274
"Minister asks for the abolition of the new "tax. May I ask that the Chefoo Con- "vention be studied and a reply sent by
telegraph to the Wai Wu-pu?"
15
In accordance with his telegram from the Wai Wu-pu, the Governor on the 19th day (of what moon it is not stated; probably the current moon) issued to his subordinate official the following notice :—
"
"A private telegram has been received from the Wai Wulpu to the effect that "Minister Hu has left Peking ete, [as above]. "I, the Governor of Canton. therefore order that the Provincial "Treasurer, in conjunction with the Board "of Taxation, shall abolish the new tax
on prepared opium at once and that you | "send by telegraph a report on the present "state of affairs to the Wai Wu-pu. Obey 14 this! "
From the above the benefit accruing from the display of a little firmness on the part of the Britsh Government may be seen. The obnoxious tax, a flagraut violation of the Chefoo Convention, has been ordered to cease. But for this display of vigour it might have been imposed for an indefinite period, though nominally only put on to allow the Canton Viceroy to raise additional funds to contribute to the payment of the war indemnity.
THE SPOLIATION OF SIAM.
(Daily Press, 10th October.) The spoliation of Siam continues. REUT ER'S telegram of the 7th instant gives an out-line of the new Franco-Siamese Treaty just concluded at Paris, by which France takes from Siam two provinces on the western bank of the Mekong, Bassak and Meluprey and a small portion of territory on the shores of the Great Lake, presuma- bly in the province of Angkor, though the rivers mentioned in the telegram are not marked in any atlas which we have consulted. By this France gains what may roughly be described as a triangle of land whose base is Cambodia and its eastern side one hundred and twenty miles or more of the Annam river frontier, and a smaller triangle on the Great Lake. Further, Siam binds herself to seek preferentially French assistance in constructing ports, canals, or railways in the Mekong basin. In returu Siam secures the evacuation of the port of Chantaboon which France has held since 1893, in accordance with the terms, as she claims (but in defiance of them as it seems to most fair-minded judges), of the Franco- Siariese convention of 1893. Siam is also to be allowed to keep troops, but only troops of her own countrymen and officered by Siamese, on her side of the Mekong. It is hot clear whether this implies the abolition of the "neutral zone.' If not, of course the permission given to Sian to garrison part of her own territory is even more farcical than it would other- wise be. The result of the last turn of the screw put on Siam is that France, in return for evacuating a port which she continued to hold on the principle that Might is Right, and possibly for the abolition of the most unjust stipulation about the twenty- five kilometre zone, secures a large slice of territory to the north of Cambodia and makes another step in the direction of con- verting the Great Lake into purely French water. Of this Great Lake a former
Governor of Indo-China wrote:-"The "Great Lake has not merely a great "economic importance; it has also an "immense political value. The entire possession of that great depression and of "the basin which it drains is one of the "most important desiderata of the work
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS- AND
"
TELEGRAMS.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.]
DEATH OF LIU KUNG-YI
SHANGHAI, 7th October, 7.2 p.m. H.E. Liu Kung-yi, the Nanking Viceroy, died at 8 a.m. on the 6th instant. Before dying he recommended Cheng Wei-nieh or En Shou as his successor. The first named is his probable successor.
All flags here have been half-masted out of respect to H.E. Liu Kung-yi.
LONDON, 7th October, 10 p.m. The papers regard the death of H.E. Liu Kung-yi as a great misfortune, and praise the tact and energy of the deceased. They trust that the foreign representatives at Peking will use their influence to prevent the nomination to the vacant Viceroyalty of a partisan of Prince Tuan's ideas.
[October 11, 1902.
'which we have hitherto pursued ia an em-
that this Council has received in its de- 'pirical way, but which we can and should liberations from the Mombers both fficial and Unofficial who have vacated their seats, I 'accomplish henceforth systematically.
welcome most cordially the Honourable Mem- The western part of the lake especially-bers by whom they have been replaced, pos- namely, the part which our tog ignorantsessing, as they do, a high standard of legal or too careless diplomacy ceded to Siam and business capacity that commands the con- with the provinces of Battambong and fidence of the community. During my visit Angkor is one of the vital points of the to England I had the honour of being received peninsula, from whatever point of view, in audience by the King and of hearing from "commercial, political, or military, we
His Majesty's lips his appreciation of the "regard it." We bave italicised in the loyalty that has always distinguished Hongkong above a characteristic piece of French and of obtaining His Majesty's gracious permis- sion for the erection of the statue proposed to be diplomatic blague. But the Governor-
presented to the Colony by Sir Paul Chater, General's aspirations seem well on their while His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales way toward realisation. The French admi- expressed his approval of the erection of his nistration has long had its eye on the whole statue similarly offered by Mr. Bell-Irving, then a Member of this Counel. The grave province of Angkor, and it is not likely that its greed will be satisfied with the present illness of the King on the eve of the Coronation small acquisition on the Great Lake's shores. day has happily terminated without permanent injury to His Majesty's health, and the manner in which it was borne has served intensify if that to were possible the loyal affection for the person of His Majesty among his people, who admire the kingly
fortitude and qualities of conrage displayed at that most trying juncture. I
was glad to learn by th⚫ telegrams that Hongkong was not behind the other portions of the Empire in its demonstra- tions of joy at the Coro ation of the King and Queen, and I hope that the King's Park then dedicated to the use of the public will in future be an open space s attractive as it will be valuable to the inhabitants of Kowloon. Under the provisions of the Treaty of Commerce arranged at Shanghai beteen Great Britain and China the Inland Navigation Regulations have been revised in accordance with the views put forward by the Hongkong Chamber of Com- merce, and the Ports Kongmoon on the West River and Weichow on the East River have been opened as Treaty Ports. I congratulate you on this arrangement, for which I have striven for the past three years. Some of the provisions of the Tr aty have been aiversely criticised on the assumption that the Chine Government will be unable to perform the obligations accepted by them. It must, however, be apparent, that such assumption would preclude any arrangement whatever, the necessary condition preliminary to any Treaty being an assumption that each of the con- tracting Powers is able and willing to e rry out the obligations agreed upon. The past year has been one of great importance to this Colony, for during the year careful enquiries have been made into its water- upply, its sanitary condition, its education, and its Public Works. The report on the educational That on system is stil under consideration the Public Works Department shows the necessity for an increase in the Public Works Provision in the Estimates has been staff. made for a portion of the proposed increase: the remainder is still under the consideration of the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The failure of the rainfall during the year brought the question of the conservation and distri- bation of the Water Suply into promin-nce, the immediate result of which was the passing of a Ordinance dealing with the subject, under which it is hoped that waste may be checked. But apart from the prevention of waste the time has come when the collecting area must be largely increased to m.et the requirements of an increasing population. How the expendi- ture is to be met I will explain later on. response to representations made last year to the Secretary of State for the Colonies the services of Mr. Osbert Chadwick, the well known engineer, and Dr. W. Simpson, M D., who has been speci lly employed in India
and South Africa during the epidemics of Plague, were obtained to report apon the sanitary con-ition of Hongkong, especially in relation to plague, the annual recurrence of which in epidemic form had baffled the efforts of our Medical and Sanitary Officials. Ao ion has already been taken upon Mr. Chadwick's exhaustive report on the Water Supply and Drainage as to which the following passage appears in Professor Simpsou's reports:
SHANGHAI, 8th October, 7.42 p.m. An Imperial decree appoints Chang Chib-tung Acting Viceroy of the Liang- Kiang and Tuan Fang Acting Viceroy of the Hu-Kuang. The general opinion among the Chinese is that Wei Kuang-tao, being a Hunanese, will finally go to the Nanking Viceroyalty.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL,
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on the 9th inst. in the Council Chamber.
PRESENT:
HENRY A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, Sir
Hon. Colonel L. F. Brown, R.E. (Senior Officer Commanding the Garrison).
Hon. F. H. MAY, Č.M.G. (Colonial Secretary), Hon. Sir HENRY SPENCER BERKELEY, KNT. (Attorney-General).
Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer). (Harbour Master).
Hon. Commander R. M. RUMSEY, R.N.
Hon. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works).
Hon. F. W. CLARK (Medical Officer of Health).
Hon. Dr. Ho Kar, C.M.G. Hon. WEI A YUK. Hon. C. S. SHARP. Hon. C. W. DICKSON. Hon. G. W. F, PLAYFAIR. Hon. R. SHEWAN.
Mr. C. CLEMENTI (Acting Clerk of Councils).
HON, R. SHEWAN'S RE-ELECTION. Hon. R. Shewan was re-sworn a member of the Council, having been re-elected to represent the General Chamber of Commerce.
SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR.
HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR said- Gen-
tlemen,-Since I last addressed you, there have been many changes in the membership of this Council, and while I have to express my regret at the loss of the able assistance
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With reference to the Water Supply and Sewerage they are stupendous works which the Simpson also reports that neither the scarcity Government may well be proud of." _Profe-sor of water nor the system of drainage has anything.
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