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affair could never have happened. They had plenty of warning, and knew perfectly well what was planned, and about to take place. It is now becoming evident, that if this pastime of batchering inuffer British subjects, as if they were so many mad dogs, is ever to be put a stop to, the responsible officials must be dealt with. It is also perfectly well known that there is very little difference between the so-called de- gradation of officials in such cases, and letting them off scot free. In due time, therefore, Consul-General Fraser demanded :-
1. That the Tusze, Liu Liang-ju, who was the direct cause of Mr. Lowis being done to death, through handing him over to the mob after he ran to his camp for protection, be decapitated.
2. that the Tung-ling, Yon Wu-ling, to whose anti-foreignism the affair was originally due, and to whose influence was due the fact that no subordinate official dare give protection, be also s- ntenced to decapitation, but the sen- tence may be remitted to banishment to the frontier for life.
3. That the two "promising" officials, Wu the Prefect, and Wan the Hsien, be banished for five years and never employed again.
4. That Colonel Chang, and Commodore Chao, be dismissed the service for over.
5. That a fine of £10,000 be inflicted on the officials and gentry of hengchow.
6. That a tablet be erected in Chengchow setting forth the crime and the punishment to the eternal disgrace of the place.
7. That all be publish d in the Peking Gazette for the information of the Empire.
These measures are pretty thorough, and if carried out might be counted on to work a cure. Considering all that has gone before, and all the serious results that will follow to China herself, if these massacres are not put a stop to, no one can say that they are either too hard or unnecessary. However, the Chinese authorities considered them outrageous. They hold that :- There is no precedent for executing an official in such a case (the more pity that it should be so).
That the Protocol made and provided by the foreign Ministers themselves to meet much cases, oaly demands that culpable officials be dimissed, and never that they shall be exécuted.
That in no civilised country in the world could the death penalty be inflict,d in such a case as is here.
That if magistrates are to be decapitated at the request of foreigners, they would never again ba able to control the people, and massacres would take plac. everywhere, and all the time.
With these and similar arguments they have declined to agree to the demands till now. In reply it might be pointed out that the punish ment they consider sufficient to atone for the massacre of foreigners is the same as they measure out for the embezzlement of a few taels, or for making a mistake of a character in writing a despatch. That if any important personage of the official class were to lose his life ander similar circumstances plenty of executions. precedents would be found for
That it is only the anti-foreign offiial who e head is se sacred: two years ago they beheaded friendly officials fast enough, and for no other reason than that they were friendly to foreigners However, His Majesty's Government and Minister have not been chopping logic with them. Satisfied with the justice of their demands they have ordered up the gunboats. The probability is that all will be settled before they arrive. The Chinese authorities no longer argue, but appeal ad misericordiam to have the terms mitigated, especially to have the decapi- If HM. tation altered to something else. Government stands to its terms the Chinese will give in: in any case what is insisted on now will be obtained.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[November 8, 1902.
a little English, and was the English-speaking foreman referred to in the specifications. He was at the houses daily from six or seven in the morning until af er the evening meal.
Witnes was then taken over ground that had alre dy heen covered by the evidence of his partner. As to the collapse, he was quite
rtain that No. 30 fell first, and that No. 32 fell back on No. 30, After the collapse, he examined the bricks and found them all to be hard; he did not look whether there were any soft cnes,
he reason the two houses fell was on account
came
The Universal Gazette states that since the display of naval force at Hankow by the British, the Peking Government has acceded to the several demands of the British Minister, only the matter of the severe punishment of the Taotai and the military officer of hengchow is still under negotiation, but the Minister is most firm and insists that all his de nands should be acced :d to. It is said again that Sir Ernest Show demands the punishment of six officials, viz, the two military officers who are to suffer capital punishment; the Chengchow magistrate to be banished for e er; the Prefect to be of the typhoon. Witness theu detailed defects that had appeared in the two blocks of houses banishel for five years, while two other military
The ince the typhoon of 2nd August, and the steps officers are to be cashierel for ever.
that had been taken to remedy them. Tuere second dem ud is an indemnity of five thou-
was a European overseer always on the spot sand pounds. part of which is to go to the families of the murdered missionaries and the looking after the building o the houses; some- reminder for missionary purposes, while the times he went to look after se property near third degrind is that a memorial arch, inscribed he Docks belonging to the Land Investment There were also twenty houses with a suitable edict, be erected before the Gts Company, of the Chengchow prefectural yameu.
belonging to Leigh & Orange that under the overseer's supervision; these bouses were commenced in th eighth moon last year- beginning 13th September, 1901. The Govern- maut inspector of buildings, Mr. Crisp, also looked at the fifty houses in Kowloon City Road whilst they were building; he came sometimes once a week, twice a week, or once in two weeks. He never came at any fixed time, or gave notice when he was coming. He saw all the materials used in the building of the walls of the houses, and never said they were not good. The architect visited the houses sometimes once and sometimes twice a week, and when he came witness went round the work with him. He never said anything to wi ness about the quality of the materials, and he saw the bric is and mortar that were being used. Tam A Ling saw the work sometimes once and twice a week and som times once a fortnight. The cont:act was taken for $145,000, but witness could not say what profit there might be until all the work was finished and the accounts were made
ENQUIRY INTO COLLAPSES
OF HOUSES.
KOWLOON CITY ROAD,
Solicitor.
The enquiry into the fatal collapses of houses in Kowloon City Road on 18th July last was resumed at ten o'clock yesterday morning, Mr. H. L. Dennys, Acting Crown appeared on behalf of the Government, while Mr. H.W. Looker represented the architects, Mossrs. Le gh & Orange. and Mr. C. D Wilkinson the contractors, the Leong Cheong firm.
Tam A Ling, of the Loong Cheong contract The houses on Lot 1,107 ing firm, was recalled were finished in March, be said, and those on Lot 1,108 between 8th April aud 7th May this year. The most northern wall on the latter block bulged out in the fourth moon, which commenced on 8th May and finished on 5th June, and the only explanation he could give of its bulging out was that perhaps the edges of the bricks were not quite dry, and the workmen were hurrying up: the foundations did not sink. This wall was partly pulled down and rebuilt, and these operatious were completed in the fifth moon- Some cracks from 6th June to 4th July. appeared in the wall after the typhoon of 2ud August. These cracks were caused by the typhoon that was their only explauation. Äfter the typhoon, two kitebeus fell down ou Lot 115, &.d there were also some cracks.
Mr Denavs--Where?
Witness--There, in the northern wall. Continuing, he said he did not notice any cracks in the party walls between the houses on Lot 1,108; he was unaware whether the western wall,
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In answer to Mr. Dennys, witness said that the work on all fifty houses had already been finished, but as the accounts had not been made up he did not know whether he would gain or 1.se over the contract. For this same reason he could not form any estimate as to hov much it had cost to repair the damages caused by the typhoon. He had not paid al the sub- contractors, but could not say how much he still owed them. Tam A Ling knew about the accounts; witness did not.
By Mr. Wilkinson-Witness was presont on the occasion of the walls collapsing, and had heen round the unoccupied houses closing all the doors. He saw one open window on the second floor of house No. 30 soon after the
By a juryman-Witness was the accountant of the firm, but he had not yet made up the accounts in respect of the houses in Kowloon City Road. As they had not beep made up, he was unable to say whether there would be a profit or a loss over the contract.
collapse. from which plaste: fell during the typhoon, bulged outwards, as he had not plumbed it. Two tie-rods were put in between the block 0.0 Lot 1. 08 party walls of since the houses were finished. The southern
Lot 1,17 was als wall of the houses on cracked by the typhoon on 2nd August and Rain beat the plaster Wis taken down.
wall on this lo, but off the witness was not able to say whether that wall was plumb or not. He had not seeu any cracks in the party walls of tot 1,107. Whatever had happened to the walls on the two blocks was caused by the typhoon.
west 'ro
Further examined, witness said he had built some godowas for the Wharf and Godown Co., and the western wall was moved by the typhoon. It was not the case that but was now shored up. one of the gable walls of 22 Chinese houses built for the same Company by witness was cracked: there was a slight crack near the kitchen.
As to the cause of the collapse in Kowloou City Road, witness could only attribute that to the typhoon. The houses were well-Luilt, and He saw the houses [5.B. Tu se is the designation of a First the materials were good. Captain of battalion of troops of the Terr torial after they had fallen down, and found that the Ile lo ked carefully to see Army garrisoning a city. A Tangling is a bricks we e hard. brigadier commanding more than one battalion].whether there were any soft bricks about, and
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The Shanghai Mercury of the 31st ult publishes & statement from its Hankow correspondent to the following effect:-There are eight men-of-war here just now, intending to make a demonstration. Two ships of the Nang yang squadron are here also. They are formidable looking ships.
could not find any. He had no complaint whatever to make of the way in which the sub- contractors did their work.
Ng Leong. Tam A Ling's partner in the He Loong Cheong firm, was the next witness. sait that he personally superintended the building of the fifty houses in Kowloon City Road for the Land Investment Co.; he spoke
Chiu Po, bricklayer, 21, Wellington Street, testified as to a sb-contract taken by bim from Loong Cheong to build fifty houses in Kowloon tha sub-contract was for all City Road ;
For this he was to be paid $.0.700, bricklaying work-laying bricks, plastering, and and of that amount about $500 was still owing tile-laying.
The Loong Choong firm was to to him.
the materia's. Witness knew su ply all nothing about the prices of the materials, either bricks or mortar. The last witness tok his orders. Witness went and looked at Nos. him what to do, and he simply carried out 30 and 32 the day after the collapse, and a few days after he examined the fallen bricks and found them to be hard and in good condition; He could not give any reason for the collapse. they could not be bent in the hand like soft clay,
By a juror The mortar used in building the houses was also good.
The hearing of evidence was resumed after tiffin.
an oversaer,
Harry Andersen said he was a Vorwegian and that he had been a sailor most of his life. For the last three years he had been with Messrs. He was Leigh & Orange as employed about May last year as overseer in respect of 50 houses being builtin Kowloon City Road for the Land Investment Co. These houses were on Lots 1,107, 1,108 and 1,118.