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An Edict reporting the arrest of Prince Tuan and Yu Hsien proves to be spurious.
On Sunday, the 2nd instant, two Chinese attempted to explode the East Arsenal, Tientsin, but only succeeded in killing them- selves.
[December 8, 1900. THE HONGKONG. WEEKLY PRESS AND
SHANGHAI, 4th December, 10.5 a.m. still remains at Monte Fort. Now it is not extended to a movement inaugurated with
The meeting then Placards predicting an outbreak are ap- alleged that he suffers any hardships-apart the objects in view. from such as are inevitable in the detention supported the position taken by their Chair-pearing in Tientsin Native City. Every of an old man, infirm in health, in confine-man and the Secretary and negatived the effort is being made to trace their origin.
A prominent Chinese at Tientsin urges ment and away from his family. But the proposal to expand the Association. The case has dragged on for nearly ten mouths idea prevailed that the suggested expansion the Allies to prepare for trouble in the win- now, and the sympathy of foreign residents would cut at the root of the Association's ter, and to desist from the small punitive in China, "and indeed," as our correspon- former usefulness from its connection with expeditions into the interior. dent writes, "of all friends of justice," can- the Foreign Office. Mr. D. REID, indeed, nto be withheld from the unfortunate pri- | thought that it would alienate the active soner, who is known to be obnoxious to the voluntary efforts of many members both at reactionary party of China for reasons far home and in the East. Sir CECIL SMITH other than his alleged offence at Shanghai. deprecated the loss of the friendly and even The Portuguese Government, we feel con- confidential relations established with the vinced, is unaware of the injustice which it Foreign Office which would follow from the is committing; but the wrong to KING change of the Association's scope. By ex- LIEN-SHAN is all the same as if it were done pansion the Association would lose, not gain, wittingly. A decision in this long drawn-influence in official quarters. It was in fact out case would give general satisfaction, strongly felt by most of those present that and the Governor of Macao has a chance of the suggested change would abolish in its pre- doing a service both to Macao and to the sent form a very useful body, substituting for mother-country if any action of his should it a very necessary one, which, however, could not do the same work. It cannot be hasten the event.
doubted, we think, that the Association acted for the best in refusing to expand. The result of its action has been that a China League has been founded to carry on the task of bringing the country and, through it, the Government to a sense of their ignorance on Chinese affairs; while the Association is free to carry on vigorous- ly its invaluable, if unostentatious, work in Two connection with the Foreign Office.
are better than one, good instruments especially when they are used to cope with difficulties such as confront those who aim at bringing the people of England to a sense of what they run the risk of losing in the Far East.
THE CHINA ASSOCIATION AND THE CHINA LEAGUE.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.]
Shanghai, 2nd December, 8.4 p.m. Mr. Detring has been appointed Commis- sioner of Customs in succession to Mr. Drew.
SHANGHAI, 4th December, 8 p.m. An Imperial Decree issued, yesterday orders Tung Fuhsiang to disband fifty-five hundred troops and to proceed to Kansu with the remainder of his forces to guard that province. The Decree also cashiers Tung Fuhsiang, as far as rank and titles are con- cerned, but allows him to retain his post.
(Daily Press, 7th December.) In the new publication of the China Asso- ciation, to which we have already referred briefly, the Appendix which deals with the then proposed and now existent China League will be read with interest. The dis- cussion at a meeting of the General Com- mittee of the Association in London on the 7th June last concerned what Sir E. ACROYD termed one of the most important questions ever submitted to the Committee. This question was the project for the expansion of the Association. The Hon. Sec., Mr. R. S. GUNDRY, explained that, the necessity of instructing the electorate concerning THE CRISIS: TELEGRAMS. China being present to the minds of many and having more than once been urged on the Association by Mr. YERBURGH, the concrete proposition before the Committee had re- Bulted. He went on to say that, though the advice of the Association had been willingly received by the Foreign Office when the matter lay within its power as a Depart- ment, when it came to questions of high policy the Association failed. Such ques- tions were Government questions, and the Government would not move with- out a mandate from the electorate. The Chairman, Mr. W. KESWICK, also thought the Association an unsuitable body for the education of the electorate. He held that a body aiming at educating public opinion, and thus by means of the electors influencing the Government on Chinese questions, should be Parliamentary, while the China Association would do well by retaining its individuality and continuing to supply information as hitherto to the Government Departments. This view was upheld by a large majority of the Committee. Sir RICHARD RENNIE, who queried the in- fluence of the Association with the Foreign Office, drew a reply from Mr. GUNDRY, who pointed to various matters on which the in- fluence of the Association had led to good results in the shape of concessions from China in the question of freedom of trade, opening of Treaty Ports, the appointment of a Commercial Attaché, etc. Mr. G. JAMIE- SON agreed with Mr. GUNDRY that the Association had done much, but thought it could do more. He wished to see the pro- posal for expansion carried; or at least, if that was not possible, that the answer sent should be sympathetic and offer to co-operate with any separate organisation started with the object of instructing the electorate. Before putting the proposal to the vote, the Chairman said it would be understood that this sympathy and assistance would be
Much disgust has been excited at Tientsin by Sheng's attempt to reopen the telegraph service. There is obvious danger in allow- ing a body of Chinese experts to be spying and reporting military movements and de-a laying messages again. The present Euro- pean service is entirely satisfactory.
The Japanese Concession at Tientsin bas been enlarged from the Peibo River to the city wall, nearly a square mile. The Ja- panese are now demolishing the city wall and raising their own Extension.
The Peiho is expected to close on the 15th inst.
There is a rumour here to-day that the Empress Dowager has consented to the Emperor's return to Peking.
Hsi Liang, Governor of Shansi, sends an urgent message to Chang Chih-tung, questing men, arms, and munitions, to pre- vent the Allies from entering Shansi.
A Russian placard at Newchwang orders all native land-holders to bring their titles for verification and to pay three per cent. land-tax.
A resumption of the Triad rebellion is expected here.
Shanghai, 6th December, 8.25 p.m. Liu Kung-yi has ordered the present Taotai to remain at Shanghai until the arrival of a successor next year.
It is reported on good authority that the Chinese Court is preparing for an early departure from Hsianfu. Very probably the Imperial party is coming to Wuchang,
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
On Thursday afternoon, the 7th inst., a meeting of the Hongkong Sanitary Board was held. The President (the Hon. R. D. Ormsby, Director of Public Works) occupied the chair, and there were also present the Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G. (Captain Superintendent of Police), Dr. Bell (Acting Principal Civil Medical Officer), Major Brown, R.A.M.C., Mr. J. McKie, Dr. Hartigan, Mr. E. Osborne, Dr. F. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. Fung Wa Chuen, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
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THE MALARIAL MOSQUITO. Dr. HARTIGAN, pursuant to notice, moved :-
That the Government be requested to detail subordinate officer to be specially instructed in the manner of recognising and dealing with anopheles pools, and that such officer be directed to report periodically to this Board the position orders as the Board may give, for the purpose and condition of these pools, and to carry out such of lessening the prevalence of malarial fever in certain portions of this Colony." He said- Although we may not all be prepared to endorse the theory enunciated by the latest school of malarial enthusiasts, who hold that where there are no mosquitoes there can be no malarial fever, pseudo-scientific layman must admit that recent still the greatest sceptic or most doctrinaire research, in places so far apart as West Africa, Italy, Cuba (to which we must now add Hong- re-kong), has completely proved the connection between infected anopheles and subsequent out- breaks of malarial fever in persons bitten by them. It is consequently incumbent on us as the Sanitary Authority of Hongkong to an deavour to stamp out by every means in our power these dangerous pests. Fortunately the means of dealing with anopheles is both simple and inexpensive, but their very simplicity gives SHANGHAI, 3rd December, 8.10 p.m.
rise to the danger of the methods being neglected or undervalued. To be effective the treatment A native telegram from Peking states that the Foreign Ministers and Chinese must be, to use a phraso my countrymen on the peace negotiators met to-day to examine Board will understand, continued at regular intervals, and it is for this reason, that respon- one another's credentials.
Admiral Seymour returned here to-day.sibility should rest on one person. Drs. Thom subject, are willing to give the Board every He is satisfied with the result of his visit to son and Young who are now working on this namistance, and I may state that their further the Viceroys.
researches in Hongkong and the New Territory confirm the securacy of the anopheles: theory 'as regards this colony. It may be objected that it would be impossible for one man to supervise
Orders from Hsianfu have reached Chang Chih-tung, stopping him from sending further supplies to Shensi.
1
All the foreign warships on the Yangtze dressed ship and fired salutes in honour of the Empress Dowager's birthday on the 1st inst.