November 8, 1902.)
Downing Street,
4th September, 19:02. Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Major-General Gascoigue's despatch No. 320 of the 18th of July on the subject of a proposed Europeau reservation near Kowloon. 2. I entirely approve the principle of the establishment of a reservation in which of cleanly and healthy mode of life will be safe persous from the risk of inf. ction due to the neighbour hood of lower classes of Chinese with insanitary habits, but I am not prepared to accept Major- General Gascoigue's view, paragraph 6 of despatch, that such a scheme as expressed in should be used to enable the European section! of the commnuity to obtain low rents to the exclusion of Chinese of good standing.
3. While, therefore, I am willing to consent to the reservation of the are in question I consider that instead of being confined to Europeans it should be open to all perso5, whether European or Chinese, who are approved by the Governor.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant,
(Sd J. CHAMBERLAIV, Governor Sir H. A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.,
&c.
&c.,
&c.
THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSION. The COLONIAL SECRETABP-I have also to mention, with reference to the request of certaiu unofficial members to see the cor espondence relating to the Public Works Commission, that that correspondeuce will not be lail because it is not yet completed, another communication having been addressed to the Secretary of State; but if any hon. member wishes to see the corres- pondence I shall be happy to show it in office.
my
THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND BUILDIN. S BILL.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I am going to ask your Excellency's permission and that of the Council to withdraw from the consideration of this Council the Bill which I introduced, dealing with the questions of public health and buildings, last Jily. Since that Bill was intro duced the matter has been under the further consideration of this Government, and it as been considerably altered, very much, as think, for the better. Instead of making the alterations in Committee on that Bill, it seemed to me it would be better to withdraw the bill altogether and introduce a fresh Bill dealing with the subject. Therefore I ask first of all per mission to withdraw that Bill with the object of introducing another Bill dealing with the same subject. |
We
His EXCELLENT-You have that permission. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL Then I beg
leave to introduce and read for the first time a Bill entitled an Ordinance to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to Public Health and to Buildings.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY Soconded, and the motion was agreed to.
OTHER FIRST HEADINGS.
-
!
On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY, the following Bills were read a first time :-A Bill entitled an Ordinance to amend the Law relat- ing to Employers and Servants; a Bill entitled an Ordinance with reference to between Junks and Ships; and a Bill entitled Collisions The New Territories Titles Ordinance.
DEFINITION OF AN ALIEN."
The ATTORNEY GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance relating to the Naturalisation of Alieus.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Hon. R. SHEWAN-May I ask, sir, what is the definiton of the word "alien "?
HIS EXCELLENCY-That will be explained. I think, on the second reading. As a matter of fact, these first readings are simply for the purpose of bringing a Bill under the cognisance hon. members and enabling them to see it. Hon. Mr. SHEWAN-At the same time, sir, wish to know the definition of the word "alien."
The ATTORNEY GENERAL-It means alien and nothing else. An alien is one who does not Lowe allegiance to the Crown.
The motion was agreed to. The Council adjourned sine die
!
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
HONGKONG'S CORONATION
{
CONTINGENT.
The following despatch is published in the tion Confiugent: -- Gazette with reference to Hongkong's Corona-
Downing Street,
Loudon, 26th September 1902. Coronation festivities and the departure of the Sir. In view of the termination of the Colonial troops, it becomes my duty to express the pleasure afford d to His Majesty's G vorn from Hongkong to take part in the ceremonies. ment by the presence of a Military Contingent
behaviour of the Contingent was a matter for The smartness, soldierly bearing, and good sincere dongratulation.
His Majesty's Government are especially olad beyond the unavoidably deferred date of the that it was found possible to prolong the visit
forces of almost every portion of the Empire ou Coronation, as the representation of the local that day undoubtedly added greatly to the i- terest of the spectacle.
His Majesty's Government trust that the members of the Contingent will carry back with them a pleasant recollection of their stay in this country on an erer memorable occasion.
I have the honour to be, Sir-Your most bedient, hun les raut.
J. CHAMBERLAIN, Governor Sir HENRY A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G..
&c..
&c., &c.
THE CHENGCHOW MASSACRE
CASE.
The Hankow correspondent of the N.-C. Daily Neus writes under dats 27th October: -- Since ! this case has resulted in a naval demonstration to state the facts again. Although nothing new by the British on the Yangisze, it may b as well
known has already been published, yet the has come to light, and all that was previously public is notorious for its short memory: it needs frequent efreshing.
359
the city. He had been sent out to open a line of offices by the Yuen river route through to Kweichau, and carried with him some $3,000 cash and stamps to a still greater value. He put ap.in an ing opposits the Ision's yamên, and, as soon as he realised the situation, ent and, producing his credentials, esked the district magistrate to issue a procła nation. This, as appeared. Apparently the had no intention of usual, was promised readily e .ough, but it never interfering with the manifest course of events. The missionaries do not appear to bare applied to the military officials at all, although there was a camp of soldiers at their own back dor. The military forces of the placa were under a Tung-ling uamed You Wu-lin. had been there for many years, and was a man of great influence in the neighbourhood. By and had ones dismissed one of bis subordinates general report, he was excedingly auti-forein, for being fri nlly with the missionaries. His second iù comm nd was Ching Yao-k'nei, who was stationed with his men on the opposite side of the river from the city, and was under the Tuny-ling's orders on no account to leave his post. On the river itself was a naval Tang-ling, named Chao Yu-tien with half-a dozen gunbonts in cha go. Finally, in the city there was the city garrison, with its camp just behind the mission, the chief of which was the Tu-sze, a gentleman pame Yu Liang-ju.
He
The fatal day was the 15th of August. On this day, the post office man, losing faith in the Hsien's promises, in turn applied to the Prefect to have steps taken. The Prefect referred him back to the district magistrato again, who was th new man who had just taken over the seals. His name was Chen Isi-nien, and he promised imm diate attention to the business in band, but whether his promise was worth any more known. Ou the way back to his inn the than that of his predecessor was never to be
them at once. Fortunately the Hsien was near, out to slay the foreigners, and was attacked by Eurasian gentleman met with the mob come
and intervened with all speed. He was able to of all his cash and stimps. rescue him, but badly injured, and with the loss
province of Hunan, and although a Fu
Chengchow is a city in the north-west of the --a city of the first order—it is really quite a small place. passing on route the Tung-ling's yamêu, who The mob next hurried on to the 'ssion, It consists of one long street, with the usual carefully made no move to check them, notwith- liberal al owance of civil aud military yamens standing that the Prefect ins'sts that he (the in it which Fu cities posses. Some five ye rs ago, the Chiua Inland Mission opened a station send soldiers to protect the mission. Mr. Brace Prefect) had the previous day ordered him to there, and up till the Boxer year the mission appars to have been kill d at once on the pre- aries lived in the city in pfect peace and quiet-mises-he was simply pounded to death-but
In common with all other interior misson stations, it was abandoned during the Boxer troubles, but was occupied again by Messrs. Bruce and Lowis when things settled down that was at the end of last year. Mr. Bruce was a missionary of six years' standing, and Mr. Low is of three: both were highly capable men.
uess.
Nothing went amiss till the month of July when the cholera broke out and aged in the neighbourhood, as it did over all Central China at that time. To their great alarm the missionaries learned that the people were ac using them of causing the disease by putting poison in the wells. Although, like the members of the C.M. generally, they had no wish to have much to do with the yamen, yet they considered the affair serious enough to cause them to do their best to obtain official help or protection.
There were two civil, and quite a number of military officials, in the city to whom they could apply, but naturally they turned first to the district magistrat who was Wan Chao-hsin, | 26th of July the missiouaries approached him and was shortly to be leaving office. On the aud asked him to issue a proclamation to quiet placard which had been posted up accusing them the rumours, and also gave him a copy of a
promised to attend to the matter, but carefully of having poisoned the wells. The magistrate did nothing. On the 2nd of August they learned that they were going to be put to death during the eighth mouth, and on the 12th of having lost all hope of the Hsien. He was a August they approached the Pr fact, evidently man of good family, Wn Chi-chua by name- H. E. Wang Wen-hsiao is his uncl. They gave the Prefect a copy of another inflammatory placard, and he also promised to issue a procla- muation, but did nothing.
|
About this time an Eurasian gentleman, an agent of the Imperial Post Office, arrived in
camp of the garrison, only to have the gate Mr. Lowis escaped and ran for protection to the slammed in his face and be driven back into the bands of the mob. He was killed on the street in front of a house occupied by a petly expectant official named Cheu Hsing-lo, who admits having expostulated with the crowd, although others been a spectator of the murder, and says be say he actually bounded them on.
.
pute at all. The matter was goue into most Concerning these main facts there is no dis- thoroughly by Vice-Consul Giles on the spot, and the native authorities admit them. Further Mr. Lowis's diary was found giving particula of
applications for help. The last entry is dated rumours, the placards, and their vaiu 14th August and says: "A weiynan c.lled to- day. The new Hsien took office. Rumours say that three pigs have been killed and the feast prepared, etc., and that we are to be hors de combut."
their own way for as long as made it plain what After the affair, the authorities had it all they considered was suitable action to take in the case.
made no demand apon them; but accepted The Mission, according to its policy,
of ground in which to bury their dead. "The gratefully a couple of coffius, and a small piece
repaired ly the officials without being asked. damigas done to the missi u-house were «l<o The Governor ordered that the murderers were in a short time nine of them paid the penalty with to be seized and ex-cuted, with the result that
degradation, and the necessary edicts were daly their heads. He also denounced the officiils for issued. At first, it looked as if an exception Prefect and Tung-ling, but after an interval was to be made in the case of the big meu, the they too were denounced.
However, the British Government did uot, regard this as a satisfactory settlement. But for the culpable conuivance of the officials the