54
THE QUESTION OF THE EMPRESS DOWAGER.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
January 27, 1902.
THE HON. J. H. STEWART LOCK- HART'S APPOINTMENT TO
WEJHAIWEI.
(Daily Press, 21st January.)- The news has reached this Colony of an appointment weich, while it robs Hongkong of one of its leading administrators, at the same time brings well merited advancement to an official of whom a very bigh opinion is held locally. The Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary, has been appointed to the Commissionership of the new British colony of Weihaiwei. He will not, we believe, actually take up the appointment for another two months' time, and in the meantime will continue to give the benefit of his services to Hongkong. Mr. STEWART LOCKHART's very numerous friends here will receive the news of his promotion with great pleasure. As an official there have been, perhaps necessarily under a Crown Colony system of govern- ment, not a few occasions when he has come in conflict with the desires of local non- official residents, but nevertheless through- out
that the
comparatively recent, regulations regarding affairs neither creditable to himself nor the sight by his subjects of the Imperial profitable for the Empire will be made to The foreign Powers do not desire Majesty. Doubtless the personal influence cease. of the Emperor himself bad something to any such indignity to befall the Dowager (Daily Press, 18th January.) The Emperor of China has at last arrived do with this, but there is little doubt, that Tsz'HI as she inflicted on the Imperial again at Peking and with him the Dowager the experiment, even in the modified form person, but it would be well that this per- sonage should be made to feel that any Taz'HI; the former is reported to be well in which it was carried out, has been con- and strong, and the latter, somewhat doubt-ducive of good in the relations of Emperor other than formal association with Imperial ful of the reception she might meet with, to and subject. The fact that both Fmperor State is detrimental to the best interests of have seen the policy of adopting the external and Dowager were by circumstances prac- the country. signs at least of ordinary politeness. The tically compelled to travel by the railway Emperor clearly felt a heavy load removed off the latter portion of their journey, was a his shoulders, and the latter, for so long useful lesson of the futility of the Dowager's removed from those indulgences to which efforts to get rid of the bateful thing, and she was accustomed in her splendid seclu. the Emperor's thoughtful civility in thank- sion at Peking before she had stirred up ing the conductor of the train, who had the avenging furies, will possibly come to arranged the trip with the least amount of the conclusion that after all they were but personal inconvenience possible, doubtless vanity and vexation of spirit. The Dowager impelled the Dowager to follow a lead which has, however, by no means exhausted her she could not without insulting the Emperor talents for intrigue, and the last on dit is and all the Powers refuse. Once driven to that she has resolved on marrying Prince break the ice by whatever means, it, however, CHUN to the daughter of her favourite redounds to the Dowager's credit that she YUNG LU, whom the flatterers of both carried out the innovation gracefully to the would make out to be her "nephew." end and returned with politeness the saluta- Beyond the fact that YUNG Lu is a Man- tions of the foreign spectators. Doubtless chu, and in some indirect way connected in this the example of Prince CHUN had some effect. Sent or a difficult and embar- with the Imperial family, there does not seem any reason for this honour, except rassing mission, the Prince conducted him- undiluted favouritism, while the fiction of self not only with inborn diguity but with a natural grace that has effectually won for his being a nephew is as much true as most
him respect and friendship all round. That of the other stories of this scion of un- known stock, who has at various times notwithstanding the nature of his mission of he had to suffer no indignity throughout been credited with being the "aunt every one of the Imperial clan who has was largely due to the Prince's own urbanity from time to time arrived at distinction in of manner, and this lesson was possibly not the Capital, from the Emperor himself altogether thrown away when an almost downwards. Of course to the outer world, equally embarrassing pagcaut had to be
his twenty-two years' connection so far as Prince CHUN is concerned, it carried out by the returning Court, View makes very little difference to whom he it as we may, the return of the Emperor to with Hongkong he has succeeded in in- Unless in very rare his Palace was not an occasion of unmixed spiring the utmost respect for his charac- may be married. instances, the wife in China has only the triumph, and the circumstances under which ter and attainments. His transference to most insignificant power in influencing her it was deserted less than eighteen months Weihaiwei not only indicates husband for good or evil. The ill effect of previously must have often suggested them- Colonial Office is alive to his merits, but is such a connection is that it will afford her selves to both the Emperor and the Dowager. also a guarantee that in the future the father a factitious claim to consideration, Much remains to be done in the new state Colony to which he is to be removed is to which at the present moment he does not of affairs. If the Emperor has sufficient receive more adequate attention than has enjoy. The happy family is, however, power to introduce order in his own bouse-hitherto been vouchsafed to it.
hold and honourably fulfil his engagements, re-installed in the Imperial Palace, and it re- mains to be seen what the restoration is to the blow, heavy as it is, that has fallen on bring about. During the long sojourn of the Manchu House may yet be retrieved: China is yet intact, and with wise counsels the Court in the provinces it was to a cer- tain extent under the light of publicity; may yet preserve even Manchuria, which in however carefully precautions were taken, her fatuity and through the intrigues of two the comparatively narrow walls of the tem- unworthy counsellors, LI HUNG-CHANG and porary residence in Hsian-fu must have YUNG LU, she had almost irretrievably lost. had their effect in restraining that feeling She can only do this by invoking the hon- of personal irresponsibility which induced ourable assistance of her neighbours almost the Dowager to carry on unchecked her alienated by her own misdeeds; and she intrigues against the Emperor. At Hsian would do well to bear in mind that any and still more on the long road homewards, return of the unworthy and shortsighted the necessities of the case compelled her to policy which led to the flight of the Court display due deference towards the person of from Peking will alieniate from her the the Emperor. It was evidently this feeling rising good wishes of the nations. In such of restraint in the light of publicity that a case the first successful attempt of any induced the Empress Dowager to adopt one of the Powers to appropriate any por: those outward signs of politeness which tion of the Imperial territory will be followed The -marked her entrance; the question of more by a certain partition of the rest. than ordinary importance at the moment is: effect of the endeavour of last year to put How long will these good resolutions last? the Empire in commission by the great success, and the The circumstances of the case have resulted Powers was hardly a in one or two wholesome innovations, which, Powers themselves have been the first to in the face of the exalted respect for pre- acknowledge it. Gladly would they see the cedent, at once one of the supports as well Court at Peking restored to its ancient as one of the weaknesses of the governmental prestige: it was on this account that the system of China, may in the near future return of the Emperor was cordially wel- have a wholesome effect. During the long comed the other day, but in return for thus sojourn of the Court beyond the Palace it permitting bygones to be bygones it is not was naturally impossible to preserve towards too much to expect that the returned Court the Imperial person the semi-religious will be strong enough to restore the ex seclusion which has grown to be the baneternal signs at least of order; and that the of the dynasty. It was fortunately found Emperor will once more take the place impossible on the entrance into Peking demanded by the dignity no less than to restore the old seclusion, so it by the well-being of the State. came to pass that, while the foreign is the Emperor's duty towards his sub- element could not be excluded, some rem-jects, and it is to be hoped that the nant of reason relaxed the old, or rather recent weak connivance at a condition of
This
Those
people, therefore, who have anxiously watched the policy of the British Govern- men toward its latest offshoot in China will tfeel reasured at the news of the first appointment to the office of Commissioner.
It
With regard to the vacancy which will be created in the local official ranks by the Hon. J. H. STEWART-LOCKHART's pro- motion, it is obvious that there will be no little difficulty in filling it. Hongkong, as
importance. everything goes to prove, is a place rapidly growing in size and becomes in consequence increasingly urgent that those chiefly concerned in its adminis- tration should be suitable men for their posts and that no pains should be spared to secure the best possible occupants for
On the office. Hongkong is now, moreover, passing through a crisis in its history. success or failure of the sanitary measures at present being taken, or on the point of being taken, a great deal depends. It is earnestly hoped by all interested in the Colony's future welfare that we may be able to drive from our midst the evils of constantly recurring disease and its concomitants, which have of late so gravely threatened our pro- gress.
Other urgent questions press for |
solution. The office of Colonial Secretary will be the reverse of a sinecure. A worthy successor to the post which the Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART is vacating is vital to the advance of Hongkong. There is a natural prejudice in favour of men who are already well-known locally, and provided a desirable candidate can be found we imagine that residents would like to see promotion falling to the lot of a tried publicservant. But in default of a local appointment,
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