherto ruling be insisted upon viz.. that seven consecutive days pass without a case of plague occurring-the date when the port can be declared free from infection may be indefi. nitely postponed.
The Committee are given to understand that Swatow has been declared by the Straits Go- vernment free from infection, though it is quite possible that sporadic cases may still occur there. May it not be fairly concluded that a port is only infected when a disease is epidemic there?
&
Will you be good enough to bring to the atten- tion of His Excellency the Governor the enor mous loss that these quarantine restrictions, which the Committee respectfully submit are now quite unnecessary, are causing to ship. owners and merchants as well as to trade generally, and ask him to, if possible, take steps to bring about their cessation?
I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient Servant, R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
HON. COLONIAL SECRETARY.
THE PROPOSED WITHDRAWAL OF THE FOREIGN TROOPS FROM PEKING. London Chamber of Commerce, Botolph House, Eastcheap, London, E. C.,
11th September, 1900.
DEAR SIR,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
I duly received your cable of the 6th instant, which I at once communicated to the officers of the Chamber and to the Chairman of the East India and China Trade Section, with the result that the communication of which enclose a copy was immediately addressed to the Foreign Office.
Trusting that this will meet with the approval of the Hongkong Chamber,
Believe me,
Yours faithfully,
KENRIC B. MURRAY,
Secretary.
Tas SecreTARY,
Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong.
MY LORD,
(Enclosure)
London, 6th September. 1900.
The expression of the view of the Hong- kong Chamber of Commerce on the disastrous effect upon our relations with China. which would result from the withdrawal from Peking of the Allied Forces before an adequate and satisfactory settlement of the grave questions at issue with that Empire had been obtained, is deserving your Lordship's most earnest con- sideration. The message conveys the opinion of commercial men fully acquainted with the character of the Chinese, with the problems that have to be solved, and who represent in terests of vast magnitude.
I am, My Lord.
Yours faithfully,
WILLIAM KESWICK (M.P.). Chairman of the East India and
China Trade Section of the London Chamber of Commerce.
The MOST NOBLE the MARQUESS of SALIS-
BURT, K.G., Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs, Foreign Office, S. W.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 24th October 1900. DEAR SIR,
I beg leave to acknowledge receipt of your favour of the 11th ult., enclosing copy of the letter forwarded by the East India and China Section of your Chamber to the For- eign Office covering copy of the telegram sent by this Chamber on the 6th idem protesting against the proposed evacuation of Peking by the Allied Forces before punishment of the instigators of the outrages and massacres had been secured. In doing so. I am instructed to ask you to convey to the Committee of the East India and China Trade Section the thanks of this Chamber for the prompt and effective means adopted to bring their views to the atten- tion of Her Majesty's Government.
I am, dear Sir.
Yours faithfully. R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Secretary,
KENRIC W. MURRAY Esq.,
Secretary,
London Chamber of Commerce.
THE RE-SURVEY OF EASTERN 8A8.
The London Chamber of Commerce, Botolph House. Eastcheap, London, E.C.,
31st August, 1900. Fourth Congress of Chambers of Commerce
of the Empire, June, 1900.
DEAR SIR,
Sir Thomas Jackson, the delegate from your Chamber, moved a resolution in regard to the necessity for the re-survey of the dangerous charnels and coast-lines in Eastern Seas, and which resolution was duly carried and forwarded to the Foreign Office.
[November 3, 1900.
We are, however, requested to respectfully urge the importance of the matter in the interests of British shipping, and to express the hope that when the present troubles in the Far East are over the matter may not be lost sight of by Her Majesty's Government.
We are,
Your Lordship's obedient servants,
ALBERT G. Sandeman,
President,
KENRIC B. Murray,
Secretary.
The Most NOBLE
the MARQUESs of Salisbury.
Foreign Office, London, August 28th, 1900.
SIR,
I am directed by the Marquess of Salisbury to inform you that your letter of the 28th ultimo, calling attention to the necessity for a re-survey of the navigable channels and coast lines in Eastern Seas, was referred to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.
Their Lordships state that for upwards of sixty years the Admiralty have sent vessels to survey the Eastern Seas, and under their direc- tions the main routes from the Indian Ocean. through the China Sea to Japan, as well as a great part of the coasts of China, Palawan Island, Borneo, Siam, the Malay Peninsula, &c., have been charted. They state further that the main routes through the China Sea and along the China Coast are now as confidently navi- gated as any part of the world, and that the Con- gross of the Chambers of Commerce must have been misinformed regarding the state of the knowledge of the Eastern Seas at present possessed by the Admiralty-knowledge which, though not perfect, is still so far advanced that no general re-survey of main routes is at all necessary.
Their Lordships add that from the past record of the work executed by their orders in Eastern Waters, the Congress may feel sure that the importance of the traffic in these waters is not by any means overlooked by them.
I am, Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
F. H. VILLIERS,
The SECRETARY,
Fourth Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the Empire.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 24th October, 1900. DEAR SIR,
I am in receipt of your letter of the 31st August enclosing copy of your letter to the Foreign Office of the 20th July transmitting the resolution moved by Sir Thomas Jackson in regard to the necessity for the resurvey of the navigable channels and coastlines in Eastern I enclose herewith copy of our letter to the Seas and the reply thereto dated 28th August, Foreign Office and the Premier's reply. Per- for which I am directed to express the ob haps you can let me have some further informa-ligations of this Chamber. tion on the subject in order that I can again communicate with the Foreign Office.
Yours faithfully,
KENRIC B. MURRAY, Secretary. The SECRETARY,
Hongkong Chamber of Commerce.
Fourth Congress of Chambers of Commerce,
London, 26th July, 1900. YOUR LORDSHIP,
We have the honour to transmit to you the following resolution on the subject of the necessity for a re-survey of the dangerous chan- nels and coast-lines in the Eastern Seas, which resolution was unanimously passed by the above Congress:
"That in consequence of the rapid increase in the numbers, tonnage, and speed of steamers employed in the trade, and the frequent dis- covery in some tracks of sunken rocks not recorded on existing charts, the facts should be brought to the notice of Her Majesty's Gov- ernment that it is necessary to have made, with as little delay as possible, a thorough re-survey of the navigable channels and coast-lines in Eastern Seas.
In view of the fact that Her Majesty's Navy is now so fully occupied in Eastern waters,
I have the honour to append a copy of a ; the present is not thought to be an opportune very important telegram despatched from Hong. moment for making further remarks upon the kong and received here to-day,
resolution,
In reply to your request for some further infor- mation on the subject. I beg leave to enclose. on a separate memorandum, a list of certain of the disasters that have occurred and the hidden dangers involuntarily discovered during the past ten years, from which I think it will be apparent that there is still room for further research by the surveying vessels in these seas.
While urging that much remains to be done to ondeavour to make the routes followed by shipping safe from sudden disaster, my Com mittee wish to record their high appreciation of the magnificent work done by the surveying ven- sels of Her Majesty's Fleet, to the immense value of which constant testimony is being borne, The commanders of the numerous transports from India have expressed their admiration of the general accuracy of the charts and their surprise at the excellent manner in which the coast of China is now lighted and buoyed, the credit for the latter, of course, being due to the well managed Light Department of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs. At the same
time, there can be no doubt that, while so
much has been accomplished, there still remains some very important work for the surveying ships to do. The fact that two of Her Majesty's crnisers have quite recently been place in serious danger the Imperieuse by touching on rock in Amoy harbour, and the Bonaventure by grounding on another at the entrance to Korniloff Bay, in Corea-is sufficient warrant
Page 10Page 11