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considerable portion of Siamese territory. She at last said she was content, and would graciously leave the remainder to its ancient Bovereigns, We heard nothing more during M. WALDECK-ROUSSEAU's term beyond a petty dispute which all the world under- stood had been amicably settled without any diplomatic aid, But as before, the guiding hand away from the helm, the new pilot takes the opportunity to luff. France bad occupied a certain station pending the carrying out by the Siamese Government of certain stipulations; the stipulations were in due time carried out, and the Government asked the rendition of the place. A powerful minister would at once have set an example of good faith, which in the future would have been a powerful engine against encroachment against him- self; not so the French officials in Indo- China, who profess to see in the request a covert insult to France. These things do not amount to a cause for quarrel, hardly for protest, but they are indicative that the guiding band is absent, and that the petty policy of making unpleasantness for the mere sake of the prick is again in the ascendant.
THE HONGKONG. WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE CORONATION.
THE CELEBRATION IN HONGKONG,
(August 16, 1902,
were held. The ceremony of the presentation of Addresses to the King took place on Saturday, 5th July; and on the same day His Excellency Major-General Sir W J. Gascoigne, K.C.M.G.. formally unveiled the statue of H. R. H. the Duke of Connaught. Though the review of the troops at Happy Valley was altogether The Coronation of Thoir Majesties King cancelled, this opportunity for spectacular Edward VII tud Queen Alexandra was cele-effect was not entirely lost, as a parade of the brated in Hongkong on aturday, 9th August, Garrison took place on Saturday, 26th July, on and took the form of a general illumination of the Cricket Ground. On Wednesday last the city. Preparations for the great event had General Gascoigne cut the first sod of the King's been made on a most la dish scale. Unfortunate- Park at Kowloon and this completed the only ly heavy rain set in during the evening, and of remaining item that was left. On Saturday, course made short work of the illumina there was a special meeting of the Legislative tions; but luckily not before the full effect Council to vote a telegram of congratulation to had been witnessed of the decoration of His Majesty, religious services were held in S. the town, which was simply a picture John's Cathedral, the Roman Cathedral, etc., an of beauty beneath its myriad fairy lights. The at night there was a Chinese Fish Procession and best view was perhaps to he got from the a general illumination of the city. Harbour. Tier upon ber of lights innumerable rose from the water-line to the Peak, with here and there some immense design standing out in bold relief. The Harbour itself presented a splendid spectacle. All the ships were decorated. Outstanding features were the Tamar with her large design of "God Save the King" between the masts, and the Japanese cruiser Chitose with all her lines from stem to stern picked In the city there out with electric lights. were countless objects of interest and beanty; Queen's Road was a blaze of colour. All the central streets had lanterns hung along the sides of the pavements in addition to the decorations on the buildings. Naturally the scene attracted thousands of Chinese from east and west, and traffic got congested in such a manner that the police were powerless to cope with it.
whom
The. Coronation Committee upon devolved the work of carrying out the arrange- ments in connection with the celebrations was composed of the following gentlemen :-His Honour W. M. Goodman, K.C., Chief Justice (Chairman, Hon. W. Chatham, Hon. C. W. Dickson, Hon. Dr Ho Kai, C.M.G., Hon, F. H. May, C.M.G., Hon. Captain R. Murray Rumsey, RN., Hon. C. S. Sharp, Hon. R. Shewan, Hon. Wei A Yuk, Messrs. F. J. Badeley. J. Barton, D. E. Brown, W. Danby, V. H. Deacon, W. B. Dixon, Fung Wa Chun, E. R. Hallifax, . A. Hewett (Hon. Secretary). Ho Tung. B. Layton, H. N. Mody, D. M. Moses, M. S. Northcote, E. Osborne, W. Poate, A. J. Raymond, T. H. Reid, E. H. Sharp, K.C., A. H. Sk lton, H. W. Slade, J. R. M. Smith (Hon. Treasurer), Gershom Stewart. A. Turner, W. H. Wickham and R. C. Wilcox.
SPECIAL MEETING OF LEGISLA.
TIVE COUNCIL.
When the streets were at their busiest with sightseers, a little after nine o'clock, rain began to fall, and prevented the full programme from being carried to a completion. The Fish Pro- cession made a beginning but was unable to continue its full course and retired in a very bedraggled condition after reaching the Queen's A special meeting of the Legislative Counci
The fireworks from the Tamar came Statue.
was held at 10.15 a.m. on Saturday, 9th August. off all right; those that were to have been for the purpose of considering the terms of a con- sent up
from behind the City Hall were, how-gratulatory telegram to be sent to Their Ma- ever, a failure owing to the wet, and there were jesties King Edward and Queen Alexandra on many blanks and few successes, Half an hour the subject of their Coronation. Present:- alter the rain commenced, the illumination paraphernalia were hopelessly wrecked. The
lanterns which formed the main factor in the
It is, however, when we go to Europe that we find this absence of control having s worst effects. If six weeks ago the question had been asked as to the least likely country in Europe for trouble to arise in the near future, most people would at once have said France, yet recent advices show how thin after all was the varnish placed over the surface. The late Prime Minister seeing how seriously French interests were jeopardised by the continual interference of the Vatican in home politics, himself strong enough
felt to openly attack those interferences in France itself. As long as M. WALDECK- ROUSSEAU held the helm the Vatican, finding itself confronted with a stronger will, seemingly coalesced in the arrange- ments; but times have changed, and as France has herself begun again the policy decorations were falling on the streets in all of lettiness and pin-pricks, the course directions and in some cases the flimsily con- !as evidently seemed open to a renewal of structed bamboog structures which supported the ways of the Vatican, and we find the them were blown down also. Many of the sight- old strife breaking out again, with all the seers whom the decorations had brought forth braved the unpleasant ess of the weather until more virulence that it has been temporarily well on towards midnight, but the bulk of them suspended. Unfortunately in France the wisely went home. What had been a brave strife has assumed the character, not of a show at nine o'clock was a sorry wreck at ten. contest between a Gallican and an Ultra-The band performance on the Cricket Ground moutane Church, but has come to lie one had of course to be abandoned. On the whole, between religion and infidelity.
It is however, the illumination of the town must be Never before had Hong. difficult in this ugly dispute to know which voted a huge success.
kong been decorated on such a lavish scale, and party is more to blame, France herself or by good fortune the people of the Colony had the Vatican; but whichever is the more to plenty of time before the rain began to see for blame the quarrel is an unpleasant one not themselves how lovely their city can look when merely for France but for the whole dressed for festival. It would be difficult to find continent of Europe.
a place anywhere else in the world that lends itself so well to the sort of decorations which Hongkong put on last Saturday; on every side cne heard expressions of admiration at the Looked at in detail or as a beauty of the scene. whole, the illuminations were beyond all words admirable. If the programme originally ar- ranged for had been all carried out at the same time, there would no doubt have been more to divide one's interest. Perhaps that was the reason why the decorations were so heartily entered upon.
The Government did not fail to do its share, and the business firms and householders responded right loyally in the way of completing the general scheme
THE KING'S MESSAGE TO
HONGKONG.
We have received from the Colonial Secretary's Office the following copy of a telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to H.E. the Officer Administering the Government, dated 12th August, 1902 :-
"His Majesty the King cordially thanks the Executive and Legislative Councils and people of Hongkong for their loyal congratulations to him and Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of their Coronation."'
A strike is in progress at Penang among the ricksha-coolies. On the 7th inst. a Straits-born Chinaman was arrested by the Penang police, The crowd around attempted to rescue him without success. Apparently, the strike did not arise from any action by the Ricksha Registrar. It seems to be directed against the excessive charges levied on pullers by the registered riksha-owners.
*
Referring to the original programme, it may not be without interest to glance back for a mo- ment at the various events which had been arranged for in connection with the Coronation celebrations, and which have been already carried out. At the time for which the ceremony had been fixed the only part of the programme to be carried out was the Flower Show and the Children's Tea in the City Hall. The religious services of praise were changed into intercessional services, and later on when the happy news of the King's recovery came thanksgiving services
HIS EXCELLENCY the OFFICER ADMIN)8-
TERING THE GOVERNMENT, Major-General Sir W. GASCOIGNE, K.C.M.G. (Commanding the Troops).
Hon. F. H MAY (Colonial Secretary). Hon. Sir H. S. BERKELEY (Attorney-General). Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. Commander R. M. RUMSEY, R.N. (Harbour Muster).
ยท Hon. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public- Works).
Hon. Dr. F. W. CLARK (Medical Officer of Health).
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI. Hon. WEI A YUK. Hon. (. 8. SHARP. Hon. C. W. DICKSON. Hon. K. SHAWAN.
His Honour W: MEIGH GOODMAN, Chief
Justice, and Mr. W. DANBY were also present.
Addressing the Council, H18 EXCELLENCY said-Gentlemen of the Council, I have sum- moned you here to-day in order to propose for your approval a respectful telegram of congra- tulation to be sent to Their Majesties King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on this most auspicious day of their Coronation. Gentle- men, you will all remember the day, about six weeks ago when I summoned you here to seek your advice as to the proceedings we should adopt on the unofficial notification we had received of the dangerous illness of our King. Permit me to say, gentlemen, that I think the advice you gave me that day enabled us to act here in Hong- kong in a manner and with a dignity befitting this Colony. Those things that it was wise to carry on we carried on; those things that it was well to postpone we postponed. Amongst other things, you advised me to despatch immediately a telegram of condolence to Her Majesty Queen a gracious Alex-ndra, and you received acknowlegement in reply. Now I am in a position to read to you a gracious message that we have received from King Edward VN. The message runs as follows:-"To my people on the eve of my Coronation, an event which I look upon as one of the most solemn and important in my life. I am anxious