17
A
July 27, 1908.]
Valley. The most resolute of Russia's partisans must admit that she seems to be disturbing the peace of the Orient to degree not justified by any reasonable "doctrine of imperial expansion. This opinion must, we fear, be shared by every sensible man, and would doubtless be recognised us true by that lover of peace Tear NICHOLAS II if he were allowed to see his country's affairs save through the eyes of his astute ministers, who do not at all share his sentiments.
CHINESE TURKESTAN.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
irons in the fire. China is not such a Power as to res'st. the application of those irons, which are intended to brand her outlying provinces as Russian. Only at two ends of the long line of frontier doés a complication arise through the prox- imity of other Powers; and at oue cud, in Manchuria, Russia seems firmly and per- mauently established. It is practically im- possible to save Mongolia unless the Chinese themselves display patriotism, honesty, and
courage. Chinese Turkestan and Tibet, on
the other hand, do not depend on China
alone for their salvation from Russian rult, There is every reason why Tibet, especially, with India, and Chines: Turkestan is, as we should in time be in very intimatec inuection have sail, conterminous with British posses-
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and it is hoped that the work will soon be gone on with. With regard to the Post Office, the cost of the site was $508,280, a id was paid in the recent competition, one of which has been March. 1902. Thres designs were received in accepted, and it is anticipated that tenders for the foundations will be will d fər in about a mouth.
FIRST REALING, On t'e motion of the ATTorsey-GeneRAL, seconded by the COLONIAL SECRETARY, the following Bill was read a first time:-A Bill
entitled an Ordinance to amend The Foreshores
and Sea Bed Ordinance, No. 21 of 191, and to repeal sub-section (1.) of section 1 of Ordinance No: 11 of 1902.
LAND CLAINS IN THE NEW TERRIJORT. reading of a Bill entitled
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first nn (rdinance to amond Ordinuu e No. 18 of 1900, entitled An
(Daily Press, 21st July 1 REUTER'S telegrain reporting the St. Peters burg announcement that China has con cluded a loan of Tls.2,000,000 with the sions along the Karakorum range. The Ordinance to facilitate the hearing, determina-
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position would still be strong if it were not for the Chinese, The letting loose-of kestan would naturally destroy what little Russian concessionaries into Chinese Tur- ;
strength is left to the present suzarain Power. ị
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL
ou the 20th inst.
A me Ling of the Legislative Council was held in the Conucil Chamber. Present:-
1 HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR. Sir
HENRY A. BLAKE, GJ.M.G.
HIS EXCELLENCY Sir W. GASCOIGNE, K.C.M.G. (Commanding the Troops}.
Hou. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary). Hon. Sir HENRY SPENCER BERKELEY. Kr. (Attorney-General).
Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer). Hou. Commander R. M. RUMSEY. R.N. Harbour Master).
Hon. W. CHATHAM (Director of Public Works),
Medical Officer).
Hou. Dr. J. M. ATKINSON (Principal Civil
Russo-Chinese Bank, which instead of penetration of Russia to the Pamirs enabled interest Russia receives privileges in Chi-her to outflank Kashgaria, but the Chinese nese Turkestan," if it proves to be true, will not occasion much surprise. The question is what dogs announcement mean. The aunouncement might be official, semi official, or entirely official, as for instance in the columus of the independent Press. We take it that the news has been made public semi-officially in one of the journals which the Russing Government is wont to use when it doesnt wish to commit itself absolutely or when desires to send up a ballon d'essai, to use the diplomatic phrase. It is not at all improbable that the announce ment chronicled by REUTER is itself a ballon d'essai. We have heard of the loan, it is true, before, but only as a vague rumour through Chinese sources. Now it is repeated in definite for from St Petersburg it is necessary to pay some tention to it. It might be thought, perhaps, a comparativelys unimportant matter that Russia should ask for privileges in Chinese Turkostan, seeing that she has been asking for them, with varying success, in so many parts of the Chinese Empire, and that Chinese Turkestan is so little known that it would be hard to say what value should be assigned to con- cessious therein. But the importance of the matter lies in the fact that not only is Kashgaria the door to Tibet, where it is clear that an Anglo-Russiau struggle for supremacy must soon gare, but also this outlying dependency of China borders for a few hundred miles on British territory, north of the Karakruin Mountains. Russia already has railway stations. less than one hundred and fifty mile from the frontier of Chinese Turkestan and about two hundred and fifty of Kashgar city itself. We do not know that it would be physically, possible to extend this railway into Chinese Turkestan, ou account of the presence of the Thian-shan range and its southern branches. Nevertheless the existence of Russian taining and other concessions, even if not backed by a railway, would be a menace which it would be most undesirable to have to face. Brita does not want another Mauchuria ou ber Kashmir frontier, and it is unfortunately impossible to be lieve that Russian concessions in Chinese Turkestan would not mean a Russianisation of the province, if the process were not checked early.
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Hou. Sir C. P. CHATER, C.M.G. Hou. Dr. Ho Kat. C.M.G. Hon. WEI A YUK. Hou. R. SHEWAN.
Hou. GERSHOM STEWART
Mr. R. F. JOHNSTON (Acting Clerk of Conucils).
FINANCIAL.
! The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the table Financial Minute (No. 28) and moved that it be referred to the Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER secoudel, and the motion was agreed to.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid on the
table the Report of the Finance Committee
No. 5) aud moved its adoption.
motion was agreed to.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded and the
NEW LAW COURTS AND POST OFFICE.
Hon. GERSHM STEWART put the following questions of which he had given notive: -
1. When were the plans for the new Law Courts finally passed?
2. What is the cause of the delay in proceed ing with the erection of the Courts
tion, and settlement of land claims in the New Territories, to establish a Land Court, and for other purposes.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and the Bill was read the first time.
The Standing Orders having been suspended, The ATTORNEY GENERAL moved that the Bill be read the second time. He said—This : Bill
is introduced in order to allow the Crown, whon occasion may require it, to appeal to th Supreme Court against decisions of the Lind Court where those decisions affect the rights of the Crows, the proprietors of the land in the New Territories by ; virtue of the arrangement made between her late Majesty the Queen and the Emperor of Chim. It is also expressly declared to be Crown property by one of the sections of the Land Court O.dinance. At the time that Ordinance was passed and the Band Court was !oatablished, it was n t thought necessary, or the necessity had not arisen, to have the power given to a claimaut to appeal from a decision of the Land Court, and the result is that a most anonal us position has been created. The Bill therefore provides that the Chief Justice may at any time, upon good cause shown, grant to the Crown leave to appeal to the Full Conrt of the Supreme Court from any decision of the Land Court. For thes: reasons I move that
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Post Office, aud when paid for?
3. What was the cost of the site for the new
4. What were the number of designs received in the recent competition for the Post Offic
5. Cau the Government give the date ap- proximately when they will be in a position to invite tenders and proceed actively with the work of the construction of the Post Office?
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It is difficult to withhold admiration the hon. member, the plans for the new Law The CLONIAL SECRETARY--Sic, in reply to from the manner in which Russia plays Courts were passed in November, 1399, the the moves of her Asiatic game. Alterna contract for the foundations was let in June, tions between activity in Manchuria and 1900, and tenders for the superstructure were activity in Persia a pot deep enough; called for in November, 1902. All the tenders she must therefore stake occasionally at except oue were exorbitantly high, and the one Mongolia, Tibet, and Chinese Turkestan. I refer to came from a contractor of no stand
of the tenders were All of course is part of one policy, but the ing. None
therefore subtlety of that policy lies in its distracting pleted for the carrying out of the work by the accepted, and arrangements were almost com- nature. As far as the Chinese froutier is į Public Works Department itself when another concerned, Russia cannot have too many tender was received. It has now been accepted,
the Bill be read a second time.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
Hon. R. SHEWAN-I rise, sir, to object to the motion that this Bill be read 8 second time. In the first place, we have always been accustomed to having a Bill read the first time, and then it is left to be adverfised and made publicly known, so that the public them- se ves my consider the Bill. Thore по through the Conucil in this way. It does not reason, sir, why this Bill should be rushed
seem to me to be a ve y important Bill; it appears to be a very fair Bill; but why should the Attorney-General rush this thing through when it has not bean advertised, not · ven in the Government Gazette? Nobody knows anything about it. We have the first reading, then the second reading, and I am so ignorant of the pro- cedure of this Council that we shall probably have the third reading before I know. Is it not the custom to take the first reading aud then bare time to consider the Bill? I myself have had no time to consider it. I read it through hurriedly, bat I notice it stated that the Chief Justice may at any time apon good cause shown grant to: the Crown leave to appeal. If there is any doubt on the subject, I would simply ask the Council t› have it postponed until next meeting.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL-All I ask the Council to do is to adopt the principle, and if we adopt that principle we can read the Bill the second time and refer it to committee at the next meeting.
Hou, R. SHEWAN-It will b ́t go through committee now?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL NO. Hon. R. SHEWAN—Oh, very well. The motion was put to the Council and the Bill was read a second time.
SUPPLEMENTARY, VOTE. The COLONIAL TREASURER moved the second- reading of the Bill entitled An Ordin 200 to authorise the Appropriation of a Supplementury two hundred and one Dollars and forty Cents, Sum of Ong million eight hundred thousand to defray the Chirges of the Year 1902. 2 p
The COLONIAL SECRETARY 9conded, and the