August 3, 1901.1
THE NAVY LEAGUE AND THE FLEET.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Shanghai, 29th July, 8.6 p.m. The Empress Dowager has appointed Yung Lu Controller-General of the Board
of Revenue.
The Boxers are awakening to activity, owing to Yuan Shikai's retirement on
account of his mother's death.
Shanghai, 30th July, 8.15 p.m.
A pitched battle took place about the 20th July at Hanchuan, iu Hupeh, between the Roman Catholic and Protestant converts. The Wuchang officials are now examining into the affair.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
On the 29th nit, a meeting of the Legislative Council was held in the Council Chamber at the Government Offices, there being pressut :-
HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR (Sir HENRY BLAKE, G.C.M.G.).
the Troops).
Hon. Col. L. F. Brown, R.E. (Commanding
Hon. J. H. STEwart Lockhart, C M.G. (Colonial Secretary).
Hon. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C. (Acting Attorney General).
Hon. C. McI. MESSER (Acting Colonial Treasurer).
Public Works).
Hon. W. CHATHAM (Acting Director of
(Daily Press, 31st July.) While it is not always possible to find one- self in accord with all the methods of the Navy League, and while it is open to one to consider that its pronouncements are occa- sionally unconvincing, from a suspicion of exaggeration, it can be denied by no one that a great deal of useful work is constantly being performed by the League in calling general attention to serious defects in our naval equipment. We gladly therefore published the letter in our daily edition,
Intense heat now prevails at Hsianfu and which has been forwarded to us by the Hon. there is much sickness, the patients includ- Secretary of the local branch of the Lengue.ing the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. The points which Messrs. H. SEYMOUR TROWER and W. Caius CRUTCHLEY make at the commencement of that letter are too strong to be passed over. We have from time to time ourselves published articles by recognised authorities, written for various home papers, bearing on the same or similar questions, and it will not be necessary here therefore to restate the arguments to which the Navy League can appeal to support its contentions. One comment, however, must be made. The writers of the letter which we quote allude to the present weakness of the Mediterranean Squadron. Now, as is well known, this Squadron has partly been weakened in order to strengthen the British fleet on the China Station. "Russia threatens still further to augment her fleet in these waters, in which case the Navy League and its supporters naturally will look for a corresponding increase in the British naval strength in the Far East. But the League tells us that now is the time to send reinforcements to the Mediterranean. The problem of how to strengthen both these squadrons, while at the same time maintain- ing the strength of the Channel and other fleets, is not capable of immediate solution. | Moreover, it is plain that the strain thrown upon our resources by fitting ourselves at once to meet even a two-power combination on every station is enormous, While we are in full sympathy with the most of the main lines of policy advocated by the League, we do not see what practical suggestion has been made for the immediate future, nor whether the League proposes any reasonable limit to our naval expansion to meet other nations' increases. As to the latter point, it must be plain to advocates of the three power standard that a combined building effort of the three wealthiest nations would land us in great straits. We would suggest to such pleaders that the attitude of Athana sius contra mundum, in other words the policy of "glorious isolation" will lead them further than they mean to go.
THE CRISIS: TELEGRAMS,
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.]
Shanghai, 28th July, 6.58 p.m. Sir Ernest Satow, single-handed, has carried the point that there shall be no in- crease of the Chinese tariff above 5
per cent. In spite of the Regency council, all im- portant business at the Imperial Court is still decided by the
Three Tigers," Li Lien-yang, Lu Chuan-lin, and Yung Lu.
G
SHANGHAI, 28th July, 8 p.m.
Private native advices from South-west Chihli i state that the Allied Villagers now mustar 25,000 well-armed troops, besides a large following of irregulars.
Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Captain Superin- tendent of Police).
Hon. Commander R. M. RUMSEY, R.N. (Harbour Master).
Hon. C. P. CHATER, C,M.G. Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD. Hon. J. THURBURN.
Hon. J. J. BELL-IBUNG. Hon. Dr. Ho KA1. . Hon. WEI A TUK.
105
the number of claims to land in the New Ter- ritory sent in up to 30th June, 1901, and (2) the number of claims which had been finally disposed of by the Land Court up to that date? Also what progress has been made with the survey will the honourable member inform the Council of the New Territory?
EXPENDITURE AND REVENUE IN THE COLONY'S NEW TERRITORY,
Will the Honourable the Colonial Treasurer
lay upon the Council table a statement showing with the New Territory from the date of the the total expenditure incurred in connection lease thereof, viz., 9th June, 1898, to 30th June, 1901, and the total revenne collected from the said New Territory during the same period, the principal items under both heads to be shown separately?
DISCONTENT AMONG THE BUROPEAN MEMBERS
OF THE POLICE FORCE AND THE GAOL. STAFF,
Has the attention of the Honourable the Captain Superintendent of Police been directed to paragraphs and leaderettes which appeared in the China Mail of 23rd, 25th and 26th inst., in the Telegraph of 27th and in the Daily Press of 24th and 27th idem in respect of discontent among the European members of the police force and the gaol staff, and will the honour- able member inform the Council as to tho correctness or otherwise of the allegations and statements therein made ?
JERRY BUILDINGS.
Works lay upon the Council table a statement showing the number of buildings in the Colony which have fallen down from 1st January, 1900, to 30th June, 1901, the names of the owners of said buildings, and the number of deaths caused by the tumbling down of said premises, and will the honourable member state the causes, so far as known, which have contributed to each sool- dent, and, if they have resulted from defective construction, what procautions, if any, have been taken to prevent the erection of such buildings in the future ?
Will the Honourable the Director of Public
NATURALISATION.
The ACTING ÁTTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of for the Naturalisation of Siu Yan-fai, ulius Siu Councils).
COL. BROWN TAKES THE OATH.
Col. L. F. BROWN, R.E. (Commanding the Troops), was sworn in on taking his seat in the Council in the absence in leave of H.E: Major- General Gascoigno.
THE LAW COMMITTEE.
On the proposal of H. E. the GOVERNOR, Hon. J.J. Bell-Irving and Hon. T. H. Whitehead were elected to the Law Committee in place of Mr. Keswick and Mr. Gray.
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table a clinical report on malaria by Dr. Bell, Acting Principal Civil Medical Officer, and Mr. G. Stewart (Lieut., I.M.S.), Acting Assistant Superintendent; also a blue-book containing correspondence regarding the sanitary condition of Hongkong, and a memorandum on the petition, dated 25th June. He said-With regard to the blue-book, I may mention that two diagrams have not been completed. The correspondence in the blue-book is completed, and the diagrams will be finished during the next two days, when another addition to the blue-book will be circulated to hon. members.
FINANCIAL. ·
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Financial Minutes Nos. 44 to, 47, and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committeo. The ACTING Colonial TreasuREE seconded, and the motion was carried.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table the report of the Finance Committee (No. 7), and moved its adoption.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was carried.
REPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE.
The ACTING DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS laid on the table a report of proceedings of the Public Works Committee at a meeting held on 15th July.
QUESTIONS.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD gave notice of the following questions:- LAND REGISTRATION IN THE NEW TERRITORY. Will the Honourable the Colonial Secretary lay upon the Council table a return showing (1)
Yun-hang, alias Siu Kwok-young, alias Siu Ka-ming, alias Yin-p'ing.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded and the motion was carried.
TRAMWAYS ORDINANCE.
The Hon. C. P. CHATER moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend
the scope of The Tramways Ordinance, 1883 (No. 6 of 1883), and the Tramways Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1883 (No. 18 of 1883).
The Hon. J. J. BELL-IRVING seconded, and the motion was carried.
CROWN LEASES.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL was to have moved the second reading of the Bill entitled an Ordinance to validate Crown leases heretofore made of foreshore and submerged Lands within the territorial waters of the Colony for reclamation and other purposes and to fegalise and facilitate the making of such leases hereafter. In asking leave to withdraw the item from the orders of the day, he mid-I may mention that various points have been raised in connection with the Bill, and I desire further time to consider the points.—
The item was withdrawn.
REFORMATORY SCHOOLS. The ACTING ATTORNEY-General moved the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinanco to amend and consolidate the law relating to reformatory schools. Ho mid Hon. members are aware that there has been recently erected in this Colony a building known as the Belilios Reformatory. Before its erection there was only a small building in existence in this Colony, and since this reformatory has been built it seems advisable that we should bring the legislation in this Colony more into line with the legislation in force in England and this Ordinance is based in the main upon the Industrial Schools Bill, which is set forth in Appendix XI to the report to the Home Becretary by the Departmental Committee on Reformatory and Industrial Schools, published in 1893. Although the Ordinance is called a Reformatory Ordinance, the boys qualified for admission belong mostly to the class admitted to industrial shools in England. I may mention,