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two Chinamen clinging to some wreckage in the water The native ski per of the vessel had 2 boat lowered, and the two men, much exhausted, were picked up. They stated that they were the only survivors of a crew of eleven which left Macao in a junk n the previous day and had been caught in the typhoon and sunk.
At about the same time and on the same day, when also approaching Lin Tin Island, the Chinese-manned West River -teamer Saiking, belonging to the Wo O. Stean boat Company, rescued the entire crew of nine of a junk which was fast sinking from the effects of the buffeting received in the typhoon.
All the bodies buried in the ruins of the collapsed house at 45, Praya East, Wanchai, twelve in number, have been recovered.
A great part of the roof of the workshop attached to the Hongkong Ironworks at Shankiwan was blown down, lut bɩsiness was not interrupted. The steam launch Fawn Was sunk in three or four fathoms of water in
Causeway Bay, and the new matsbed opposite the Bay View Hotel was destroyed; the hotel itself escaped damage
THE TRIP OF THE
64
.8. HEUNGSHAN."
The passeng rs of the 8 s. Heungshan, which left Hongkong on the 2nd inst. for Macao, had a very unpleasant experience. The advent of the typhoon was already felt when the steamer left the wharf at 2 p.m., and Captain Clarke had persuaded several lady passengers who had come on board to postpone their trip and remain behind. There was a very large number of passengers, owing to the holiday on the Monday, and about 400 Chinese below. The captain took the inner course and went as far as The Brothers, where he deemed it expedient to anchor owing to the mist and the rapid indications that the typhoon was approach- iug and its centre likely to be in close proximity. A better anchorage could not have been found, and when night approached the caution of the captain was justified There was a tremendous force of wind and a deluge of rain which lasted for some hours, and steam Was kept up all night. The passengers had for the most part a wretched time, although the com. mander and officers did their best to make things as comfortable as possible, but their efforts were of course conficed to seeing to the safety of the steamer. There were several ladies on board rmongst the first-class passen. gers and these were accommodated in the ladies' cabins. The men had to turn in on the settees and chairs whilst in the second-class the ladies had to sleep where they sat. The agent of the company should really not have allowed the ship to leave, but having left everyone had to make the best of it. The steward, anticipating some delay, had laid in a stock of provisions sufficient for dinner on the Saturday and B plain breakfast on the Sunday, but here the commissariat failed, excepting in the matter of liquid refreshments, in which a big business was done. A most trying night' was experienced and on the Sunday morning Captain Clarke steamed out from the shelter of the isles but speedily had to return, as the heavy seas which struck the vessel threatened to smash in the large square ports. After noon the weather sufficiently moderated for the captain to make another attempt, which was successful and after a rough passage Macao was safely reached to the relief of everyone at 3 p.m.
THE TYPHOON AT MACAO.
fortunate in not
Although Macao was sustaining any severe damage from the typhoon yet there were ample evidences that a severe
storm had been experienced. The heavy rain played havoc with the rads and there were numerous landships. Building operations suffered, scaffoldings being blown down, but no casualties were reported. The ancient city certainly looked and smelt cleaner after the thorough cleansing which the continuous' heavy rain effected.
The French Admiral Beaumont who has just been disgraced for introducing a lady not his wife into the official gallery on the 14th ult, was formerly in command of the French Asiatic squadron. He was Contre- Amiral on the French cruiser Bayard, when she was flagship of the China station some five years ago.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE HEALTH OF HONGKONG.
Two days during the past week have been entirely free from plague. The y ar's figures on Friday were :-531 cases (6 Europeans, 506
Chinese, 19 other Asiatics)
During the week ending 2nd inst., the cases of communicable disease were-Plague 31 (2 Europeans, 29 Chinese), with 34 deaths; cholers. 6 (Chinese), with 6 deaths; ei terio fever 1 (European es se at the Peak); puerperal fɩ ver 1 (Chinese), with 1 death.
-
THE NEW TREATY.
[August 11, 1902.
while promoting the interests of Chinese subjects, and not injuring in any way the sovereign rights of China, shall offer no impedi ment to the attracting of foreign capital."
Article ten deals with the important question of Inland Navigation, a d provides for drastic amendment of the existing rules. I do not however, feel competent to deal with the full terms of this article to-day, as there still remain certain questions to be settled in connection with the rules.
The eleventh Article deals with the question of Treaty Port Areas, and provides that "if Bo desired by either the Chinese or British Govern- men's, a local joint committee shall be appointed to define, in accordance with local conditions At a special general meeting of the China and teaty provisions, the limits of the open Association at Shanghai, on the 31st ult., Mr.ports, so that disputes may be avoided."
udgeon addressed the members on the subject of the new Commercial Treaty, After some introductory remarks, Mr. Dudgeon said:
I will give you the substauce of the Articles of the Treaty one by one. The first seven articles of the Treaty do not, I think, raise any contentious points, and will, I think, be accepted as all tending to the betterment of commercial conditions in China, 、
he first Article provides for the protection of Trade Marks, the Chinese Government under-
taking to afford protection to British trade marks against infringement, imitation, or colourable imitation by Chinese subjects.
By the second Article the Chinese Gorera- ment agrees to give increased facilities at the open ports for landing and for reporting merchandise in bond, and the Article further provides that bonding facilities shall be extended to any warehonse when it has been established to the satisfaction of the Customs' Authorities that such warehouse affords the necessary secu- rity to the revenue.
By the third Article, China undertakes to remove present obstructions to navigation in the Canton River, and to improve accommodation for shipping in the harbour of Canton; the work to be carried out by the Imperial Maritime Customs and to be defrayed by a tax on goods, British and native alike. In the same Article China admits the desirability of improving he navigability of the Yangtze between Ichang and Chungking, but sees difficulty of carrying out improvement works for lack of funds; she agrees therefore that, subject to the approval of the Imperial Maritime Customs, steamship owners shall be at liberty to erect such works as they please for haulage purposes. Chica also engages to favourably consid-r any practical scheme that may be laid before her for "improv- ing the waterway and assisting navigation.
The fourth Article provides that there shall be no differential treatment in the matter of duty of goods carried by junk as against steam- borne goods, a matter which has long been a source of complaint, particularly in the south.
The fifth Article deals with the question of drawbacks, and provides that such shall be issued by the Imperial Maritime Customs with- in three weeks of the presentation to the Customs of the papers entitling the applicant to receive such drawback certificates. The certificates are to be valid tender iu payment of duties upon goods imported or exported, or are convertible into cash at the office of issue.
Under the sixth Article, China undertakes to take the necessary steps to provide for an uniform national currency which shall be legal tender in payment of all duties, taxes, and other obligations.
Article seven settles the vexed question of the liability of Chinese shareholders in British joint-stock companies, and provides that shareholders in any British joint-stock company "Chinese subjects who have or may become shall be held to have accepted, by the very act of becoming shareholders, the Charter of such company, and regulations framed there- of Incorporation or Memorandum and Articles under as interpreted by British Courts, and that Chinese Courts shall enforce compliance therewith by such Chinese shareholders.
And now, gentlemen, I come to Article eight, which is the crux of the Treaty, but I am, for the moment, going to pass it over, and outline the remaining Articles.
Article nine deals with the mining question, and provider that China will "with all expedi- tion and earnestness go into the whole question of Mining Rules" and that she will recast her present blining Rules in such a way as,
J
Article twelve expresses a desire on the part of China to reform ber judicial system so as to bring it into accord with that of Western nations; Great Britain agrees to give every assistance in such reform, and when she is sati-fied that the state of the Chinese laws, the arrangement for their administration, and other considera- tions warrant her in doing so," she will take into consideration the question of the abolition of exterritoriality.
part of Great Britain to join any joint Ccm- Article thirteen contains a promise on the
mission that may be appointed to investigate the missionary question, with the purpose of, if possible, devising means for securing permanent peace between converts and non-converts. I am pleased with the term "if possible." I say that these last two Articles are embodied in the Treaty at Chinese instance.
may
There remains one other Article relative to the movement of rice and grain, a matter which has ever been a source of trouble since the Treaty of 1858. As, however, the terms of this Article have only just been finally agreed on, Text, I prefer not to deal with the matter to-day. and as I have not yet got a copy of the full
which, as I have said, is the whole crux of the I now go back to Article eight, the Article Treaty, and in my faulty expounding of it I must beg your very careful attention. Gentle- men, it can be no secret to you, after our meetings earlier in this year, at which was propounded a scheme for lekin abolition, that the instructions of the British Government were aimed at the abolition of this curse upon Chinese Trade. Our first effort failed-it was rejected by the Chinese, it was rejected by Manchester, and it met with semi-rejection by this Branch of the Association; I say semi-rejection because, as you remember, the voting was almost even. I am now not sorry that it was rejected, because such rejection led the Commission on to fresh effort on extended lines of study of this most intricate question, and during the three months and a half that have elapsed since our meeting on the 15th April, the Commission has been able to evolve a scheme which has received the support of our merchants at home, of the Chinese Government, and I trust that it will meet with your approval also. That it can meet with full approval in all quarters I know is impossible; that it will work with smoothness from the outset I also know is impossible, but what I would repeat to you is what I said in my speech of 15th April, namely, that it is the business of an important and repre- sentative Association such as this to place the general interests before those of the individual.
I will now take up the Article. It begins with a preamble in which the Chinese Govern- ment recognises that the "system of levying lekin and other dues on goods at the place of production, in transit, and at destination, and injures the interests of trade," and that impedes the free circulation of commodities
therefore they undertake to discard completely those means of revenue with certain limitations. a point which will be explained later. I wish you to remember the point of limitations, preamble goes on to state that the British Government, in return, consent to allow surtax in excess of the Treaty Tariff rates, to be imposed on goods imported and on Chinese produce destined for export abroad or coastwise, It is next stipulated that after the removal of the lekin barriers and other stations for taxing goods in transit, no attempt shall be made to revive them in any form or under any pretext
The
hatsoever; that in no case shall the surfar of foreign imports exceed the equivalent of one and a half times the import duty; and that thế
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